IDAHO FALLS -- Former Idaho Speaker of the House Allan Larsen died Wednesday at the Bingham County Extended Care Facility. He was 85.

Larsen, of Blackfoot, was first elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1966 and served as speaker of the House from 1975 until 1978, when he won the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

But Larsen lost the November election to incumbent Democrat John Evans and returned to farming until 1990, when Republicans, fearing a Democratic takeover of the State Senate, drafted him back into service.

He ran and won an Idaho Senate seat from incumbent Democrat Jim Christiansen, serving from 1991-1992 and again in the House from 1993-1996.

Former Rep. Reed Hansen, R-Idaho Falls, described Larsen as a man with common sense who always remembered the people he served.

"He was able to use common sense to solve public issues," Hansen said.