Michael Keith Simpson (born September 8, 1950) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1999. The district covers most of the eastern portion of the state, including Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Sun Valley, Twin Falls and the northern two-thirds of Boise. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Previously, Simpson served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 1984 to 1998, and was Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives from 1992 to 1998. Simpson was first elected to Congress in 1998.
A moderate Republican, Simpson is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership and has taken bipartisan or moderate positions on issues including climate change, immigration reform, LGBT rights, arts funding, and foreign aid to Ukraine.
Early life, education and private career Born in Burley, Simpson was raised in Blackfoot, where his father was a dentist. He graduated from Blackfoot High School in 1968, Utah State University in Logan in 1972, and the dental school of Washington University in St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1977. Simpson practiced dentistry in Blackfoot until his election to Congress in 1998. He was elected to the Blackfoot City Council in 1980 and to the state legislature in 1984, the first of seven terms. He was the speaker of the Idaho House before his election to Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives Elections 1998 Simpson entered the 1998 campaign for the U.S. House seat vacated by Mike Crapo, who was running for United States Senate. He defeated former Democratic congressman Richard Stallings, who held the seat from 1985 to 1993, in the general election with 52% of the vote. He has never faced another contest that close; Stallings was the last Democrat to win even 40% of the vote.
Simpson did not face serious opposition in 2000, 2002, or 2004. In 2006, Simpson defeated former Democratic state representative Jim D. Hansen, son of former Republican congressman Orval Hansen, with 61% of the vote.
2008
Simpson won the Republican primary 85.2% of the vote, defeating two primary challengers.
Simpson won the general election with 71% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Debbie Holmes.
During the 2008 presidential primaries, Simpson was an early supporter of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and a member of his Congressional Whip Team.
2010
Simpson won the Republican primary with 58.3% of the vote, defeating Chick Heileson, Russ Mathews, and Katherine Burton.
Simpson was re-elected with 68.8% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Mike Crawford and Independent candidate Brian Schad.
2012
In the Republican primary, Simpson defeated Chick Helieson with 69.6% of the vote.
Simpson was re-elected with 65.1% of the vote, defeating Democratic state senator Nicole LeFavour in the general election.
2014
In the Republican primary, Simpson defeated lawyer Bryan Smith with 61.8% of the vote.
Simpson was re-elected with 61.4% of the vote, defeating former congressman Richard Stallings in the general election.
2016
In the Republican primary, Simpson defeated perennial candidate Lisa Marie with 73% of the vote.
Simpson was re-elected with 62.9% of the vote, defeating Jennifer Martinez and Anthony Tomkins in the general election.
2018 Simpson won the Republican nomination unopposed.
Simpson was re-elected with 60.7% of the vote.
2020 Simpson was re-nominated with 72% of the vote, defeating former mixed martial arts fighter Kevin Rhoades in the Republican primary.
Simpson was re-elected with 64.1% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Aaron Swisher in the general election.
2022
Simpson was renominated with 54.6% of the vote, defeating 2014 opponent Bryan Smith 54.6%–32.7%, with three other candidates splitting the rest of the vote.
Simpson was re-elected with 63.6% of the vote.
2024
Simpson won the Republican primary with 54.7%, defeating Scott Cleveland and Sean Higgins. He outspent his two primary opponents 6–1, spending $552,233. Cleveland spent $83,725 and received 35.8% of the vote, while Higgins spent $1,021 and received 9.5% of the vote.
Simpson was re-elected with 61.4% of the vote.
2026
Simpson won the Republican primary with 63.3% of the vote, defeating Brian Keene and Perry Shumway. He outspent Shumway 300–1, spending $607,181. Shumway spent $2,836 and received 15.8% of the vote. Keene received 20.9% of the vote.
Tenure While the Republican Party held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, Simpson often served as the speaker pro tempore of the House, particularly during debates on controversial legislation, due to his command of House procedure. Simpson is known to have broken several sounding boards with the gavel while calling the House to order. This inspired him to have a number of sounding boards produced in Idaho, which he presented to then speaker of the House Dennis Hastert as a joke. When the Republican Party regained control of the House of Representatives in 2010, Simpson began once again to serve frequently as Speaker Pro Tempore.
In the 111th United States Congress Simpson became the Ranking Member on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. He also serves as the small state representative on the 33-member House Republican Steering Committee. Known as the "committee of committees", the Steering Committee decides which Republican lawmakers become ranking members on House committees. Simpson replaced Don Young on the committee.
Larry Craig scandal On June 11, 2007, U.S. senator Larry Craig was arrested for indecent behavior in a men's restroom at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport; he pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct in August 2007 and paid $575 in court fines and fees. Simpson was openly considered for an appointment to the Senate if Craig resigned. Simpson, however, asked Governor Butch Otter to remove his name from consideration, claiming that the Idaho congressional delegation would be in a better position if he were to remain in the House and retain his seniority on the House Appropriations Committee.
Simpson criticized Senate leadership treatment of Craig. He said: "If that's how they treat their own, that tells me they're more interested in party than individuals, and the party is made up of individuals. How you treat them says a lot about your party." Simpson demanded that Craig be treated fairly, saying "They have people over there [in the Senate Republican Conference] in far worse trouble that they haven't said a thing about."
2013 government shutdown In October 2013, Simpson voted to end the United States federal government shutdown of 2013.
Gun rights Simpson was one of the members of Congress to sign the D.C. v. Heller amicus brief which supported a recognition of the Second Amendment as an individual right.
Idaho-focused environmental legislation Simpson's hallmark legislation is the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (CIEDRA), which would create 312,000 acres of wilderness in central Idaho, much of which is currently a wilderness study area. He has faced substantial resistance from groups like the Sierra Club, which claim the bill lacks "wilderness values" because it allows for motorized access to certain parts of the wilderness area and some federal land would be transferred to the State of Idaho to promote the economic development of the local community and the recreational use of National Forest land and other public lands in central Idaho. Simpson has also faced opposition from groups that oppose new federal land designations, and wilderness designations particularly, because of restricted access to wilderness areas. In August 2015, a revised version of CIEDRA, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act, passed Congress and was signed by President Obama, creating the Hemingway–Boulders, Jim McClure–Jerry Peak, and White Clouds wilderness areas, which cover a total of of central Idaho.
On March 21, 2014, Simpson introduced the bill To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to maintain or replace certain facilities and structures for commercial recreation services at Smith Gulch in Idaho (H.R. 4283; 113th Congress). The bill would require the United States secretary of agriculture to permit private entities to repair or replace certain commercial facilities on United States Forest Service land in Idaho. Simpson said, "this legislation clarifies Congress's intent of the 2004 amendments to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act which continued the existing use and occupancy of commercial services in this corridor of the Salmon River". The legislation passed the House, but stalled in the Senate.
In February 2021, Simpson announced a "Salmon and Energy" concept intended to restore Snake River salmon while protecting agricultural and energy interests across the Columbia River basin.
Committee assignments For the 118th Congress: Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies (Chairman) Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Party leadership House Republican Steering Committee
Caucus membership Afterschool Caucuses House Potato Caucus – Co-chair House Sugar Caucus – Co-chair Oral Health Caucus – Co-chair Congressional TRIO Caucus – Co-chair Congressional Arts Caucus Congressional Western Caucus Nuclear Cleanup Caucus Republican Main Street Partnership Rare Disease Caucus Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans Congressional Taiwan Caucus
Political positions Since 1998, Simpson has been known as a moderate Republican. For example, he has supported the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, voting each year against Republican amendments to strip them of funding. In the past he has opposed earmarks.
Esquire listed Simpson as one of the 10 best members of Congress in October 2008. The magazine wrote, "More than any other representative, Simpson lives by the philosophy that democratic representation is a matter of finding not advantageous positions but common ground". The magazine's portrayal of Simpson echoes one of his personal philosophies, which is embodied in Henry Clay's words: "Politics is not about ideological purity or moral self-righteousness. It is about governing, and if a politician cannot compromise he cannot govern effectively." This quotation is framed and hangs in Simpson's Washington D.C. office. Simpson played a key role in the election of John Boehner as House majority leader in the 109th United States Congress. He was close and loyal to Speaker John Boehner.Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan (20 December 2012), Boehner’s toughest hour Politico
Donald Trump During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Mike Simpson declined to endorse Donald Trump, the only Republican in Idaho's congressional delegation to do so. Simpson called him "unfit to be president," and later stated he would not vote for Trump in the general election, a departure from other Idaho Republicans such as Jim Risch, Mike Crapo, and Raúl Labrador who backed Trump.
After the firing of FBI Director James Comey, Simpson said he'd believe Comey's version of events over Trump's. Simpson was one of few Republicans calling for an independent commission to look into the ties between the president and Russia.
In 2025, Simpson called for renaming the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after first lady Melania Trump. The editorial board of the Idaho Statesman described the move as sycophantic.
Immigration