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Chuck Kozak, who played basketball at the University of Idaho, is the first Republican in the race to deny Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., a fifth term.
Kozak, 66, will be in Idaho this weekend and appear from 6 to 8 a.m. Saturday on 580 KIDO with host Doug McConnaughey.
“We intend on telling all Vandals about this,” said Denny Smith, a U of I grad who now lives in Nevada and is advising Kozak. Kozak will also attend a private party in McCall this weekend, Smith said.
Kozak played basketball at U of I from 1961-1965 and won the 1964 Oz Thompson Award for sportsmanship, scholarship and leadership. He also graduated from U of I’s law school and went onto a law career in the Marines and private practice in Hawaii and California. He moved to Nevada in 2005.
Earlier this month, Kozak announced formation of an exploratory committee for a race against Reid, who has already raised $10.3 million.
The top early choice of Nevada Republicans to challenge Reid is U.S. Rep. Dean Heller. But the sex scandal involving Nevada’s junior senator, Republican John Ensign, has put off a decision by Heller on challenging Reid.
Kozak has entered the breach. According to Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, Kozak has picked a team of pollsters, fund-raisers and consultants.
Reid vows to raise $25 million for the race -- more than triple the $7 million he spent winning 61 percent of the vote in 2004. But a Las Vegas Review-Journal poll conducted in June suggests Reid is vulnerable, with only 34 percent of Nevada voters having a favorable opinion of Reid and 46 percent seeing him unfavorably.
Dan Popkey: 377-6438
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