What office is Mike Simpson running for?

He is the Republican incumbent seeking re-election to the U.S. House from Idaho's 2nd Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. His opponents are Ellie Gilbreath, Emre Houser, Tripp Charles Hutchinson and Will Johanson.

What is Mike Simpson's background?

His official biography says he earned a dental degree, joined the Simpson Family Dental Practice in Blackfoot, and served on the Blackfoot City Council and in the state Legislature, the last six years as Speaker. The Idaho Secretary of State's election database shows he won the 1998 general election for Congress.

How did Mike Simpson vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act?

The House Clerk's records show he voted yea on the House's May 22, 2025 passage vote and aye on the July 3, 2025 vote to concur in the Senate's version.

Who has endorsed Mike Simpson?

President Donald Trump posted an endorsement on May 18, 2026, and the Idaho Majority Club lists him among its endorsed candidates for 2026.

Has Mike Simpson been criticized?

Trump criticized his 2024 committee vote, the Idaho Statesman editorial board wrote that Republicans including Simpson have abdicated the legislative branch's responsibility to check the executive and allowed Trump to amass too much power, and Libertarian Will Johanson said he seems out of touch.

How much money has Mike Simpson raised?

His FEC filings show $1,118,093.33 raised from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with $429,358.58 in cash on hand.

Republican

Mike Simpson

U.S. House District 2

Mike Simpson, Republican incumbent and candidate for U.S. House, Idaho District 2

Mike Simpson, a Republican, represents Idaho's 2nd Congressional District and is a candidate for re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election. He filed on February 23, 2026, and the Idaho Secretary of State's filed-candidates search lists the filing as approved. He won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary with 63,448 votes (63.31%), ahead of Brian Keene with 20,975 and Perry Shumway with 15,802, according to the Idaho Secretary of State's certified results. His opponents are Democrat Ellie Gilbreath, independents Emre Houser and Tripp Charles Hutchinson, and Libertarian Will Johanson.

Background

His official House biography says Simpson was born in Burley and raised in Blackfoot, graduated from Utah State University and earned his DMD from the Washington University School of Dental Medicine in St. Louis. It says he joined his father and uncle at the Simpson Family Dental Practice in Blackfoot, was elected to the Blackfoot City Council in 1980, served in the state Legislature from 1984 until 1998, "the last six years serving as Speaker," and is serving his fourteenth term in the U.S. House. Congress.gov lists him in Congress from 1999 to the present.

The committee page on his House website lists him on the House Appropriations Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

Election history

According to the Idaho Secretary of State's election database, Simpson won the November 3, 1998 general election with 91,337 votes (52.5%) to Democrat Richard Stallings's 77,736 (44.7%). In the May 17, 2022 Republican primary he received 67,177 votes (54.6%) to Bryan Smith's 40,267, and in the November 2022 general election he received 172,450 (63.6%) to Wendy Norman's 98,736.

He won the May 21, 2024 Republican primary with 53,476 votes (54.7%) to Scott Cleveland's 35,036 and Sean Higgins's 9,333. In the November 5, 2024 general election he received 250,119 votes (61.4%) to David Roth's 126,229.

Votes

The House Clerk's records show Simpson voted yea on the SAVE Act on April 10, 2025 and aye on the July 3, 2025 vote to concur in the Senate's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed 218-214. He voted aye on the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 18, 2025, which passed 427-1.

He voted no on the Ukraine Support Act on June 4, 2026, which passed 226-195, and no on the Iran war powers resolution on September 15, 2026, which passed 220-204.

Public lands, farm labor and nuclear waste

In the Idaho Capital Sun's 2026 voter guide Simpson wrote that he co-sponsored the Public Lands in Public Hands Act, which "maintains public access to public land by banning the sale or transfer of most public lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the United States Forest Service except under specific conditions and where required under previous laws." On a proposed Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus he wrote: "I support bringing a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus to Idaho, provided Idaho's interests are protected through clear, enforceable agreements with the federal government."

The Idaho Capital Sun reported in July 2026 that Simpson supports H.R. 9535, the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026, and quoted him: "This is an issue that I've been working on for probably 20 years with the dairy industry in Idaho and the challenges they face". Rick Naerebout, chief executive of the Idaho Dairymen's Association, said in a release from Simpson's office: "We are deeply grateful that the Congressman is once again showing that he is willing to lead on securing a workforce for Idaho's dairy farms".

A press release from his office dated October 2, 2026 says he cosponsored H.R. 5722, the Preserving a Sharia-Free America Act, and joined the Sharia-Free America Caucus. The release says the bill "would prevent all foreign nationals who observe Sharia from entering the United States or from remaining in the country". In it he said: "Sharia law has no place in this country and is incompatible with American values, our way of life, and the United States Constitution."

Endorsements

President Donald Trump posted on November 3, 2025 and again on May 18, 2026, as archived on trumpstruth.org, that "Mike Simpson has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election". The Idaho Majority Club's endorsements page lists him among its endorsed candidates for 2026.

What critics say

Trump criticized Simpson in a July 12, 2024 post, archived on trumpstruth.org, saying that "one Republican, Mike Simpson of Idaho, stupidly voted NO" on an amendment in the House Appropriations Committee about prosecutions of a presidential candidate. Newsweek reported that Simpson told The Daily Caller he believes the cases against Trump are "politically motivated and utter nonsense" but that prohibiting the use of funds for investigations "sets a dangerous precedent."

The Idaho Statesman editorial board wrote in a November 19, 2025 editorial on the Epstein files votes that "The legislative branch is supposed to be a check on executive branch power," and that Republicans including Idaho's U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher "have been guilty of abdicating that responsibility and allowing Trump to amass far too much power." Libertarian candidate Will Johanson said, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun, that Simpson seems "out of touch with our concerns over affordability and the endless wars that we're fighting around the world." The Sun reported that Simpson's campaign did not respond to requests for an interview.

Campaign finance

According to his Federal Election Commission filings for the committee Simpson for Congress, he had raised $1,118,093.33 and spent $793,940.47 from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with $429,358.58 in cash on hand and no debts. Individuals gave $506,593.33 and other committees gave $611,500.00.

The American Crystal Sugar Company PAC, The Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC PAC, the American Bankers Association PAC, Freedom Fund, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. PAC and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry PAC each gave $10,000 in total, according to the filings. The filings show a $100,000.00 transfer to the National Republican Congressional Committee on June 16, 2026, described as "Transfer of excess campaign funds".

Sources

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated October 2, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Frequently asked questions

What office is Mike Simpson running for?: He is the Republican incumbent seeking re-election to the U.S. House from Idaho's 2nd Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. His opponents are Ellie Gilbreath, Emre Houser, Tripp Charles Hutchinson and Will Johanson.
What is Mike Simpson's background?: His official biography says he earned a dental degree, joined the Simpson Family Dental Practice in Blackfoot, and served on the Blackfoot City Council and in the state Legislature, the last six years as Speaker. The Idaho Secretary of State's election database shows he won the 1998 general election for Congress.
What committees does Mike Simpson serve on?: His House website lists him on the Appropriations Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.
How did Mike Simpson vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act?: The House Clerk's records show he voted yea on the House's May 22, 2025 passage vote and aye on the July 3, 2025 vote to concur in the Senate's version.
Who has endorsed Mike Simpson?: President Donald Trump posted an endorsement on May 18, 2026, and the Idaho Majority Club lists him among its endorsed candidates for 2026.
Has Mike Simpson been criticized?: Trump criticized his 2024 committee vote, the Idaho Statesman editorial board wrote that Republicans including Simpson have abdicated the legislative branch's responsibility to check the executive and allowed Trump to amass too much power, and Libertarian Will Johanson said he seems out of touch.
How much money has Mike Simpson raised?: His FEC filings show $1,118,093.33 raised from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with $429,358.58 in cash on hand.