Brad Little Bio
Bradley Jay Little (born February 15, 1954) is an American politician and rancher serving as the 33rd governor of Idaho. A member of the Republican Party, he has held statewide office for more than two decades, including service as Idaho’s 42nd lieutenant governor and as a state senator.
Beyond politics, Little has built a long career in agriculture and business, managing his family’s ranching operations and leading Little Enterprises, Inc. His political work has focused on economic development, tax policy, and conservative social and public-safety measures in the state of Idaho.
Early Life and Background
Bradley Jay Little was born and raised in Emmett, Idaho, a small community in Gem County known for its fruit orchards and ranch lands. He graduated from Emmett High School in 1972 before heading north to pursue higher education.
Little attended the University of Idaho in Moscow, where he joined the Idaho Alpha chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agribusiness in 1976, gaining the formal training that would later support his lifelong work in the livestock and farming industry.
His grandfather was known as the “Idaho Sheep King,” a heritage that shaped Little’s deep ties to the land. These family roots in ranching laid the foundation for both his business career and his political identity as a representative of rural Idaho.
Path to US Politics
Little’s entry into public service came through his family’s tradition of civic involvement. During the 1981 and 1985 legislative sessions, he represented his father, David Little, in the Idaho State Senate on a temporary appointment due to illness, serving on the Finance and Resources Committees. The experience gave him an early look at the legislative process.
Alongside his public roles, Little managed the family’s ranching operation, Little Land and Livestock, for nearly thirty years. He also served as chairman of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry and held board positions with the Idaho Community Foundation, the Idaho Wool Growers Association, and the University of Idaho Foundation, building a wide network across the state’s business and civic landscape.
These experiences in agriculture, business, and association leadership prepared Little for a full transition into elected office. In May 2001, Governor Dirk Kempthorne appointed him to fill a vacancy in the Idaho State Senate, launching his formal career in US Politics.
Brad Little Career
Early Career (2001–2009)
Brad Little was appointed to the Idaho State Senate in May 2001, representing District 8, which covered parts of Gem County, Boise County, Valley County, Adams County, and the southern portion of Idaho County. After redistricting in 2001–02, he won election to District 11, encompassing all of Gem County and the northern portion of Canyon County.
Little was reelected four times from District 11 and was chosen by his Republican peers in 2003 to serve as Majority Caucus Chair, a leadership role he held until 2009. His senate years established him as a steady conservative voice focused on fiscal responsibility and rural Idaho values.
Breakthrough (2009–2018)
In January 2009, Governor Butch Otter appointed Brad Little to the office of lieutenant governor after Jim Risch resigned to take a seat in the United States Senate. Little was sworn in on January 6, 2009, and confirmed by unanimous consent when the Idaho Senate convened later that month. He went on to win election as lieutenant governor in 2010 and was reelected in 2014.
As lieutenant governor, Little focused heavily on economic development, helping persuade energy bar producer Clif Bar to build a new food manufacturing plant in Idaho in 2013. He led a Friendship Mission to the Basque Country in Spain in 2010, meeting President of the Basque Government Patxi López and signing the Euskadi-Idaho Friendship Agreement, which strengthened cultural and economic ties with the largest Basque community outside Spain.
Little also joined a 2011 Idaho trade delegation to Mexico and Brazil, an effort that the Idaho Department of Commerce estimated resulted in more than $30 million in sales for state businesses. In 2014, he sponsored Senate Bill 1354, an anti-“patent troll” measure designed to protect companies from abusive patent infringement claims. By the time he announced his candidacy for governor in June 2016, he had built a strong record on job creation and international trade.
Republican Era (2019–Present)
Brad Little won the 2018 Republican primary with 37.3 percent of the vote, defeating U.S. Representative Raúl Labrador and businessman Tommy Ahlquist. In the general election, he defeated Democratic nominee Paulette Jordan by more than 130,000 votes, becoming the 33rd governor of Idaho in January 2019.
During his first term, Little signed major legislation including House Bill 366 in April 2021, which prohibited most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, and medical emergencies. He also signed a 2021 bill that permitted the killing of up to 90 percent of the state’s estimated 1,500 wolves, drew national attention for signing two 2020 bills addressing transgender athletes and birth certificates, and opposed gun control measures, earning an A+ rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund.
Little won reelection in 2022 with 60.5 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Stephen Heidt and independent candidate Ammon Bundy. In his second term, he signed Senate Bill 1309 in March 2022, modeled after the Texas Heartbeat Act; signed State House Bill 242 in April 2023, creating a new “abortion trafficking” offense; and signed House Bill 71 that same month, banning gender-affirming medical care for minors. In March 2023, he signed House Bill 186, adding the firing squad as an alternative execution method, and in March 2025 signed legislation making firing squads Idaho’s primary method of execution while also expanding the death penalty to certain cases of child rape and sexual abuse.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Brad Little’s career are his 2018 gubernatorial victory over Paulette Jordan, his 2022 landslide reelection across nearly every Idaho county, and his role in shaping Idaho’s policy landscape on abortion, gun rights, transgender issues, and capital punishment. His leadership on the Basque Country friendship agreement and the 2011 trade mission to Mexico and Brazil also stand out as signature diplomatic and economic achievements.
Brad Little Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Brad Little comes from a multigenerational Idaho ranching family. His grandfather was known as the “Idaho Sheep King,” a legacy that gave the family deep roots in the state’s agricultural economy. His father, David Little, also served in the Idaho State Senate, representing the same Emmett-area district that Brad would later hold.
Personal Life
Brad Little married Teresa Soulen of Weiser, Idaho, in May 1978. The couple has two sons and five grandchildren. Their son, David, took over management of Little Land and Livestock in 2009 when Brad was appointed lieutenant governor, continuing the family’s long tradition in Idaho ranching.