Dirk Kempthorne Bio
Dirk Arthur Kempthorne (born October 29, 1951) is an American politician who served as the 49th United States Secretary of the Interior from 2006 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party, Kempthorne built a long career in public service that included time in the United States Senate, two terms as Governor of Idaho, and a stint as mayor of Idaho’s capital city.
Earlier in his career, Kempthorne represented Idaho in the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 1999 before being elected the 30th Governor of Idaho, a position he held from 1999 until his appointment to the President’s Cabinet in 2006. After leaving government, he was named president and chief executive officer of the American Council of Life Insurers in November 2010.
Early Life and Background
Dirk Arthur Kempthorne was born on October 29, 1951, in San Diego, California, and raised in San Bernardino. He grew up in Southern California during the post-war years and graduated from San Gorgonio High School in San Bernardino. From there, he attended San Bernardino Valley College before transferring north to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
He completed his studies at the University of Idaho in Moscow, earning a degree in political science in 1975. While there, he was elected by his classmates to serve a term as student body president, an early sign of his interest in leadership and public affairs. Upon graduation, Kempthorne worked as an assistant to the director of the Idaho Department of Lands and later as executive vice president of the Idaho Home Builders Association, gaining hands-on experience in state government and industry relations.
Path to US Politics
Kempthorne’s entry into politics began in 1982, when he managed the Idaho gubernatorial campaign of Lieutenant Governor Phil Batt, who ultimately lost to the incumbent Democratic governor, John V. Evans. The following year, he took a position as state public affairs manager for FMC Corporation, balancing corporate work with growing involvement in Republican politics in Idaho.
In 1985, at the age of thirty-four, Kempthorne won his first major political race, becoming mayor of Boise. He quickly became a popular figure in the city and ran unopposed for reelection in 1989, serving a total of seven years. His success in Boise launched him onto the statewide stage and set the stage for his move into federal office.
Dirk Kempthorne Career
Early Career (1985–1992)
As mayor of Boise from 1985 to 1992, Kempthorne built a record on local issues ranging from city services to economic development. His two terms, the second won without opposition, made him one of the most recognizable Republican figures in Idaho heading into the 1990s.
That reputation helped him when U.S. Senator Steve Symms announced in 1992 that he would not seek a third term. Kempthorne won the Republican nomination and went on to defeat Democratic U.S. Representative Richard H. Stallings in the general election, claiming Idaho’s open Senate seat.
U.S. Senate (1993–1999)
During his six years in the United States Senate, Kempthorne focused on federalism and regulatory issues. He sponsored and helped pass the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, a law designed to prohibit Congress from imposing unfunded federal requirements on state, local, and tribal governments.
He also introduced amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1995, which President Bill Clinton signed into law on August 6, 1996. His Senate tenure drew criticism from environmental groups: the League of Conservation Voters scored him at zero in most years, with an overall six-year average below one percent.
Governor of Idaho (1999–2006)
When Phil Batt announced his retirement in 1998, Kempthorne left the Senate to run for governor and won in a landslide, taking 68 percent of the vote against Democrat Robert C. Huntley. He was reelected in 2002 with 56 percent of the vote against Democrat Jerry Brady, though his campaign spent nearly $200,000 more than it had raised, requiring two years of fundraising to retire the debt.
As governor, Kempthorne worked on issues important to a rapidly growing Western state, including land use, water rights, and relations with federal regulators. His seven years in the Statehouse made him one of Idaho’s most prominent modern governors.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior (2006–2009)
On March 16, 2006, President George W. Bush nominated Kempthorne to replace Gale Norton as the 49th Secretary of the Interior. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved his nomination by voice vote on May 10, 2006, and the full Senate confirmed him on May 26, 2006. He resigned as governor the same day and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Jim Risch.
During his tenure, Kempthorne oversaw the Department of the Interior and its many agencies, including the Minerals Management Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Environmental groups criticized him for the pace of endangered species listings, and he faced scrutiny over ethics investigations within the department. He left office in 2009 at the end of the Bush administration.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Kempthorne’s career was his role in passing the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, his 1998 gubernatorial landslide, and his confirmation as the 49th Secretary of the Interior in 2006. He is only the second Idahoan, after Cecil Andrus, to serve in that Cabinet post.
Dirk Kempthorne Career Wins
Across more than two decades in elected office, Dirk Kempthorne compiled a record of major victories at the city, state, and federal levels.
Election Highlights
Kempthorne’s first major win came in 1985, when he was elected mayor of Boise at age thirty-four. He followed that with an unopposed reelection in 1989, a 1992 U.S. Senate victory over Representative Richard H. Stallings, and a 1998 gubernatorial landslide with 68 percent of the vote. His most recent election win was his 2002 gubernatorial reelection, in which he defeated Democrat Jerry Brady with 56 percent of the vote.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond elections, Kempthorne’s major legislative achievement was helping to pass the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 and amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, signed into law in 1996. His appointment as the 49th Secretary of the Interior in 2006 also stands as a pinnacle of his public service.
Dirk Kempthorne Family
Family Background and Heritage
Dirk Kempthorne is of Cornish ancestry. Public sources identify his parents only by their role in his upbringing in San Bernardino, California, where he attended local schools before moving to Idaho for college.
Personal Life
Kempthorne married Patricia Kempthorne, also a University of Idaho graduate, in 1977. The couple has two adult children, a daughter named Heather and a son named Jeff. On March 31, 2025, Kempthorne announced that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer and would begin chemotherapy.