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By Adeola Adeosun
Weekend Night Editor
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Former Republican Idaho Governor and U.S. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has died at age 74, his family announced Saturday. Kempthorne died Friday evening in Boise after being diagnosed with colon cancer last year, though his family did not give a cause of death.
"Beyond his public service, he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose greatest joy came from time spent with family and the people he met along the way," his family said.
Kempthorne served as Interior secretary under former Republican President George W. Bush.
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Kempthorne is survived by his wife Patricia, their children Heather and Jeff, and their families. No funeral arrangements have been publicly announced.
Who Was Dirk Kempthorne?
Born in San Diego, Kempthorne attended the University of Idaho before embarking on a decades-long career in public service that took him from city hall to the Cabinet, according to his biography from the National Governors Association (NGA).
He was elected mayor of Boise at age 34 and served seven years before winning the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Senator Steve Symms in 1992. In the Senate, his first bill—legislation to end unfunded federal mandates on state and local governments— became Senate Bill 1 in the 104th Congress. He also authored the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1996.
Rather than seek Senate reelection in 1998, Kempthorne entered the open gubernatorial race in Idaho and won by a landslide, garnering more than two-thirds of the vote. He was reelected in 2002. Bush appointed him Interior secretary in 2006—a position he held until the end of his presidency, during which he famously lived on a houseboat docked in the Potomac River.
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Kempthorne's Legacy as Idaho Governor
As governor, Kempthorne championed mandatory sentences for methamphetamine manufacturing and launched a major highway improvement program to enhance safety and expand intrastate commerce, according to the NGA. He worked with neighboring states to develop solutions for returning salmon runs to the region and, following the wildfires of 2000, pushed to change the national approach to forest health and wildfire management. Under his leadership, Idaho developed wolf and grizzly bear management plans aimed at delisting the species while protecting states' rights.
Kempthorne also signed into law an initiative requiring Idaho children to read at grade level by the third grade, established a statewide voluntary immunization registry, and guided Idaho through what he described as its worst recession since the Great Depression. His economic development efforts included fostering rural growth, intensifying overseas marketing of Idaho products, and securing tax credits for new and expanding businesses. Idaho also instituted the nation's first-ever tax credit for companies expanding high-speed broadband communications under his watch.
Kempthorne earned the Distinguished Service Medal—the top civilian honor from the Idaho National Guard—and served as chairman of the National Governors Association, chair of the Western Governors' Association, president of the Council of State Governments, and chair of the Public Policy Committee of the Republican Governors Association.
Kempthorne as Interior Secretary
Kempthorne was sworn in as the 49th U.S. Secretary of the Interior on May 26, 2006. He was responsible for the polar bear being listed as a threatened species in 2008, though environmentalists frequently criticized him as too accommodating of the oil and gas industry.
In a 2023 interview with the George W. Bush Presidential Center, he recalled helping evacuate nearly 400 U.S. citizens and Afghan allies from Afghanistan following the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal in 2021, working for months to raise money and navigate diplomatic channels to charter buses and an Airbus A340 to resettle evacuees in the U.S. and Canada.
At one point, with the flight fully booked and more people urgently needing to leave, Kempthorne said he knelt in prayer. "Dear God, we cannot leave these people behind, please give a path forward," he recalled saying. He said the answer came in a vision of Mother Mary holding the infant Jesus—the babies on the flight didn't need their own seats. The organizers confirmed it with the airline and added 50 more people to the flight.
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George W. Bush Pays Tribute
Bush issued a statement Saturday praising Kempthorne as one of the finest public servants he ever knew:
"Laura and I are saddened by the loss of Dirk Kempthorne. Dirk was one of the finest public servants I ever knew because he was one of the finest men. He was considerate, smart, and capable. Dirk loved our lands and waters, and as Secretary of the Interior, he was an effective steward of our natural resources. The former Governor of Idaho was also known for the kindness and respect he showed everyone he met, no matter their station. Laura and I send our love to Patricia and the Kempthorne family as they remember this good man."
Idaho Leaders and Republicans React
Idaho Governor Brad Little said on X Kempthorne "left an enduring mark" on the state, noting that alongside his wife Patricia, he "championed children and families, strengthened public education, and led transformational investments in our transportation system that will benefit Idahoans for generations."
Senator Mike Crapo wrote on X that Kempthorne's "leadership and vision helped shape the state of Idaho for generations," calling his legacy one "rooted in public service, with a decades-long body of work dedicated to improving the lives of others."
Representative Mike Simpson, who described Kempthorne on X as a dear friend of more than 40 years, said his career was "a testament to selfless dedication, from the halls of local government as Mayor and Governor to national service as Senator and Secretary." Simpson said he joined "Idahoans today in mourning the loss of Dirk, but also feel immense gratitude for his decades of service, loyalty, and the lasting impact he has had on Idaho and America."
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador posted on X that Kempthorne "served Idaho with distinction" across every office he held. The Idaho GOP wrote on X that Kempthorne "leaves behind a lifetime of service to the people of Idaho."
The Idaho Young Republicans wrote on X his legacy was "one of leadership rooted in character, civility, and a belief that public office is a responsibility to serve others," adding that he "set an example for future generations of leaders of what it means to lead with integrity and purpose."
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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