Mike Simpson
Mike Simpson, a Republican who has represented Idaho's 2nd congressional district since 1999, is seeking re-election in 2026 against Democrat Ellie Gilbreath, Libertarian Will Johanson, Constitution Party candidate Carta Sierra and two independents.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Mike Simpson.
- Born
- September 8, 1950
- Birthplace
- Burley
- Education
- Blackfoot High School (1968)
Utah State University (1972)
Washington University in St. Louis, dental school (1977)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Mike Simpson was born Michael Keith Simpson on September 8, 1950, in Burley and was raised in Blackfoot, where his father was a dentist. He graduated from Blackfoot High School in 1968, from Utah State University in Logan in 1972, and from the dental school of Washington University in St. Louis in 1977. He then practiced dentistry in Blackfoot until his election to Congress in 1998.
Career
Simpson was elected to the Blackfoot City Council in 1980 and to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1984, the first of seven terms, and he served as Speaker of the Idaho House from 1992 to 1998. In 1998 he ran for the U.S. House seat vacated by Mike Crapo and defeated former Democratic congressman Richard Stallings with 52% of the vote. He has represented Idaho's 2nd congressional district since 1999 and was re-elected with 61.4% in 2024.
During periods of Republican control of the House, Simpson often served as speaker pro tempore.
He became ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee in the 111th Congress, and in the 118th Congress he chaired that subcommittee on the Committee on Appropriations.
He also sits on the House Republican Steering Committee and is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership.
His Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act led to a revised measure, signed by President Obama in August 2015, that created three wilderness areas covering 275,665 acres of central Idaho.
2026 race
Mike Simpson is seeking re-election in Idaho's 2nd congressional district, which encompasses eastern and northern Boise as well as Eastern Idaho.
He won the Republican primary with 63.3% of the vote, defeating educator Brian Keene, who received 20.9%, and brand strategy manager Perry Shumway, who received 15.8%. His Democratic opponent is lawyer Ellie Gilbreath, who won her primary with 72.5% of the vote.
The general election on November 3, 2026, also includes Libertarian Will Johanson, Constitution Party candidate Carta Sierra and independents Emre Houser and Tripp Hutchinson, a Ketchum city councilor.