- Associated Press - Thursday, October 20, 2016

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho said Thursday through a spokesman that he is confident in the state’s election process and will respect the results of next month’s election.

Crapo’s statement followed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump refusal during Wednesday’s final president debate to say whether he would accept the outcome of the election.

“Potential voter fraud is a serious issue and everything legally possible needs to be done to ensure the integrity and fairness of all of our elections,” said campaign senior adviser Todd Cranney in the emailed statement. Crapo “will accept the results of the election and the will of the people. “

Crapo, who is seeking a fourth term, rescinded his support for Trump on Oct. 8 - a day after the release of a video with Trump making lewd comments about women.

But on Oct. 14 during a debate hosted by Idaho Public Television, Crapo said he had not decided whether he would vote for Trump or not. Pressed by the debate moderator, Crapo said only that he would not vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Jerry Sturgill, Crapo’s Democratic opponent, also said he trusted Idaho’s election system.

“Regardless of the outcome, I will listen to the people of Idaho and accept the results of this election,” said Sturgill, a Boise businessman who is running in his first political race. “I trust our democratic process and have confidence that every vote counts equally.”

James Piotrowski, the Democratic challenger in the 1st Congressional District race, said he’s confident in Idaho’s system and will accept its result.

“I do not believe that there is evidence that this election will be ’rigged.’ The decentralized voting system ensures that election fraud is nearly impossible,” Piotrwoski said in a statement.

Piotrowski accused U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador of adding “fuel to the fire” of Trump’s declaration by accusing the media and Clinton of overreacting to it.

Tweets from Labrador’s campaign Twitter account lashed out at the media and Clinton but also said Labrador did not think the election would be rigged.

Daniel Tellez Jr., a Labrador spokesman, said he had no immediate comment on additional questions about Labrador’s confidence in Idaho’s election process.

A recent study by a Loyola University law professor concluded that voter-impersonation cases that Trump has suggested could be rampant in the election are extremely rare.

Luke Kilcup, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said he was unavailable to comment on whether he has confidence in Idaho’s election process.

Simpson’s Democratic opponent for the 2nd Congressional District, Jennifer Martinez, did not immediately return email and telephone messages Thursday seeking comment on Trump’s declaration.

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