POCATELLO — Democrats were packed shoulder to shoulder Wednesday when county candidates, state hopefuls and local dignitaries joined about two dozen voters for the official opening of campaign headquarters for Richard Stallings.

    Stallings is challenging Republicans in District 2, a seat he held from 1985 to 1993.

    “I’ve been telling people that when I was there things ran pretty smooth, but since I left everything has gone to hell,” Stallings joked. “I decided I needed to go back and straighten things out.”

    Incumbent Mike Simpson and Republican challenger Bryan Smith will meet in the May primaries and Stallings will face the winner of that race in November.

    Stallings rented the building at 600 Oak St. and offered space to other Democrats looking to set up campaign operations in Southeast Idaho.

    With the race starting to pick up steam, Stallings said campaign volunteers have stepped up in most of the 22 counties that comprise the Second Congressional District and he’s raised some funds.

    Shortly after announcing his candidacy, Stallings said that he joined the race at the urging of state Democratic officials and he added that he could not let the seat go to a Republican without a challenge.

    “Idaho currently has the worst delegation it’s ever had,” Stallings said. “Idaho is a small state and it needs strong representation.”

    Stallings said immigration reform will be one of the issues he plans to tackle.  He’s opposed to new weapons purchases to beef up security on the country’s borders and believed the money would be better spent elsewhere.

    Raising the minimum wage and ensuring funding for the Idaho National Laboratory and Idaho’s universities that will bring new jobs to the state are also priorities for Stallings.

    Nels Mitchell was at Wednesday’s opening and he plans to maintain an office in Pocatello. He is challenging U.S. Sen. James Risch. Risch will face Jeremy Anderson in the Republican primary next month.

    A political newcomer, Mitchell earned the endorsement of some of Idaho’s most influential Democrats, including former Idaho Gov. Cecil D. Andrus, Stallings and former U.S. Attorney Betty Richardson, as well as representatives and senators statewide.

    Mitchell said joining the 2014 Senate race was the right thing to do.

    Growing up in Boise, Mitchell said Andrus and U.S. Sen. Frank Church were his heroes.

    “I always thought I would run for office someday,” Mitchell said.  “I just didn’t know it would take this long for me to be ready.”

    Mitchell said sensible immigration reform is also on his agenda.

    “I believe we need a bipartisan approach so there can be a reasonable path to citizenship,” Mitchell said.

    Job and economic growth are on the minds of voters statewide and Mitchell said as a senator, he would advocate for funding to promote research and cleanup at the INL and for grant funded programs through tribal and university resources to promote jobs.

    “We have an obligation to protect sites like the existing INL and the Mountain Home Air Force base,” Mitchell said.

    Mitchell said incumbent Sen. Risch was rated the most conservative member of the Senate, and he points out that as well as voting to shut down the government at a cost of $24 billion, Risch also voted against funding at the INL.

    “His answer is to just vote no on everything,” Mitchell said.

    Mitchell said federal intrusion remains a big issue for Idahoans, but he said the Senate can strike a balance between state and federal control.

    “I support Gov. Andrus approach,” Mitchell said. “Most people want the government off their back, but by their sides.”

    Mitchell said as a native Idahoan and a gun enthusiast he supports Second Amendment rights.

    A former trials director for the Federal Security Exchange, Mitchell said he has worked extensively with state, local and federal law enforcement agencies.

    He actually met his wife, Mary Kimmel, in Pocatello. The couple live in Boise with a horse, a cat and three dogs. Mitchell also has two grown daughters.

    Mitchell believes that it will be a good year for Democrats, and he noted that 60 percent of registered voters in Bannock County do not affiliate themselves with either political party.

    “Democrats need to speak to those people in the middle,” Mitchell said.

    William Bryk is an attorney from Brooklyn, N.Y., is also running on the Democratic ticket for the Senate seat.

    Bryk, who told the Spokesman Review this week that he’s never set foot in Idaho, is also running for Senate seats in Alaska and Oregon. According to the Spokesman Review story, Bryk doesn’t campaign beyond taking phone calls and filling out interest groups’ surveys and he raises no campaign funds.

    Democratic candidate for the governor’s office A.J. Balukoff was at the new Democratic headquarters after completing a 10-day tour of Idaho’s Panhandle and he said voters believe that Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter has lost touch with people in Idaho.

    While jobs and the economy top the list of concerns for voters, education runs a close second, Balukoff said.

    Democrats voiced disappointment earlier this year when Otter designated just $30 million of the state’s rainy day fund to offset cuts to education over the past five years.

    “The rainy day fund is a sort of savings account to keep education funding stable,” Balukoff said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to keep contributing to the fund when it’s raining and it’s been raining for a long time.”

    Former Idaho Senator Bert Marley, who’s campaigning for the Lt. governor’s office also attended Wednesday’s rally. Incumbent Brad Little is being challenged by Idaho County Commissioner Jim Chmelik in the May primary election.