Jim Risch

James Elroy "Jim" Risch ( May 3, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin ) is an American politician ( Republican). He held office from May 2006 to January 2007 as governor of Idaho and was subsequently lieutenant-governor of this state, before he entered as a U.S. Senator for Idaho in the Congress in January 2009.

Jim Risch studied from 1961 to 1963 at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and then at the University of Idaho in Moscow, where he graduated as a bachelor in 1965 and in 1968 received his doctorate at the Faculty of Law as a Juris Doctor. From 1970 to 1974 he worked as a prosecutor in Ada County, Idaho.

Risch was elected to the Senate in 1976 from Idaho, where he served later as chairman of the Republican faction, as well as President of the Senate. In 1988 he failed surprising for re-election at the Democratic candidates F. Michael Burkett.

In 1994, he lost the primaries of the Republican Party for State Senate. In November 2002 he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Idaho. As Governor Dirk Kempthorne resigned to become Minister of the Interior of the United States, Risch took over on May 26, 2006, the Office of the Governor of Idaho. He renounced in 2006 for re-election, was re- nominated as a candidate for the office of Lieutenant Governor and elected in November 2006. He was so from 1 January 2007, the deputy of his successor in the governorship, Butch Otter.

In November 2008, Risch applied to the successor of not more candidates Larry Craig in the U.S. Senate. After his victory in the Republican primaries, he sat down then clearly against the Democratic candidate Larry LaRocco through. Risch received 58 percent of the vote, LaRocco 34 percent. He took his seat in Congress received on 6 January 2009. He is a member of the Ethics Committee.