Idaho Gov. Butch Otter and Sen. Mike Crapo will both be attending the Labor Day college football game between Boise State University (BSU) and Virginia Tech in Landover, Md.
Crapo is hosting a free tailgate party before the game, but also rented a suite at the stadium for donors to his campaign.
“Of course, we will be featuring Idaho baked potatoes with all the fixings,” Crapo said in a news release about the tailgate party.“We will also be serving Boise State cupcakes in the university’s blue and orange colors.”
Attending the game in Crapo’s suite will cost supporters $2,400, the maximum personal contribution allowed for federal offices. According to The Sunlight Foundation’s Party Blog, which reported on the Crapo’s campaign buying the suite, the suite can hold between 20 and 40 people, and costs $5,000 to $16,000, depending on its size.
The governor and First Lady Lori Otter are attending the game using personal funds. Campaign spokesman Ryan Panitz said the governor used some of his frequent flyer miles to buy tickets to the East Coast game. Otter has been a strong backer of BSU’s football team.
Neither Crapo nor Otter hold degrees from BSU. Otter attended classes at BSU when it was called Boise Junior College, before earning his bachelor’s degree at College of Idaho.
Otter’s Democratic opponent in the governor’s race, Keith Allred, won’t be travelling to the game, but will be celebrating his birthday on Labor Day. Allred’s campaign spokesman, Shea Andersen, said he will be in the Twin Falls area, meeting with people affected by fires in the region.
