Jim Risch Bio
James Elroy Risch, known publicly as Jim Risch, is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Idaho since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Idaho’s lieutenant governor and briefly as the state’s thirty-first governor in 2006. Risch is widely regarded as a conservative voice on fiscal, foreign policy, and social issues, and he has built a long career in Idaho politics that spans more than four decades.
Before his career in elective office, Risch built a reputation as a trial lawyer and a county prosecutor. Over the years he has also taken on leadership roles in foreign policy, including chairing the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, shaping his national profile beyond state borders.
Early Life and Background
James Elroy Risch was born on 3 May 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. He is the son of Elroy A. Risch, a lineman for Wisconsin Bell, and Helen B. Risch, née Levi. Growing up in a working-class household in the Midwest, Risch attended local schools in Milwaukee before moving on to higher education.
Risch began his college studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he studied from 1961 to 1963. He later transferred to the University of Idaho in Moscow, joining the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and continuing his academic path. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry in 1965, reflecting an early interest in natural resources that complemented his Midwestern upbringing.
After completing his undergraduate work, Risch remained at the University of Idaho’s College of Law, where he served on the Law Review and the College of Law Advisory Committee. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1968, setting the stage for a career in law that would eventually lead him into public service.
Path to US Politics
Risch moved to Idaho in the early 1960s to attend the University of Idaho, and the state soon became his permanent home. In 1970, at age 27, he won election as Ada County Prosecuting Attorney in Boise, marking his formal entry into public life. While serving in that role, he taught undergraduate criminal justice classes at Boise State College and led the state prosecuting attorneys’ association.
His success as a trial lawyer helped him build significant financial resources, and he became one of Idaho’s most successful courtroom attorneys. That professional standing, combined with his prosecutorial experience, gave him a strong platform when he decided to run for the state legislature in the mid-1970s.
In 1974, Risch was elected to the Idaho State Senate from Ada County, beginning a long career in state politics. He quickly rose into leadership, serving as majority leader and later as president pro tempore of the state senate, skills that would later shape his executive roles in Idaho government.
Jim Risch Career
Early Career (1970–2002)
Jim Risch’s early political career was defined by his work at the county and state levels in Idaho. After serving as Ada County Prosecuting Attorney beginning in 1970, he was elected to the Idaho State Senate in 1974. Over the next decade, he built a reputation as a skilled legislator, eventually becoming senate majority leader and later president pro tempore.
Risch suffered a dramatic defeat in 1988, when he lost his state senate reelection bid to Democratic newcomer Mike Burkett. After a second loss in the 1994 Republican primary, he was later appointed to a state senate seat by Governor Phil Batt. He returned to the state senate leadership in 1996, winning the role of Senate Majority Leader and laying the groundwork for his later statewide campaigns.
Lieutenant Governor Era (2003–2006)
In 2002, Risch ran for lieutenant governor of Idaho, defeating the incumbent, Jack Riggs, in the Republican primary and winning the general election. He spent $360,000 of his own money on the campaign, underscoring his personal investment in the race. He served as the thirty-ninth lieutenant governor of Idaho from 2003 to 2006 under Governor Dirk Kempthorne.
When Governor Kempthorne resigned in May 2006 to become United States secretary of the interior, Risch ascended to the governorship. He served as Idaho’s thirty-first governor for the remainder of 2006, a period in which he eliminated the state’s Washington D.C. bureau office, replaced it with offices in Idaho Falls and Coeur d’Alene, and pushed for property tax reform.
Second Lieutenant Governor Term (2007–2009)
After choosing not to enter the 2006 gubernatorial primary, Risch won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor unopposed and defeated former Democratic U.S. Representative Larry LaRocco in the general election. He served as the forty-first lieutenant governor under Governor Butch Otter from 2007 to 2009.
During this period, Risch positioned himself for a move to federal office. In May 2008, he secured the Republican nomination for the United States Senate and went on to defeat former Democratic Congressman Larry LaRocco with fifty-eight percent of the vote, launching his career in the national legislature.
U.S. Senate Career (2009–Present)
Jim Risch was sworn in as the junior United States senator from Idaho on 3 January 2009. He was one of four freshman Republican senators in the 111th Congress. In 2014, he won reelection with sixty-five percent of the vote, and in 2020, he won again with sixty-three percent of the vote against Democratic nominee Paulette Jordan, demonstrating consistent support among Idaho voters.
As a senator, Risch has served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, influencing United States policy on issues ranging from NATO to Syria and Sudan. He has signed major bipartisan letters, sponsored sanctions legislation, and advocated for stronger alliances with Israel and Jordan. He has also focused on domestic matters, including gun rights, veterans’ affairs, and opposition to the Affordable Care Act.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of Risch’s most discussed moments came in January 2020, when he was the first senator to fall asleep during opening arguments in the first impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, a scene captured by courtroom sketch artist Art Lien. In 2021, he was present at the United States Capitol during the storming of the building by Trump supporters, an event he called unpatriotic and un-American. He has also been a vocal advocate for veterans, gun rights, and a strong national defense, while drawing criticism for his votes on issues such as the PACT Act and the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
Jim Risch Career Highlights
Jim Risch’s career has been marked by a series of election victories in Idaho, beginning at the county level and extending into the United States Senate. He has won multiple statewide races, consistently drawing strong support from Republican voters across the state.
U.S. Senate Highlights
Risch was first elected to the United States Senate in 2008, defeating former Democratic Congressman Larry LaRocco with fifty-eight percent of the vote. He was reelected in 2014 with sixty-five percent of the vote against attorney Nels Mitchell, and in 2020 he won a third term with sixty-three percent of the vote against former Idaho Representative Paulette Jordan.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond his Senate victories, Risch won election as Ada County Prosecuting Attorney in 1970, served as Idaho State Senate Majority Leader in 1996, and was elected lieutenant governor in 2002 and again in 2006. He briefly served as Idaho’s thirty-first governor in 2006 and has held senior roles on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund has given him an A+ grade for his gun rights record.
Jim Risch Family
Family Background and Lineage
Jim Risch was born into a working-class family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father, Elroy A. Risch, worked as a lineman for Wisconsin Bell, and his mother is Helen B. Risch, née Levi. The family eventually saw young Risch move west to Idaho, where he built both his legal and political careers.
Personal Life
Jim Risch married Vicki Risch in 1968, and the couple has remained together since. Risch is a practicing Roman Catholic. He continues to reside in Idaho, the state he has represented in various capacities for decades.