Jim Risch
Encyclopedia : J : JI : JIM : Jim Risch
James E. "Jim" Risch (born May 3, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) has been Governor of Idaho since May 26, 2006. He succeeded to the office when his predecessor, Dirk Kempthorne, resigned to become United States Secretary of the Interior. Risch is a rancher and attorney from Ada County.
Risch attended the University of Idaho where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1965. He continued his education at the University of Idaho, receiving his Juris Doctor in 1968.
Risch entered politics in 1970, winning election as Ada County Prosecuting Attorney. While serving in this capacity he taught law at Boise State University.
Jim Risch spent many successful years as a trial lawyer. He is widely regarded as one of the best plaintiff's lawyers in Idaho.
Risch was first elected to the Idaho State Senate from Ada County in 1974. He entered the state senate leadership in 1976, serving as majority leader and later as president pro tempore. Risch was defeated for reelection in 1988 by Democratic Boise attorney Mike Burkett, but ran a successful comeback campaign to the Idaho Senate in 1994.
In 2002 Risch ran for Lieutenant Governor of Idaho. He defeated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Jack Riggs in the Republican primary and won the general election.
Risch is involved in many community activities. He is a member of the Idaho Cattleman's Association, American and Idaho Angus Association, American and Idaho Bar Associations, Ducks Unlimited and the National Rifle Association. He has also received many awards and honors including National Conference of State Legislators Leadership Award, Idaho Farm Bureau "Friend of Agriculture" and is a member of the Idaho Republican Hall of Fame.
As governor, Risch is expected to call a special session of the Idaho Legislature to address property tax reform.
Risch will serve out the remainder of Kempthorne's term, which expires in January 2007. He is not a candidate for governor in 2006, having committed to a reelection campaign for lieutenant governor before Kempthorne's appointment.
Risch won the 2006 Republican nomination for lieutenant governor unopposed. He will run against former Democratic Congressman Larry LaRocco in the general election. This will be the second time the two men have run against each other. They were candidates for an Idaho State Senate election in 1986 won by Risch.
References
- [Project Vote Smart]
- [Kempthorne assumes Interior role; Risch becomes Idaho's 31st governor]
- [Risch, lawmakers mull special session]
|- style="text-align: center;"
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.