About Me
Jim Risch is the current Lieutenant Governor of Idaho and served as Idaho's 31st Governor following the appointment of Dirk Kempthorne as Secretary of the Interior. As Governor, Risch was known for passing a property tax relief bill by using funds from the state surplus and increasing the sales tax.
Risch has been involved in Idaho politics for more than 30 years. He was Ada County prosecutor from 1971-75, and a State Senator from 1975-1988 and again from 1995-2002. In 2002, he was elected Idaho's Lieutenant Governor and served in that position until Kempthorne was appointed as Secretary of Interior. In 2002, he was re-elected Lieutenant Governor.
He and wife Vicky have three sons. Risch received both his Bachelors and Law Degree from the University of Idaho.