Dirk Kempthorne
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{{Infobox_Governor |name= Dirk Kempthorne |image= Kempthorne.jpg |caption= |order=30th |office= Governor of Idaho |term_start= January 1999 |term_end= |lieutenant= C.L. Otter 1999-2001, Jack Riggs 2001-2003, Jim Risch 2003-present |predecessor= Phil Batt |successor= Incumbent |birth_date= October 29, 1951 |birth_place= San Diego, California |death_date= |death_place= |spouse= Patricia Kempthorne |profession= Politician |party= Republican |footnotes= }} Dirk Arthur Kempthorne (born October 29, 1951 in San Diego, California), became governor of Idaho in 1999. A Republican, he previously represented his state in the United States Senate. On March 16, 2006, President George W. Bush nominated Kempthorne to succeed Gale Norton as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. He awaits Senate confirmation.
Before his Senate career, Kempthorne was mayor of Boise for seven years. Over the course of his long career in public service, Kempthorne has established a reputation, even among his opponents, as a consensus-building leader and competent manager with a strong understanding of policy. <ref>Idaho Governor Selected to Lead Interior Dept. - Michael Janofsky, The New York Times, March 17, 2006</ref>
Kempthorne is notable for his conservative views, particularly on economic issues.
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Early life, education, and early career
Kempthorne was raised in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1976. While there he served a term as student body president. Upon graduation Kempthorne served as an assistant to the director of the Idaho Department of Lands and then as executive vice president of the Idaho Home Builders Association.
Kempthorne managed the gubernatorial campaign for Phil Batt in 1982. Batt lost to Democrat John V. Evans. <ref>Dirk Kempthorne - NNDB, accessed March 17, 2006</ref> In 1983 Kempthorne became state public affairs manager for FMC Corporation.
Political career
Mayor of Boise
Kempthorne's first major political victory was in 1985 when he was elected mayor of Boise. As mayor Kempthorne became very popular and was reelected in 1989 unopposed.
U.S. Senator
In 1992 Kempthorne defeated Democratic U.S. Representative Richard H. Stallings for the Senate seat held by Steve Symms, who was retiring. In the Senate Kempthorne sponsored and helped pass a bill meant to prohibit Congress from imposing unfunded federal mandates on states.
Governor of Idaho
Kempthorne was expected to run for reelection in 1998, but instead decided to run in the open seat gubernatorial race after the incumbent, Phil Batt, shocked the state by announcing his retirement after only one term in office.
Kempthorne won the ensuing election in a landslide, receiving 68 percent of the vote while his Democratic opponent, Robert Huntley, received only 29 percent. He was reelected in 2002 with 56 percent of the vote, compared to his Democratic opponent, Jerry Brady, who polled 42 percent. Kempthorne's campaign spent nearly $200,000 more than it had received in contributions prior to the election; he spent the next two years raising funds to pay off the campaign debt. [1]
Nomination to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior
On March 16, 2006, Kempthorne was nominated by President George W. Bush to replace Gale Norton as United States Secretary of the Interior. If confirmed by the United States Senate, which is considered likely, Kempthorne would become the second Idahoan to hold the post after Cecil D. Andrus, who was Interior secretary under Jimmy Carter.
Notes
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{{U.S. Senator box
|state = Idaho
|class = 3
|before = Steve Symms
|after = Mike Crapo
|alongside = Larry Craig
|years =1993–1999}}
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