| Description: |  — Lt. Gov. Jim Risch has said he was interested in running for Sen. Larry Craig’s seat, if the fellow Republican ever opted not to run again. Now that Craig has been forced to resign, some expect Risch could be appointed to the post.
It will be up to Gov. C.L. “Butch†Otter, a Republican, to appoint someone to fill the remainder of Craig’s term.
Otter said Saturday that media reports were “dead wrong†that his mind was already made up. “I haven’t chosen a replacement,†he said.
The governor wouldn’t give a timetable for when he would name a successor to Craig.
Risch also played down speculation. “I have not been promised the job of U.S. senator, nor has there even been a hint that the governor would appoint me to that position,†he said.
Idaho Democratic Party officials said a move by Otter to choose a man who had already expressed interest in running for Craig’s job in 2008 would be a “crass and low attempt†to take advantage of Craig’s downfall for po |