Dirk Kempthorne, who served as Idaho governor and as U.S. secretary of the Interior, died Friday evening in Boise at age 74, his family announced Saturday. No cause of death was disclosed; he had been diagnosed with colon cancer last year.
Kempthorne’s family described him as a devoted husband, father and grandfather who treasured time with loved ones and with people he met. They said he had a rare ability to notice and remember the small details that made others feel seen and valued.
A Republican, Kempthorne began his political career as mayor of Boise, elected in 1985 at the age of 34. He is credited with downtown revitalization efforts there, including negotiating a deal to build a convention center. After seven years as mayor, he won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Sen. Steve Symms in 1992. In the Senate he sponsored legislation that was signed by President Bill Clinton to eliminate unfunded federal mandates on state and local governments.
Kempthorne opted not to seek Senate reelection in 1998 and instead ran for governor of Idaho, winning by more than two-thirds of the vote. In 2006 President George W. Bush appointed him secretary of the Interior, a position he held through the end of Bush’s administration. While serving in Washington, he lived on a houseboat moored on the Potomac River.
Former President Bush praised Kempthorne as one of the finest public servants he had known, calling him considerate, capable and smart and commending his stewardship of public lands and waters.
Environmental groups sometimes criticized Kempthorne for being too receptive to oil, gas and other commercial interests. Still, in 2008 he pushed to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act because of shrinking Arctic sea ice, a move he reportedly was prepared to resign over until the Bush administration supported the listing.
Idaho Governor Brad Little noted that Kempthorne and his wife Patricia championed children and families, strengthened public education and backed major investments in the state transportation system that will benefit Idahoans for years to come.
In a 2023 interview with the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Kempthorne recounted efforts in 2021 to help evacuate nearly 400 U.S. citizens and Afghan allies facing threats from the Taliban after the U.S. withdrawal. He and others raised funds, secured diplomatic assistance and chartered buses and an Airbus A340 to bring evacuees to the United States and Canada. When more people urgently needed evacuation, Kempthorne said he prayed and had a vision that helped lead to approval to add about 50 additional passengers by having infants sit on parents’ laps.
Kempthorne is survived by his wife Patricia, their children Heather and Jeff, and their families.