Raulmentum

Michael Chadwick became the second candidate to withdraw from what was once a five candidate race for the first district house race. Of course, his name will still appear on the ballot, but his vote total will be diminished. Unlike Mr. Salzburg, Chadwick gave a preference, a glowing endorsement to Raul Labrador:

“It is time for the voters of Idaho to unite behind, support and elect Raul Labrador as the next U.S. Congressman from Idaho. He is a true conservative in the tradition of Ronald Reagan. He has a proven track record of legislative accomplishments in the Idaho State Legislature. He co-sponsored the Idaho Health Freedom Act and is a real leader with proven credentials. He will represent the views of the common man, not the elite in Washington, D.C. He will put Main Street ahead of Wall Street and seek to restore the principles of state sovereignty and personal liberty.

“We do not want a repeat of the 2006 congressional race where one candidate won the primary election with less than 26 percent of the votes. Therefore, I am withdrawing from the race for U.S. Congress in Idaho’s First congressional District effective today.”

This is good news for Labrador, particularly as Chadwick was a bit of a tea party candidate. The endorsement is a good shift in his direction.

With Chadwick’s withdrawl, and perennial candidate Harley Brown remaining the only other candidate contesting the election, it’s almost a certainty that whoever wins the GOP nomination will get at least 45% of the vote, if not a majority which is good news for the Republicans in the fall.