First District Republican congressional candidate Vaughn Ward continues to press his financial advantage over state Rep. Raul Labrador with a new 30-second ad.

Ward's campaign said in a news release that the ad would begin airing Monday in the Boise, Coeur d'Alene and Lewiston TV markets.

Titled "Stop Reckless Spending," the spot begins with Ward saying, "The only way to stop reckless spending and make the government accountable and transparent is to end government bailouts and ban earmarks."

Idaho Treasurer Ron Crane and House Speaker Lawerence Denney have been named honorary co-chairs of state Rep. Raul Labrador's campaign, bolstering his claim to the GOP's most conservative wing.

Denney, R-Midvale, was already on Labrador's endorsement list and has been appearing with Labrador at campaign events. Crane has been treasurer since 1999 and earlier served 16 years in the Idaho House representing Canyon County.

Al Henderson, the most experienced fundraiser in Idaho GOP circles, has joined the campaign of 1st Congressional District hopeful Vaughn Ward, the campaign announced Thursday.

Henderson has worked to raise money for former Sens. Dirk Kempthorne, Larry Craig and Jim McClure, as well as other top Republicans.

Henderson will be the campaign's senior finance director. Ward already leads the money race against late-entrant state Rep. Raul Labrador, having raised over $500,000 through March 31, compared to Labrador's $119,000.

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo and state Rep. Raul Labrador are the only major candidates among a field of 17 for federal office in Idaho to reply to the Tea Party Boise candidate survey.

Notable for their absence are incumbent Reps. Walt Minnick and Mike Simpson and Labrador's principal opponent in the 1st District GOP race, Vaughn Ward.

Minnick, a 1st District Democrat, “opted out” of the survey, meaning he replied to the request on time but declined to complete the survey in full, as Tea Party Boise required.

The U.S. Marine Corps has released its letter asking Idaho GOP congressional candidate Vaughn Ward to comply with Department of Defense regulations regarding campaign activity by members of the armed forces. The Marine Corps questioned a $2,500 click ad that pictured Ward in uniform and appeared on the Drudge Report on March 31 and April 1.

UPDATE, 1:45 p.m. Vaughn Ward's delinquent taxes were paid about 11 a.m Monday by credit card, about 25 minutes after the Idaho Statesman requested comment for this story.

Congressional candidate Vaughn Ward is delinquent on his Valley County property taxes for the fourth time since 2004, the Valley County Treasurer’s office said Tuesday.

Republican congressional candidate and state Rep. Raul Labrador on Monday said he was humbled and grateful to Idaho Chooses Life for the endorsement from the pro-life group.
 
"I have always believed that government's greatest responsibility is defending the sanctity of human life," said Labrador of Eagle in a news release Monday. "It is humbling to have my record and values acknowledged by one of Idaho's leading pro-Life groups."

"The endorsement from ICL is a big boost to our campaign and I'm excited about the next four weeks of this election effort," Labrador said.
 

The news that Sen. Mike Crapo has declined to meet his GOP opponent in a statewide televised debate May 16 has prompted a gambit from Crapo's likely Democratic opponent in November.

Tom Sullivan says he'll be glad to debate Republican Claude "Skip" Davis.

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, says he will fight H.R. 5088, the America’s Commitment to Clean Water Act.

In a news release, Simpson said the bill cedes authority over all U.S. waters to the federal government, including water currently regulated by states, and makes it subject to regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act.

The bill was introduced Wednesday by Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., and co-sponsored by Michigan Democrats John Dingell and Vernon Ehlers.

Tea Party Boise co-founder Brendan Smythe says 11 candidates seeking Idaho's two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives have committed to appear at a May 1 forum in Eagle.

Absent, however, will be the two incumbents, 1st District Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick and 2nd District Republican Rep. Mike Simpson.

"We are not going to ask your usual questions," Smythe said. "This will be different."

Minnick spokesman John Foster said Minnick had already been scheduled to be in Coeur d'Alene on May 1. Simpson's office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.