Travis Oler, a U.S. Army veteran, farm manager and businessman from Shelley, announced his candidacy as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate while working in the fields on his tractor.

“Our democracy can only function properly with active citizens willing to fight for what is best for our nation,” Oler said. “For too long, too many of us, including myself, have sat on the sidelines.”

Oler is making himself available to speak one-on-one with Idahohans and to listen to their concerns. Anyone interested can visit the campaign website at http://www.travisoler.com to schedule a call.

Oler graduated from Shelley High School in 1989 and was honorably discharged from the Army in 2004. He worked as a freight train conductor for Union Pacific, working in Pocatello, Nampa, Green River, Wyo., and Ogden, Utah.

“I have been a member of the middle class nearly my entire life, and I am campaigning for senator primarily to help Idaho’s struggling middle class,” Oler said.

After his time with Union Pacific, Oler began a 12-year career in franchising and Internet marketing, helping hundreds of business owners start and grow small businesses.

Oler is pro-business, pro-farming and opposes corporate welfare, wasteful government spending and the Trump tax cuts that have given tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy, running up trillions of dollars in deficits.

“I am willing to do my part to strengthen our country and the state of Idaho,” Oler said.

Oler said he would stand up for Idaho farmers and agriculture, Idaho’s largest and most important industry.

“Idaho Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo have abandoned the middle class and Idaho family farmers and are blindly following Trump’s disastrous policies,” he said.

Sen. Jim Risch is the incumbent. He announced in August he would run for a third six-year term.