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Raúl Labrador was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 6, 2012, representing Idaho’s 1st Congressional District as a conservative Republican.
Labrador, a Tea Party favorite, was first elected to Congress in 2010, beating Democratic incumbent Walt Minnick.
Labrador was born in 1967 in Puerto Rico and was raised by his mother. They moved to Las Vegas and converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and went on to get a law degree from the University of Washington.
He started Labrador Law Offices with locations in Nampa and Boise, and is a managing partner and owner of the small business.
Labrador began his political career in 2006, serving in the Idaho legislature as a representative from District 14B. He served in the Statehouse until his 2010 election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In Congress, Labrador is on the Committee on Natural Resources, as well as the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He is a member of a number of subcommittees, including the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending. He opposes the Affordable Care Act and co-sponsored an act to repeal the law early in his tenure.
Labrador supports deployment of the U.S. military along the border to deter illegal immigration, and he’s a vocal supporter of Arizona’s controversial immigration law. He wants to reduce regulation around geothermal energy, and has sponsored legislation to open up geothermal energy development in Idaho.
Labrador is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, and is on the Republican Study Committee. He and his wife Rebecca have five children, and they live in Eagle.
