Idaho Politics: Column

Californian Seeks Larry Craig’s Idaho Senate Seat

By Jill Kuraitis , 3-21-08

Hal Styles lives in Southern California, and he’s never been to Idaho. But he’s running in Idaho’s open Republican primary for United States Senate.

From his home in Desert Hot Springs, just a few miles from the better-known Palm Springs, he returned my call and exuberantly held forth. “The reason I want to be the U.S. Senator from Idaho?  It’s one of the western states and I must stay in the west, and everything I’ve heard about Idaho is beautiful and gorgeous, and I want to serve America, it’s in my blood. What better place than the Senate where I can serve the desires and wishes of Idahoans and then come home and say OKAY, TEAM!  What do you want, what do you like?”

Styles refuses to tell his age but his life story puts him in his 70s or early 80s.  He says he’s “moving to Boise sometime soon but I can’t say exactly when.”

From his merry opening shout of, “It’s HAL, your PAL, I’d like to take you to Washington with me!” to his goodbye said through tears over a story that touched him, Styles seems like your outlandish, hat-wearing grandfather – the one who heads up the Cub Scouts so he can teach ‘em patriotism, annoying camp songs and the best pranks in town. 

“A year and half ago I read an article about the ten best places to live and in there is Idaho. Boise was in there.  Your tax dollars sent me to Pensacola a long time ago where I learned to fly PLANES and land them on tiny little SHIPS – that’s how the Navy does it, not those big Air Force ships, little TINY ships – so I told Collette my wife, we’ve got to check it out.  If I don’t do something every 72 hours I go crazy.  You have outdoors there, mountains and outdoors and there I can FLY!”

Styles has run for office in California several times, “and I’d run again here, but the Republican Party here grease the way for their hand-picked people and it’s a fait accompli and I’m not it.

I’ve heard you’re about 70% Republican but I love Democrats too, especially if they cross over and vote for me!  My wife and I pray at least twice a week and say, thank you God, for letting us be born in America.  So I gotta give back, I gotta give. I just want to serve.

Within about three or four weeks I plan to come to Boise and introduce myself around….you have so much to do there, and I love the outdoors, that’s why I’ll love Idaho…I want to be outdoors all day.”

I thought he was going to strike up the band and tap-dance any minute. 

Styles wanted me to “listen to some letters.  I’m an RRCR - a Ronald Reagan conservative Republican who wants LLS – lower taxes, less government, a strong national defense, and I’m for TAVP – traditional American virtues and patriotism.”

Reporter Dean Gray of Desert Local News first contacted Styles by knocking on his door.  After meeting Styles, Gray wrote:

“I’m a highly individualistic individual,” says the former stockbroker, now realtor and longtime flying instructor. “I’m outstanding because I’m an outstanding person with an outstanding background.”

Styles attended the US Naval Academy and flew the AD Skyraider about the time of the Korean War. Shy about revealing his age, Styles appears to have a fine commanding knowledge of world affairs in his mind as preparation to his Senate duties.

Styles is one of eight Republicans seeking the nomination to fill Larry Craig’s Senate seat.  Two Democrats, two Independents and a Libertarian are also in the race.

--with Dean Gray, Desert Local News

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