Jim Risch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Risch
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Risch in 2021
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| Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Ben Cardin |
| In office January 3, 2019 – February 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Corker |
| Succeeded by | Bob Menendez |
| Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee | |
| In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Menendez |
| Succeeded by | Jeanne Shaheen |
| Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | David Vitter |
| Succeeded by | Marco Rubio |
| United States Senator from Idaho |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2009 Serving with Mike Crapo
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| Preceded by | Larry Craig |
| 39th and 41st Lieutenant Governor of Idaho | |
| In office January 1, 2007 – January 3, 2009 |
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| Governor | Butch Otter |
| Preceded by | Mark Ricks |
| Succeeded by | Brad Little |
| In office January 3, 2003 – May 26, 2006 |
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| Governor | Dirk Kempthorne |
| Preceded by | Jack Riggs |
| Succeeded by | Mark Ricks |
| 31st Governor of Idaho | |
| In office May 26, 2006 – January 1, 2007 |
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| Lieutenant | Mark Ricks |
| Preceded by | Dirk Kempthorne |
| Succeeded by | Butch Otter |
| Majority Leader of the Idaho Senate | |
| In office December 1, 1996 – November 30, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Bruce Newcomb |
| Succeeded by | Bart Davis |
| 36th President pro tempore of the Idaho Senate | |
| In office December 1, 1982 – November 30, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Reed Budge |
| Succeeded by | Mike Crapo |
| Member of the Idaho Senate from the 18th district |
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| In office January 28, 1995 – December 1, 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Roger Madsen |
| Succeeded by | Sheila Sorensen |
| Member of the Idaho Senate from the 21st district |
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| In office December 1, 1974 – December 1, 1988 |
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| Succeeded by | Mike Burkett |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Elroy Risch
May 3, 1943 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Vicki Risch
(m. 1968) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee University of Idaho (BS, JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
James "Jim" Elroy Risch (born May 3, 1943) is an American lawyer and politician. He has been a U.S. Senator for Idaho since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before becoming a senator, he served as lieutenant governor and briefly as governor of Idaho.
Jim Risch grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He moved to Idaho in the early 1960s. He studied forestry and law at the University of Idaho. After finishing school, he taught criminal law at Boise State University. In 1970, he became the prosecuting attorney for Ada County. He was elected to the Idaho Senate in 1974 and served there for many years.
In 2002, Risch was elected lieutenant governor of Idaho. When Governor Dirk Kempthorne left office in May 2006, Risch became governor for a short time. He then served as lieutenant governor again from 2007 to 2009. In 2008, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has been reelected twice since then.
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Early Life and Education
Jim Risch was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parents were Helen and Elroy Risch. His father worked as a lineman for a phone company. Jim went to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee before transferring to the University of Idaho in Moscow. There, he joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
He earned a degree in forestry in 1965. He then continued his studies at the university's law school. He was part of the Law Review and an advisory committee. He received his law degree in 1968.
In 1970, at age 27, Risch started his political career in Boise. He won the election to become the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney. While doing this job, he also taught criminal justice classes at Boise State College. He also led the state's association for prosecuting attorneys. Jim Risch also became very successful as a trial lawyer in Idaho.
State Politics
Serving in the Idaho Senate
Jim Risch was first elected to the Idaho Senate in 1974. He quickly became a leader in the state senate. He served as the majority leader and later as the president pro tempore.
In 1988, he lost his reelection bid to a new politician, Mike Burkett. He also lost a primary election for a state Senate seat in 1994. However, later that year, Governor-elect Phil Batt appointed Risch to fill a vacant seat. In 1996, Risch was elected Senate Majority Leader.
Lieutenant Governor and Governor
In 2002, Risch ran for lieutenant governor of Idaho. He won the election after spending a lot of his own money on the campaign.
On May 26, 2006, Jim Risch became governor of Idaho. This happened when Governor Kempthorne resigned to become the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. As governor, Risch closed Idaho's office in Washington D.C.. He opened new offices in Idaho Falls and Coeur d'Alene. He also called a special meeting of the Idaho Legislature to discuss a new property tax reform bill. In December 2006, he issued an order requiring state agencies to check if new employees were legal citizens.
Risch served as governor for seven months. His term ended in January 2007. He then returned to his role as lieutenant governor. He resigned from this position on January 3, 2009, to become a U.S. Senator.
U.S. Senate
Elections to the Senate
Jim Risch decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 2007. In May 2008, he became the Republican candidate. He won the general election against Larry LaRocco with 58% of the votes.
He was reelected in 2014, winning the Republican primary with a large majority. He then defeated Nels Mitchell in the general election. In 2020, Risch ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He won the general election against Paulette Jordan with 63% of the votes.
As of July 2025, Risch has announced he plans to run for reelection again.
Time in the Senate
When Risch joined the Senate in 2009, he was one of four new Republican senators. Fellow Idaho Senator Mike Crapo described Risch as someone who focuses on getting "results."
In 2017, Risch was one of 22 senators who asked President Donald Trump to remove the United States from the Paris Agreement. This agreement deals with climate change. In 2017, he also supported Trump's strong warnings to North Korea.
In 2019, Risch helped introduce a bill with other senators. This bill aimed to put sanctions on the government of President of Syria Bashar al-Assad. It also sought to improve cooperation with Israel and Jordan.
In 2020, while leading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Risch chose not to ask Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to speak at a budget hearing. This happened after Pompeo had fired an inspector general who was investigating an arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
Risch was at the U.S. Capitol when it was stormed in January 2021. He called the attack "unpatriotic and un-American." He suggested it was caused by a "deep distrust" in election fairness.
In 2021, Risch delayed the approval of Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt. She was nominated to be a special envoy to fight antisemitism.
Committee Work
Jim Risch serves on several important committees in the Senate:
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
- Committee on Foreign Relations (He is the top Republican, called the Ranking Member)
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
- Select Committee on Ethics
- Select Committee on Intelligence
Groups He Belongs To
Risch is also part of several groups, or caucuses, in Congress:
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption
- Rare Disease Caucus
- Senate Republican Conference
Political Views
Jim Risch is known for his conservative political views.
Guns=
The NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) has supported Risch. They gave him a high grade for his voting record on gun issues.
In 2013, Risch and other Republican senators threatened to block bills that they saw as a threat to gun rights. This included bills for expanded background checks. He believes that the right to own guns includes the right to buy and sell them. He also said that more background checks would make it harder for gun dealers to work with the government.
In 2016, Risch voted against bills that would have stopped gun sales to people on terrorist watch lists. He also voted against expanding background checks for gun sales at shows and online.
Criminal Justice
Risch did not support the FIRST STEP Act. This was a bill that aimed to reform the criminal justice system. The bill passed in December 2018.
Health Care
Risch supports getting rid of and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. He voted against the ACA in 2010.
In May 2020, Risch introduced a bill called the Global Health Security and Diplomacy Act. This bill aimed to improve how the U.S. helps other countries with global health security. It sought to help countries prevent and respond to infectious diseases.
2021 Capitol Attack
On May 28, 2021, Risch did not vote on creating a special group to investigate the 2021 United States Capitol attack.
Veteran Affairs
On August 2, 2022, Risch was one of only 11 senators who voted against the PACT Act. This bill aimed to expand health care and benefits for veterans exposed to harmful substances like those from burn pits.
Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023
Risch was among the senators who voted against the final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
Personal Life
Jim Risch is Roman Catholic.
Images for kids
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Jim Risch's signature
See also
In Spanish: Jim Risch para niños
