SANDPOINT — Jerry Sturgill, the democratic nominee who is taking on Idaho's Mike Crapo for a seat in the United States Senate, made his way to Sandpoint Thursday to get the word out about his campaign.

"This is a year where there is so much going on in the political arena that we have got to get out and talk to people," Sturgill told the Daily Bee. "Let them know that there are some alternatives and we can make a difference in our federal government and our state government."

Sturgill, of Boise, said he is running for Senate because he feels the government is "broken." He said the government is in gridlock because of hyper partisanship with the influence of big money. It is these issues, he said, that keep congress from making important decisions that are important to the country.

A newcomer to running for a political office, Sturgill described himself as a businessman who has run companies. He oversaw 500 employees as CEO of a regional armored transit and ATM servicing company. Sturgill said one thing he learned in that position is that organizations do better when they treat people right and when those people feel like they are being treated fairly and can support their families. Treating people fairly is one value he said he would bring with him to senate if he were elected, with a focus on equal pay for women.

Sturgill has also served as chairman on several board of directors, such as the Riverstone International School Board in Boise. He said congress is like a board of directors for the country, and if congress were a board of directors for a company that he was in charge of, he would "get rid of everyone and start over."

"We need people in politics who are truly going to represent the needs of everyone, and who are willing to work with people from different parties and different points of view, treat each other with respect and work with other people to reach smart solutions to the problems that we face," Sturgill said.

Some of the other issues Sturgill said he is concerned with are health insurance — making sure people know they are not going to be "sunk" if they have a health problem — and education.  

"We need to do what we can to improve educational offerings in our state, not just for our kids but for everybody," Sturgill said. "Education is an economic issue — the better our children are educated, the more capable they will be of contributing to our society and our economy."

He is also concerned with keeping Idaho's public lands public. Sturgill said he grew up in Idaho and has spent a lot of time doing outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, fishing and hunting and learned how important it is to preseve the wilderness. He would oppose any effort to tranfer or sell public lands, he said.