NATION : Ida. Rep. Craig to Run for Senate

POCATELLO, Ida. —  Rep. Larry E. Craig (R-Ida.) announced today that he will seek election this fall to the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican James A. McClure.

Craig, 44, is serving his fifth two-year term in the House. He is a member of the Interior Committee, the Public Works and Transportation Committee and the House ethics panel.

McClure, 65, announced last week that he will not seek reelection. He is completing his third Senate term.

While Craig is the first Republican to declare for the seat, the race is likely to become crowded. Idaho Falls businessman David Steed, a Democrat, has already entered the contest and Idaho Atty. Gen. Jim Jones, a Republican, is scheduled to announce his plans for the Senate on Monday. Also, a spokeswoman for Rep. Richard H. Stallings (D-Ida.) said today that Stallings is considering a bid for McClure’s seat.