Oregon Public Broadcasting

When you’re a Democrat running for office in Republican dominated Idaho, you have to stay busy on the campaign trail. That’s how it is these days as Walt Minnick runs for a congressional seat in Idaho. Glenn Mosley reports.

There is no typical day for Democrat Walt Minnick out on the campaign trail in his bid to unseat incumbent Republican Congressman Bill Sali in Idaho.

This week, Minnick’s been campaigning in north central Idaho, for example, where he’s met with reporters, college students, local business people, and supporters, and attended fundraisers.

Walt Minnick: “The key to politics is no different than the key to business. You have to like people.”

Walt Minnick, speaking on Wednesday to us in Moscow, ID.

Walt Minnick:“To the extent that I bring anything to this process, aside from the fact that I am not a career politician, it’s the ability to talk to people.”

Minnick says campaigning for office is different than anything he’s ever done in business.

He says he’s used to being a CEO and in charge, but in this campaign, he’s a candidate who is handed a schedule and who tries hard to meet people and talk about issues in a responsible way.