An Idaho native, Mike Simpson was born in Burley and raised in Blackfoot. Mike graduated from Utah State University and earned his DMD from Washington University School of Dental Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduation, Mike joined his father and uncle at the Simpson Family Dental Practice in Blackfoot before serving in the Blackfoot City Council and State Legislature.
Mike’s political career began in 1980, when he was elected to the Blackfoot City Council. In 1984, he was elected to the Idaho Legislature where he served until 1998, the last six years serving as Speaker. Mike is currently serving his thirteenth term in the House of Representatives for Idaho’s Second Congressional District.
Mike serves as Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee on Appropriations. His position gives him the unique opportunity to fight for Idaho’s priorities and ensure Idahoans’ hard-earned tax dollars come back to Idaho instead of going to states like New York or California.
Mike also serves on the House Energy and Water Development Subcommittee and the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Subcommittee on Appropriations. The committees Mike serves on have jurisdiction over funding for several agencies and programs critical to Idaho, including the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, the National Parks Service, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Department of Labor.
Mike and his wife Kathy have been married for 50 years and have called Idaho home all their lives. The two enjoy spending time with their poodle, Charley, and enjoying Idaho's beautiful scenery.