Dirk Kempthorne
Dirk Kempthorne
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Patricia Kempthorne
Residence	Boise
Profession	Lobbyist
Religion	Methodist

Dirk Arthur Kempthorne (born October 29, 1951 in San Diego, California), is the current U.S. Secretary of the Interior, serving since May 2006. A Republican, Kempthorne previously served as Governor and as a U.S. Senator from Idaho.

Kempthorne was first elected to public office as mayor of Boise in 1985, where he served for seven years. According to the New York Times, over the course of his career in public service, Kempthorne established a reputation as "a personable leader with a strong understanding of issues."^[1]

Kempthorne is notable for his conservative views, particularly on economic issues.

Early life, education, and early career

Kempthorne was raised in San Bernardino, California. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1975 with a degree in political science, serving 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.

In 1982, Kempthorne managed the gubernatorial campaign for Lt. Gov. Phil Batt, who lost to the incumbent Democrat, Governor John V. Evans.^[2] In 1983 Kempthorne became state public affairs manager for FMC Corporation.

Kempthorne and his wife, Patricia Kempthorne who are both University of Idaho graduates, have two adult children, Heather and Jeff.

Political career

Service for Idaho

Kempthorne's first major political victory was in 1985 when he was elected mayor of Boise. As mayor Kempthorne became very popular and was unopposed for reelection in 1989.

In 1992, U.S. Senator Steve Symms decided not to seek a third term and Kempthorne pursued the Republican nomination for the seat. In the general election, Kempthorne defeated Democratic Congressman Richard H. Stallings. In the Senate, Kempthorne sponsored and helped pass a bill meant to prohibit Congress from imposing unfunded federal mandates on states.

During his six years in the Senate, Kempthorne scored a "0" on the League of Conservation Voters' legislative scorecards every year except 1993, when he scored 6 percent on the basis of one vote against funding a rocket booster for the space program that environmentalists judged harmful to the environment. His overall LCV score for that period was less than 1%.^[3]

Kempthorne was expected to run for reelection in 1998, but instead decided to run for the open seat for governor. The incumbent, Phil Batt, finally elected in 1994, shocked the state by announcing his retirement after only one term in office. Kempthorne's Senate seat would be won by Republican Mike Crapo.

Kempthorne won the gubernatorial election in a landslide, receiving 68 percent of the vote while his Democratic opponent, Robert C. 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. ^[4]

Secretary of the Interior

On March 16 2006, Kempthorne was nominated by President George W. Bush to replace Gale Norton as the 49th Secretary of the Interior. On May 10 2006, Kempthorne's nomination was approved by voice vote by the United States Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He was confirmed by the full Senate on May 26 and resigned as governor to accept the position the same day. Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch succeeded Kempthorne as governor, filling out remaining months of the term.

Kempthorne is the second Idahoan to hold the Cabinet post. Former Governor Cecil Andrus was the Secretary of the Interior under President Jimmy Carter, serving from 1977 to 1981.

Upon Kempthorne's appointment as Secretary of the Interior, environmental groups characterized him as someone who has "almost always favored changing laws like the Endangered Species Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act to make them more favorable to commercial interests."^[4]

As Secretary of the Interior, Kempthorne has come under criticism for not placing any plants or animals on the federal endangered species list since his confirmation on May 26 2006. As of September 2007, Kempthorne holds the record for protecting fewer species over his tenure than any Interior Secretary in United States history, a record previously held by James G. Watt for over 20 years.^[5]

See Also

• Wise Use Movement

Notes

External links

• Department of the Interior website Sec. Kempthorne's biography
• The White House.gov Cabinet - Interior: Dirk Kempthorne

Preceded by Richard B. Eardly	Mayor of Boise, Idaho 1985–1993	Succeeded by H. Brent Coles
Preceded by Steve Symms	Republican Party nominee, U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Idaho 1992 (won)	Succeeded by Mike Crapo
Preceded by Steve Symms	United States Senator (Class 3) from Idaho 1993–1999 Served alongside: Larry Craig	Succeeded by Mike Crapo
Preceded by Phil Batt	Republican Party nominee, Governor of Idaho 1998 (won), 2002 (won)	Succeeded by C. L. "Butch" Otter
Preceded by Phil Batt	Governor of Idaho January 4, 1999–May 26, 2006	Succeeded by Jim Risch
Preceded by Paul E. Patton Kentucky	Chairman of the National Governor's Association 2003–2004	Succeeded by Mark Warner Virginia
Preceded by Gale Norton	''' United States Secretary of the Interior Served Under: George W. Bush''' June 7, 2006 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Robert Gates	United States Presidential Line of Succession 7th in line	Succeeded by Michael Leavitt
Preceded by Robert Gates	United States order of precedence as of 2007	Succeeded by Carlos Gutierrez

•  • [ e] Current members of the United States Cabinet
Bodman

•  • [ e] United States Secretaries of the Interior

Ewing • McKennan • Stuart • McClelland • Thompson • C Smith • Usher • Harlan • Browning • Cox • Delano • Chandler • Schurz • Kirkwood • Teller • Lamar • Vilas • Noble • M Smith • Francis • Bliss • Hitchcock • Garfield • Ballinger • Fisher • Lane • Payne • Fall • Work • West • Wilbur • Ickes • Krug • Chapman • McKay • Seaton • Udall • Hickel • Morton • Hathaway • Kleppe • Andrus • Watt • Clark • Hodel • Lujan • Babbitt • Norton • Kempthorne

•  • [ e] Governors of Idaho
Shoup • Willey • McConnell • Steunenberg • Hunt • Morrison • Gooding • Brady • Hawley • Haines • Alexander • Davis • Moore • Baldridge • Ross • B. Clark • Bottolfsen • C. Clark • Bottolfsen • Gossett • Williams • Robins • Jordan • Smylie • Samuelson • Andrus • Evans • Andrus • Batt • Kempthorne • Risch • Otter

Persondata
NAME	Kempthorne, Dirk Arthur
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	49th United States Secretary of the Interior
DATE OF BIRTH	October 29, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH	San Diego, California, United States
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH