United States congressional delegations from Idaho
Since Idaho became a U.S. state in 1890,[1] it has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, beginning with the 51st United States Congress. Prior to 1890, Idaho sent non-voting delegates to the House of Representatives from 1864 to 1889.[2] Each state elects two senators to serve for six years in general elections, with their re-election staggered. Prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were elected by the Idaho Legislature.[3] Each state elects varying numbers of members of the House, depending on population, to two-year terms.[4] Idaho has sent two members to the House in each congressional delegation since the 1910 United States Census.[5]
A total of 63 unique individuals have represented Idaho in Congress; Idaho has had 26 senators and 44 representatives, and 7 have served in both the House and the Senate. Two women from Idaho, Gracie Pfost and Helen Chenoweth, have served in the House, while none have served in the Senate.[6]
Currently, the dean, or longest-serving member of Congress from Idaho, is Mike Crapo, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and has served in Congress ever since, serving in the Senate since his election in 1998.[7] Crapo is the second-longest serving senator in Idaho history,[8] after William Borah.[9]
Current delegation[edit]
Idaho
|
Class II senator | Class III senator | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Jim Risch (Junior senator) |
 Mike Crapo (Senior senator) | |||
| Party | Republican | Republican | ||
| Incumbent since | January 3, 2009 | January 3, 1999 |
Idaho's current congressional delegation in the 118th Congress consists of its two senators and two representatives, all of whom are Republicans.[11] Idaho has not elected a Democratic member of Congress since Walt Minnick was elected in 2008;[12] he was defeated by Republican Raúl Labrador two years later in 2010.[13]
As of April 2023, the Cook Partisan Voting Index, a measure of how strongly partisan a state is,[14] ranked both House districts[15] and both Senate races[10] in Idaho as solidly Republican.
Currently, the dean, or longest-serving member of Congress from Idaho, is Mike Crapo, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and has served in Congress ever since, serving in the Senate since his election in 1998.[7] Crapo is the second-longest serving senator in Idaho history,[8] after William Borah,[9] and is the first member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints to serve Idaho in the Senate.[7] Mike Simpson, who represents Idaho's 2nd congressional district, is tied with Burton L. French as the longest-serving representative from Idaho,[8] both having been elected for thirteen terms.[16]
| District | Member (Residence)[17] |
Party | Incumbent since | CPVI (2022)[18] |
District map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st |  Russ Fulcher (Meridian) |
Republican | January 3, 2019 | R+22 | .svg)
|
| 2nd | .jpg) Mike Simpson (Idaho Falls) |
Republican | January 3, 1999 | R+14 | .svg)
|
United States Senate[edit]
.jpg)
26 people have served as a U.S. senator from Idaho,[22] all of them men.[6] The longest-serving senator from Idaho, William Borah, was an influential Republican legislator who eventually became the dean of the Senate during his 33 years of service. He was known for his political views independent of the Republican Party and influence on the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, eventually becoming its chairman.[23][24] He was instrumental in the passage of the Sixteenth and the Seventeenth Amendments, establishing the graduated income tax and popular election of Senators, respectively, but opposed the Nineteenth Amendment, which prohibited restricting the right to vote on account of sex.[19] The last Democratic senator from Idaho was Frank Church, who similarly served for 24 years on the Foreign Relations Committee, including two years as chairman, in addition to serving as chairman of the Church Committee, whose reports helped pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.[25][20] Senator Jim McClure also rose to leadership positions, including as the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference from 1981 to 1985, and as the chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.[21]
Senators are elected every six years depending on their class, with each senator serving a six-year term, and elections for senators occurring every two years, rotating through each class such that at each election, around one-third of the seats in the Senate are up for election.[26] Idaho's senators are elected in classes II and III.[22] Currently, Idaho is represented in the Senate by Mike Crapo and Jim Risch.[11]
Democratic (D) Populist (Pop) Republican (R)
| Class II senator | Congress | Class III senator | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George L. Shoup (R) | 51st (1889–1891) | William McConnell (R) | ||
| 52nd (1891–1893) | Fred Dubois (R) | |||
| 53rd (1893–1895) | ||||
| 54th (1895–1897) | ||||
| 55th (1897–1899) | Henry Heitfeld (Pop) | |||
| 56th (1899–1901) | ||||
| Fred Dubois (D) | 57th (1901–1903) | |||
| 58th (1903–1905) | Weldon B. Heyburn (R)[a] | |||
| 59th (1905–1907) | ||||
| William Borah (R)[b] | 60th (1907–1909) | |||
| 61st (1909–1911) | ||||
| 62nd (1911–1913) | ||||
| Kirtland I. Perky (D)[c] | ||||
| James H. Brady (R)[d] | ||||
| 63rd (1913–1915) | ||||
| 64th (1915–1917) | ||||
| 65th (1917–1919) | ||||
| John F. Nugent (D)[e] | ||||
| 66th (1919–1921) | ||||
| Frank R. Gooding (R)[f] | ||||
| 67th (1921–1923) | ||||
| 68th (1923–1925) | ||||
| 69th (1925–1927) | ||||
| 70th (1927–1929) | ||||
| John Thomas (R) | ||||
| 71st (1929–1931) | ||||
| 72nd (1931–1933) | ||||
| 73rd (1933–1935) | James P. Pope (D) | |||
| 74th (1935–1937) | ||||
| 75th (1937–1939) | ||||
| 76th (1939–1941) | D. Worth Clark (D) | |||
| John Thomas (R)[g] | ||||
| 77th (1941–1943) | ||||
| 78th (1943–1945) | ||||
| 79th (1945–1947) | Glen H. Taylor (D) | |||
| Charles C. Gossett (D)[h] | ||||
| Henry Dworshak (R) | ||||
| 80th (1947–1949) | ||||
| Bert H. Miller (D)[i] | 81st (1949–1951) | |||
| Henry Dworshak (R)[j]
| ||||
| 82nd (1951–1953) | Herman Welker (R) | |||
| 83rd (1953–1955) | ||||
| 84th (1955–1957) | ||||
| 85th (1957–1959) | Frank Church (D) | |||
| 86th (1959–1961) | ||||
| 87th (1961–1963) | ||||
| Leonard B. Jordan (R) | ||||
| 88th (1963–1965) | ||||
| 89th (1965–1967) | ||||
| 90th (1967–1969) | ||||
| 91st (1969–1971) | ||||
| 92nd (1971–1973) | ||||
| Jim McClure (R) | 93rd (1973–1975) | |||
| 94th (1975–1977) | ||||
| 95th (1977–1979) | ||||
| 96th (1979–1981) | ||||
| 97th (1981–1983) | Steve Symms (R) | |||
| 98th (1983–1985) | ||||
| 99th (1985–1987) | ||||
| 100th (1987–1989) | ||||
| 101st (1989–1991) | ||||
| Larry Craig (R) | 102nd (1991–1993) | |||
| 103rd (1993–1995) | Dirk Kempthorne (R) | |||
| 104th (1995–1997) | ||||
| 105th (1997–1999) | ||||
| 106th (1999–2001) | Mike Crapo (R) | |||
| 107th (2001–2003) | ||||
| 108th (2003–2005) | ||||
| 109th (2005–2007) | ||||
| 110th (2007–2009) | ||||
| Jim Risch (R) | 111th (2009–2011) | |||
| 112th (2011-2013) | ||||
| 113th (2013–2015) | ||||
| 114th (2015–2017) | ||||
| 115th (2017–2019) | ||||
| 116th (2019–2021) | ||||
| 117th (2021–2023) | ||||
| 118th (2023-2025) | ||||
United States House of Representatives[edit]
Since the establishment of Idaho Territory, 44 people have served Idaho in the House of Representatives. Of those, only two have been women: Gracie Pfost, who served in the House from 1953 to 1962, and Helen Chenoweth, who served in the House from 1995 to 2000.[6] No African-Americans have ever served Idaho in the House.[38]
From 1864 to 1890, Idaho elected a non-voting delegate to the House. After statehood in 1890, the state sent one member to the House until 1913, when Idaho gained a seat in the House after the 1910 census. The representatives were elected at-large until Idaho's congressional districts were drawn in 1919.[16] Idaho has sent two members to the House in each congressional delegation since then.[16] One member of the House of Representatives is sent from each district via a popular vote.[39] Districts are redrawn every ten years, after data from the US Census is collected.[40]
1864–1890: 1 non-voting delegate[edit]
Starting on February 1, 1864, Idaho Territory sent a non-voting delegate to the House.
Democratic (D) Independent (I) Republican (R)
| Congress | Delegate from territory's at-large district |
|---|---|
| 38th (1863–1865) | William H. Wallace (R) |
| 39th (1865–1867) | Edward D. Holbrook (D) |
| 40th (1867–1869) | |
| 41st (1869–1871) | Jacob K. Shafer (D) |
| 42nd (1871–1873) | Samuel A. Merritt (D) |
| 43rd (1873–1875) | John Hailey (D) |
| 44th (1875–1877) | Thomas W. Bennett (I)[k] |
| Stephen S. Fenn (D) | |
| 45th (1877–1879) | |
| 46th (1879–1881) | George Ainslie (D) |
| 47th (1881–1883) | |
| 48th (1883–1885) | Theodore Frelinghuysen Singiser (R) |
| 49th (1885–1887) | John Hailey (D) |
| 50th (1887–1889) | Fred Dubois (R) |
| 51st (1889–1891) |
1890–1913: 1 seat[edit]
Following statehood on July 3, 1890, Idaho had one seat in the House.
Democratic (D) Populist Party (United States) (Pop) Republican (R) Silver Republican (SvR)
| Congress | At-large district |
|---|---|
| 51st (1889–1891) | Willis Sweet (R) |
| 52nd (1891–1893) | |
| 53rd (1893–1895) | |
| 54th (1895–1897) | Edgar Wilson (R) |
| 55th (1897–1899) | James Gunn (Pop) |
| 56th (1899–1901) | Edgar Wilson (SvR) |
| 57th (1901–1903) | Thomas L. Glenn (Pop) |
| 58th (1903–1905) | Burton L. French (R) |
| 59th (1905–1907) | |
| 60th (1907–1909) | |
| 61st (1909–1911) | Thomas Ray Hamer (R) |
| 62nd (1911–1913) | Burton L. French (R) |
1913–present: 2 seats[edit]
Following the 1910 census, Idaho was apportioned a second seat. It elected both seats statewide at-large on a general ticket, until 1919, when it redistricted into two districts.
Democratic (D) Republican (R)
| Congress | Elected on a general ticket from Idaho's at-large district | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st seat | 2nd seat | |
| 63rd (1913–1915) | Burton L. French (R) | Addison T. Smith (R) |
| 64th (1915–1917) | Robert M. McCracken (R) | |
| 65th (1917–1919) | Burton L. French (R) | |
| Congress | Districts | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | |
| 66th (1919–1921) | Burton L. French (R) | Addison T. Smith (R) |
| 67th (1921–1923) | ||
| 68th (1923–1925) | ||
| 69th (1925–1927) | ||
| 70th (1927–1929) | ||
| 71st (1929–1931) | ||
| 72nd (1931–1933) | ||
| 73rd (1933–1935) | Compton I. White (D) | Thomas C. Coffin (D)[l] |
| 74th (1935–1937) | D. Worth Clark (D) | |
| 75th (1937–1939) | ||
| 76th (1939–1941) | Henry Dworshak (R)[m] | |
| 77th (1941–1943) | ||
| 78th (1943–1945) | ||
| 79th (1945–1947) | ||
| 80th (1947–1949) | Abe Goff (R) | John C. Sanborn (R) |
| 81st (1949–1951) | Compton I. White (D) | |
| 82nd (1951–1953) | John Travers Wood (R) | Hamer H. Budge (R) |
| 83rd (1953–1955) | Gracie Pfost (D) | |
| 84th (1955–1957) | ||
| 85th (1957–1959) | ||
| 86th (1959–1961) | ||
| 87th (1961–1963) | Ralph R. Harding (D) | |
| 88th (1963–1965) | Compton I. White Jr. (D) | |
| 89th (1965–1967) | George V. Hansen (R) | |
| 90th (1967–1969) | Jim McClure (R) | |
| 91st (1969–1971) | Orval H. Hansen (R) | |
| 92nd (1971–1973) | ||
| 93rd (1973–1975) | Steve Symms (R) | |
| 94th (1975–1977) | George V. Hansen (R) | |
| 95th (1977–1979) | ||
| 96th (1979–1981) | ||
| 97th (1981–1983) | Larry Craig (R) | |
| 98th (1983–1985) | ||
| 99th (1985–1987) | Richard H. Stallings (D) | |
| 100th (1987–1989) | ||
| 101st (1989–1991) | ||
| 102nd (1991–1993) | Larry LaRocco (D) | |
| 103rd (1993–1995) | Mike Crapo (R) | |
| 104th (1995–1997) | Helen Chenoweth (R) | |
| 105th (1997–1999) | ||
| 106th (1999–2001) | Mike Simpson (R) | |
| 107th (2001–2003) | Butch Otter (R) | |
| 108th (2003–2005) | ||
| 109th (2005–2007) | ||
| 110th (2007–2009) | Bill Sali (R) | |
| 111th (2009–2011) | Walt Minnick (D) | |
| 112th (2011–2013) | Raúl Labrador (R) | |
| 113th (2013–2015) | ||
| 114th (2015–2017) | ||
| 115th (2017–2019) | ||
| 116th (2019–2021) | Russ Fulcher (R) | |
| 117th (2021–2023) | ||
| 118th (2023–2025) | ||
See also[edit]
- List of United States congressional districts
- Idaho's congressional districts
- Political party strength in Idaho
Notes[edit]
- ^ Senator Heyburn died in office.[27]
- ^ Senator Borah died in office.[23]
- ^ Senator Perky was appointed to the position in November 1912 by Governor James H. Hawley to fill the vacancy caused by Senator Heyburn's death.[28] When Senator James H. Brady was elected to fill Hawley's empty seat in January 1913, Senator Perky was replaced.[29]
- ^ Senator Brady died in office.[30]
- ^ Senator Nugent resigned from the Senate to become the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, appointed by President Woodrow Wilson.[31]
- ^ Senator Gooding died in office.[32]
- ^ Senator Thomas died while in office.[33]
- ^ Senator Gossett resigned from his position as Governor of Idaho and was appointed by Governor Arnold Williams, who was his lieutenant governor, to fill the seat of Senator John Thomas.[34]
- ^ Senator Miller died in office.[35]
- ^ Senator Dworshak died while in office.[36]
- ^ Representative Bennett's election to Congress was successfully contested by Stephen S. Fenn, who succeeded him on June 23, 1876.[41]
- ^ Representative Coffin died while in office.[42]
- ^ Representative Dworshak resigned on November 5, 1946, to serve Idaho in the Senate.[43]
References[edit]
- ^ "Stats for Stories: Idaho 130th Anniversary of Statehood (1890): July 3, 2020". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Biographical directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005: the Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States, from the First through the One Hundred Eighth Congresses, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 2005, inclusive (PDF). Washington, D.C: United States Government Printing Office. 2005. p. 54. ISBN 0-16-073176-3. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913) | National Archives". National Archives. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. September 15, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Congressional elections and midterm elections | USAGov". USAgov. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Historical Apportionment Data (1910-2020)". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Idaho". Center for American Women and Politics. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Tomco, Brigham; Bates, Suzanne (February 1, 2024). "How Idaho's subdued statesman became one of the most powerful politicians in Washington". Deseret News. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c Fixler, Kevin (November 10, 2022). "Idaho's three Republican incumbents sweep reelection campaigns for Congress". Idaho Statesman. McClatchy Media Network. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Nelson, Rett (March 29, 2023). "The rise of Idaho's longest-serving US senator and his affair with former president's daughter". East Idaho News. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ a b "2022 Cook PVI℠: State Map and List". Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b "Congressional Delegation". Idaho State Legislature. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Klein, Matthew (May 31, 2023). "2024 House Race Analysis: Idaho". Cook Political Report. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Bonner, Jessie L. (November 3, 2010). "Raul Labrador wins Idaho's 1st District seat". KBOI. Sinclair. The Associated Press. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Paul, Megan; Zhang, Ruya; Liu, Bian; Saadai, Payam; Coakley, Brian A. (January 2022). "State-level political partisanship strongly correlates with health outcomes for US children". European Journal of Pediatrics. 181 (1): 273–280. doi:10.1007/s00431-021-04203-y. PMID 34272984. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "2023 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (118th Congress)". Cook Political Report. April 5, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Idaho Blue Book (PDF) (27th ed.). Boise, Idaho: Idaho Secretary of State. 2023. pp. 47–57. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives". clerk.house.gov. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ a b "U.S. Senate: William Borah: A Featured Biography". United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b NCC Staff. "Looking back at the Church Committee | Constitution Center". National Constitution Center. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Martin, Douglas (March 3, 2011). "James McClure, Powerful Western Senator, Dies at 86". The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Senate: States in the Senate | Idaho Senators". United States Senate. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ a b "William E. Borah, Senator 33 Years, is Dead in Capital". The New York Times. New York, New York. January 20, 1940. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Glass, Andrew (January 23, 2018). "Senate holds funeral service for William Borah, Jan. 23, 1940". Politico. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Senate: Frank Church: A Featured Biography". United States Senate.
- ^ "U.S. Senate: About the Senate and the Constitution". United States Senate. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Idaho Senator Dies Suddenly". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. October 18, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Governor Hawley Appoints Judge K. I. Perky to the Senatorship". The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. November 18, 1912. p. 14. Retrieved June 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Idaho's Choice Was Wise". The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. January 25, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Idaho Senator Dies Sunday". Bonners Ferry Herald. Bonners Ferry, Idaho. January 15, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Nugent Resigns as Senator". Cottonwood Chronicle. Cottonwood, Idaho. December 31, 1920. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Senator Gooding of Idaho Dies at 68". The New York Times. New York, New York. June 25, 1928. p. 21. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ "Senator Thomas of Idaho is Dead". The New York Times. New York, New York. November 11, 1945. p. 42. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ "Gossett Succeeds Late John Thomas as Gem State Solon". The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. November 18, 1945. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sen. Bert Miller Passes in Capital of Heart Seizure". The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. October 9, 1949. p. 1. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ "Henry Dworshak of Senate is Dead". The New York Times. New York, New York. July 24, 1962. p. 27. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ "Wallace, William Henson". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ "African American Members of the U.S. Congress: 1870-2020". Congressional Research Service. December 15, 2020.
- ^ Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of United States (1787)
- ^ Corasaniti, Nick; Epstein, Reid J.; Johnston, Taylor; Lieberman, Rebecca; Weingart, Eden (November 8, 2021). "How Maps Reshape American Politics". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Bennett, Thomas Warren". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Harry J. (June 9, 1934). "Funeral Party to Leave for Idaho Sunday Evening With Body". The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. p. 1. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "Dworshak, Henry Clarence". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved July 2, 2024.