Ammon Bundy enters Idaho governor race

Best known for leading armed stand-off at Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016

mmon Bundy, the leader of an anti-government militia, speaks to members of the media in front of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters on January 5, 2016 near Burns, Oregon (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Anti-government militant Ammon Bundy has filed paperwork to run for governor in Idaho.

Mr Bundy is currently banned from the Idaho State Capitol Building after being wheeled out in an office chair by state troopers after he refused to leave during last year’s coronavirus protest.

He is best known for leading a right-wing armed stand-off at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon in 2016 to protest federal government control of public land.

The 45-year-old conservative, who has been a vocal critic of mask mandates during the pandemic, was arrested but later acquitted in that case.

He was also a part of the effort to recall Republican governor Brad Little over the state’s stay-at-home order put in place to deal with Covid-19.

The Idaho Secretary of State’s office confirmed on Twitter that Mr Bundy had filed paperwork to run in 2022 as a Republican.

But Mr Bundy has already run into government red tape.

He will need to refile the paperwork because he listed himself as treasurer on it, and anyone holding that position needs to be a registered voter in the state.

As he is not a registered voter in Idaho he will either have to register to vote and refile, or refile with with another registered voter as treasurer.

Mr Bundy, who lives in Emmett, Idaho, would join four other Republicans in the race but so far no Democrats have filed to run.

Candidates have up to 1 March 2022 to file the paperwork needed to run.

Mr Bundy, who has been arrested in the state five times since August, was arrested twice in April for trespassing in the State Capitol and faces two misdemeanor criminal trespassing cases pending against him.

He is representing himself and has pleaded not guilty in one case and not yet entered a plea in the second.