SANDPOINT — With gas prices on a seemingly endless upward trajectory, Democratic congressional hopeful Walt Minnick is making a pitch to the people of North Idaho that his leadership would help solve America’s energy crisis.

Minnick, 65, ran unopposed in May’s Democratic primary and will face incumbent Rep. Bill Sali, R-Idaho, in the November general election. Since the primary, Minnick has been crisscrossing the state selling his message to local business owners, community leaders, and anyone who will listen.

His Wednesday trip to Sandpoint gave Minnick the chance to tour Litehouse and attend a Rotary Club meeting, but his primary goal was to speak to local residents about America’s energy policy.

Minnick said that in every community he visits, residents are most vocal about the skyrocketing cost of gas and America’s dependence on foreign oil.

“It’s impacting lifestyles,” Minnick said of the gas crunch. “There’s no mass transit and there’s no other way to get around. And this is a big state, so whether it’s recreation or a job, people have to drive and they’re very concerned about their economics.”

One of the major problems, according to Minnick, is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. Minnick calls the organization a “classic cartel” and said if it were based in America it would be hit with anti-trust lawsuits.

“One of the things we could do, together with other consuming nations, is insist we aren’t going to do business with a cartel. We’ll do business with individual suppliers and essentially try to restore a more competitive market,” Minnick said.

In the meantime, Minnick proposes more drilling on federally-owned land while the government helps kick start the alternative energy programs that will be the future of the country.

Minnick said he does not support the gas tax holiday that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is touting as a short-term solution to rising prices.

“It’s good politics but bad economics. Supply and demand establishes oil prices,” Minnick said.

According to Minnick, the only feasible way to reduce gas prices in the short term is to lean on Saudi Arabia to produce more oil and crack down on oil speculators, who he believes are driving up prices.

Because the gas issue resonates with so many Idahoans, and because he feels most qualified to address it, Minnick is confident that even in the reddest state in the union, Idahoans will cast their ballots for him in November.

“I’m not a Democrat. I’m a conservative Democrat, an Idaho Democrat. That’s a whole lot different than an East Coast or San Francisco Democrat,” Minnick said.