The new congressman from Idaho’s 1st District is Republican Raúl Labrador, who unseated Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick in the GOP tidal wave of 2010. Labrador is the first Hispanic elected to Congress from Idaho. Read More

The new congressman from Idaho’s 1st District is Republican Raúl Labrador, who unseated Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick in the GOP tidal wave of 2010. Labrador is the first Hispanic elected to Congress from Idaho.

He was born in Puerto Rico and raised by his mother, Ana Pastor, who was unmarried. His father, who was married and had five other children, saw Raúl once a year on his birthday, according to a story in The Idaho Statesman. Pastor, a sales representative for the Mars candy company in Puerto Rico, moved to Las Vegas for a new start when Raúl was a young teenager, taking a job as a change girl in a casino. She joined the city’s Mormon church, which provided help during lean times. A church official became a surrogate father for Labrador, helping pay his way to Brigham Young University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and philosophy. He went on to get a law degree from the University of Washington. With the exception of a couple of stints as a law clerk for government offices, Labrador spent his career in private practice. Before he came to Washington, he was the managing partner of Labrador Law Offices in Nampa, Idaho, which specializes in immigration law.

Labrador stepped into the political arena in 2006 when he won a seat in the state House. He quickly made a name for himself as a steadfast conservative, standing up to GOP Gov. Butch Otter on his plan to raise fuel taxes to pay for new roads. Labrador also had a hand in legislation to restore gun rights to those deemed mentally defective by the courts and to exempt Idaho from the federal health care law.

He got into the contest for the Republican nomination to challenge Minnick after Ken Roberts, the Republican caucus chairman in the Idaho House, withdrew for health reasons. He saw Minnick as vulnerable as a Democrat in Idaho even though Minnick had voted against major elements of President Obama’s agenda, including the economic stimulus, the overhaul of health care, and the cap-and-trade energy bill.

In the primary, Labrador lagged behind Marine Maj. Vaughn Ward, a decorated Iraq war veteran, who had a 3-to-1 fundraising advantage and the backing of the state and national party establishment. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also came to Boise to boost Ward, who had been the Nevada director for John McCain and Palin in the 2008 presidential contest. But Ward made a series of gaffes that left him vulnerable, including violating Pentagon rules prohibiting the use of military uniforms in campaign ads, and failing to disclose his wife’s assets. She worked for mortgage giant Fannie Mae, which received $76 billion in federal rescue funds. Labrador beat Ward in the May primary, 47.6% to 39%.

In his fall campaign against the Democratic incumbent, Labrador made an issue of Minnick’s vote to elect California liberal Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House in 2009. He called for large cuts in federal spending and repeal of the Democratic health care law. Minnick, with $2.5 million in the bank and a 5-to-1 money edge, let loose a barrage of attacks, including one that showed a former U.S. marshal criticizing Labrador for running a website that “offers advice to illegal immigrants seeking amnesty.” Labrador responded that he in fact advises illegal immigrants to return to their home countries and reapply for admission to the United States through proper channels. None of the attacks were enough to save Minnick, who had been elected just two years earlier with 51% of the vote. Labrador defeated Minnick, 51% to 41%.