BOISE -- Democratic U.S. House candidate Walt Minnick released the names of 60 people he says are Republicans but are backing him in his 1st Congressional District race against GOP incumbent Rep. Bill Sali.

John Foster, Minnick's campaign spokesman, called the www.republicansforminnick.com Web site "a serious effort to reach out to Republican voters with a message that this race is not about party, it's about who's right for Idaho."

Minnick, a one-time Republican and Nixon administration staffer, released a similar list in 1996 with 22 names in his unsuccessful race against Republican U.S. Sen. Larry Craig.

And Democratic candidate Larry Grant, who lost to Sali in 2006, also released a list that year that included just 11 people.

Wayne Hoffman, a spokesman for Sali, says he doubts all those on Minnick's latest list are staunch Republicans.

Hoffman says, "It's the same gimmick Minnick pulled in 1996 and the same gimmick Larry Grant pulled in 2006."