PONDERAY — Chuck Heath, father of GOP vice presidential candidate and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, taught his daughter how to field dress a moose.

Now he’s looking to help Republican congressional candidate Vaughn Ward in his hunt to unseat U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho).

“I want to teach Vaughn how to field dress a donkey,” Heath quipped during a meet-and-greet fundraiser at the Ponderay Events Center on Saturday.

Heath, a former Bonner County resident and Sandpoint Junior High School teacher, recalled a bit of sage advice he picked up from local coaching legend Cotton Barlow.

“He said, ‘Don’t blow your own horn,’” Heath said, recalling when Barlow explained that those genuinely worthy of praise will find there people around them who are more than willing to sing their virtues.

Which explains why Heath and his daughter’s father-in-law, Jim Palin, are on the campaign trail stumping for Ward, a former CIA operations officer and decorated U.S. Marine Corps major running for the 1st District seat.

“He believes he can go back to Washington, D.C., and be a real servant for the people, said Jim Palin. “He is more of a leader than a politician.”

Following the introductions, Ward took questions from the audience, which filled the ample conference room. The questions hit most of the hot-button issues — health care and tort reforms, immigration, second amendment rights and social programs such as a welfare and Medicare.

Ward, 40, said the current health care reform legislation should be scrapped and said he would push for tort reform and more insurance options for small businesses.

He also pledged to reach out to younger voters during the race, which he contends is one of the most important in the nation because there are precious few seats up for grabs.

“Idaho will help shape and define where this nation goes,” he said.

Ward also challenged the perception that a junior congressman could be ineffective. He pointed to the success of other relative newcomers — Reps. Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) and Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), and said consensus can be built with compromise and without abandoning core values.

“One person with a belief develops the power to make change,” he said.

Also running for the GOP nomination in the 1st District race are state Rep. Ken Roberts (R-Donnelly) and retired physician Allan Salzberg.