Larry Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is a former
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
politicianPolitics of the United States takes place in the framework of a presidential, federal republic where the President of the United States , United States Congress, and judiciary share federal powers, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments...
from the U.S.
stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
IdahoIdaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state....
. He served 18 years in the
U.S. SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
(1991-2009), preceded by ten years in the U.S. House, representing Idaho's
first districtThe Idaho First Congressional District encompasses the western and northern parts of Idaho. It includes the western third of the state capital, Boise, and most of Boise's suburbs, including the cities of Nampa and Meridian. It also includes Lewiston, Moscow, and Coeur d'Alene. George W...
(1981-91). His 28 years in the
CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election....
rank as the second-longest in
Idaho historyThe History of Idaho is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Idaho, a geographical area in the Pacific Northwest area near the west coast of the United States and Canada...
, trailing only
William BorahWilliam Edgar Borah was a prominent Republican attorney and longtime United States Senator from Idaho noted for his oratorical skills and isolationist views...
, who served over 32 years in the Senate. In addition to serving in Congress, Craig has been a member of the Board of Directors of the
National Rifle AssociationThe National Rifle Association of America, or NRA, is an American non-partisan, non-profit organization which lists as its goals the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the...
since 1983. Craig has also been selected for induction into the Idaho Hall of Fame. Although he was selected in March 2007, the announcement was made in October 2007.
On August 27, 2007, the Capitol Hill newspaper
Roll CallRoll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States. It is published Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and Mondays only during recess. It provides its readers with news of the legislative and political maneuvers that happen on Capitol Hill. In...
revealed that Craig had been arrested for
lewd conduct- Legal usage :In American legal jargon, lascivious is a semi-technical term indicating immoral sexual thoughts or actions. It is often used in the legal description of criminal acts in which some sort of sexual activity is prohibited to differentiate that activity from "innocent" conduct...
in the men's restroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on June 11, 2007, and entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge of
disorderly conductAlmost every state in the United States has a disorderly conduct law that makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such statutes are often used as "catch-all" crimes...
on August 8, 2007. As a result of the controversy surrounding his arrest and subsequent guilty plea, Senator Craig announced his intention to resign from the Senate at a news conference on September 1, 2007, which was to become effective on September 30, 2007. After failing to withdraw his guilty plea, on October 4, 2007, Craig released a statement refusing to resign as senator for Idaho.
Craig was not a candidate for re-election in
2008The 2008 United States Senate election for the state of Idaho was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican Senator Larry Craig announced his intent to resign following an incident where he solicited another man for gay sex in a public bathroom...
. He was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor and former Governor
Jim RischJames Elroy "Jim" Risch is the junior United States Senator from Idaho, the former Lieutenant Governor of Idaho, and the former Governor...
, a fellow Republican, who won Craig's Senate seat in the November 2008 election.
Early life and family
Craig was born in
CouncilCouncil is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Idaho, United States. The population was 816 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Council is located at ....
,
IdahoIdaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state....
, to Dorothy Lenore McCord and Elvin Oren Craig. He grew up on a
ranchA ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
outside
MidvaleMidvale is a city in Washington County, Idaho, United States. The population was 176 at the 2000 census.Midvale is the hometown of former U.S. Senator, Larry Craig.-History:...
in
Washington CountyWashington County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1879 when Idaho was a territory, it was named after U.S. president George Washington. As of the 2000 Census, the county had a population of 9,977; it is estimated to have risen to 10,147 by 2007...
. In 1969 he received his
Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
degreeA degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing a program of study.- History :...
in
political sciencePolitical science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. It is often described as the pragmatic application of the art and science of politics defined as "who gets what, when and how",...
from the
University of IdahoThe University of Idaho is the state of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state. UI is the state's land-grant and primary research university...
. At the University of Idaho he was student body president, and a member of the
Delta ChiDelta Chi or D-Chi is an international secret letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890, at Cornell University initially as a professional fraternity for law students. Delta Chi is a member of North-American Interfraternity Conference . The Fraternity is headquartered at 314...
fraternityA fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
. He pursued graduate studies at
George Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational university located in Washington, D.C...
before returning to his family's Midvale ranching business in 1971. Craig was a member of the
Idaho Army National GuardThe Idaho Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
from 1970 to 1972, attaining the
rankMilitary rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of
Private First ClassIn many armed forces in the world, Private First Class is a rank held by junior enlisted persons.- United States :In the U.S. Army, Private First Class is the third lowest enlisted rank, just above Private and below Corporal or Specialist in the Army, and is equivalent to NATO Grade OR-3. In the U.S...
(E3), after which he received an honorable discharge.
Craig married Suzanne Thompson in 1983 and adopted the three children she had from a previous marriage. Through his adopted children, Craig has nine grandchildren.
Political career
Craig was elected to the
Idaho SenateThe Idaho Senate is the upper chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 35 Senators elected to two-year terms , each representing a district of the state. The Senate meets at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho.-Composition of the Senate:...
in 1974 and reelected in 1976 and 1978.
In 1980 Craig was elected to an
open seatThe incumbent, in politics, is the holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Idaho's 1st congressional district. He succeeded Republican
Steve SymmsSteven Douglas Symms was a four-term congressman and two-term U.S. senator from Idaho. He was among the most conservative members of the Republican Party...
, who left the House and was elected to the Senate after defeating Democrat
Frank ChurchFrank Forrester Church III was a United States Senator from Idaho, serving four terms from 1957 to 1981. Church was a member of the Idaho Democratic Party.-Early life:...
. Craig was re-elected four times, serving until 1991. While in the House, he supported
PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
Ronald Reagan'sRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
push to expand
vocational educationVocational education or Vocational Education and Training , also called Career and Technical Education , prepares learners for jobs that are based in manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic and totally related to a specific trade, occupation or vocation, hence the term, in which...
.
Allegations of cocaine use and sex with male teenage
congressional pageUnited States House of Representatives Page Program is a program run by the United States House of Representatives, under the office of the Clerk of the House, in which appointed high school juniors act as non-partisan federal employees in the House of Representatives, providing supplemental...
s by unnamed congressmen were pursued by investigators and journalists in 1982. Craig issued a statement denying involvement. Craig stated "Persons who are unmarried as I am, by choice or by circumstance, have always been the subject of innuendos, gossip and false accusations. I think this is despicable." Craig served on the
House Ethics CommitteeThe Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives.-Members, 111th Congress:...
. In 1989 Craig was reported to have led an extended effort that pushed for more severe punishment of Representative
Barney FrankBarney Frank is the United States House Representative for since 1981. He is a member of the Democratic Party. In 1982, he won his first full term, and he has been re-elected ever since by wide margins...
for his involvement in a gay prostitution scandal.
U.S. Senate
Craig announced his candidacy for the
1990 Senate electionElections to one-third of the seats in the United States Senate were held on Tuesday, November 6, 1990. The Democratic Party increased its majority with a net gain of one seat from the Republicans...
for the seat vacated by the retiring
James A. McClureJames Albertus "Jim" McClure is an American politician from the state of Idaho, most notably serving as a Republican in the U.S. Senate....
. Craig defeated Idaho Attorney General
Jim JonesJim Jones is a Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court and a former Attorney General of Idaho.Jones was born in Twin Falls, Idaho. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and the Northwestern University School of Law...
in the Republican
primaryA primary election , also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election...
. In the general election he defeated
DemocraticThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
former
Idaho LegislatureThe Idaho Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Idaho. It consists of the upper Idaho Senate and the lower Idaho House of Representatives. The Idaho Senate contains 35 Senators, who are elected from 35 districts...
member
Ron J. TwilegarRon J. Twilegar is the county prosecutor in Boise County, Idaho. Twilegar was the 1990 Democratic nominee for the open United States Senate seat in Idaho vacated by Jim McClure...
with 57 percent of the vote.
In 1995, Craig formed a barbershop quartet called
The Singing SenatorsThe Singing Senators were a group of U.S. Republican Senators who sang as a barbershop quartet.- Members :Representation as of 2000:* Fmr. Sen. John Ashcroft – Baritone* Fmr. Sen. Larry Craig – Lead...
with Senators
Trent LottChester Trent Lott Sr. is a former United States Senator from Mississippi. He has served in numerous leadership positions in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, including House Minority Whip, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, and Senate Minority Whip...
,
John AshcroftJohn David Ashcroft is a United States politician who was the 79th United States attorney general. He served during the first term of President George W. Bush from 2001 until 2005...
, and James Jeffords.
Craig was reelected in 1996, again with 57 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat
Walt MinnickWalter Clifford "Walt" Minnick is an American politician from the U.S. state of Idaho currently serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing . The district is located in the western part of the state, and includes roughly one-fourth of Boise and most of that city's...
. He was reelected again in the 2002 election with 65 percent of the vote, when he spent $3.2 million to defeat
Alan BlinkenAlan John Blinken was the 2002 Democratic nominee for United States Senate in Idaho. He was defeated by the Republican incumbent, Larry Craig. Previously, as a resident of New York City in 1990, Blinken ran for the New York State Assembly in Manhattan, but lost to Republican John Ravitz.Blinken...
.
In 1999 Craig became sharply critical of U.S. President
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
for the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Speaking on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
's
Meet The PressMeet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television show in worldwide broadcasting history, having made its television debut on November 6, 1947...
, Craig told
Tim RussertTimothy John Russert was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Washington bureau chief and also hosted the eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview program...
: "The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy - a naughty boy. I’m going to speak out for the citizens of my state, who in the majority think that Bill Clinton is probably even a nasty, bad, naughty boy.”
Craig served as
Senate Republican Policy Committee chairmanSince 1947, the Republican members of the United States Senate have elected a policy committee chairman, who is the fourth-ranking Republican, behind the Republican Leader, Republican Whip, and Republican Conference Chairman....
from 1997 until 2003. He then became chairman of the
Special Committee on AgingThe United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent committee in 1977...
. After the Democrats gained control of the Senate in the 2006 Congressional election, Craig became the
ranking memberIn United States politics, the term ranking member refers to the second-most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the majority party. Another, incorrect, usage refers to the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party...
of the
Committee on Veterans' AffairsThe United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs is responsible for dealing with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 111th Congress:...
and a member of the
Appropriations CommitteeThe U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
and the
Energy and Natural Resources CommitteeThe United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and nuclear waste policy, territorial policy, native Hawaiian matters, and public lands....
. He served as the ranking member of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. Amid the controversy surrounding his arrest and guilty plea to charges of disorderly conduct, Craig temporarily stepped aside as ranking member on the
Veterans' Affairs CommitteeThe United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs is responsible for dealing with oversight of United States veterans issues.-Members, 111th Congress:...
and two subcommittees in August 2007.
Craig is a long-time, leading advocate for a
Balanced Budget AmendmentThe Balanced Budget Amendment is any one of various proposed amendments to the United States Constitution which would require a balance in the projected revenues and expenditures of the United States government...
to the
United States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the United States. It is the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of the United States of America and the federal government of the United States...
.
In May 2003, Craig put a
holdA secret hold is a parliamentary procedure within the Standing Rules of the Senate within the United States Senate that allows one or more Senators to prevent a motion from reaching a vote on the Senate floor...
on more than 200
Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
promotionsA promotion is the advancement of an employee's rank or position in an organizational hierarchy system. Promotion may be an employee's reward for good performance i.e. positive appraisal...
in an attempt to pressure the Air Force to station four new
C-130The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. Capable of takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport aircraft...
cargo planesA cargo aircraft plane is a fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. They are usually devoid of passenger amenities, and generally feature one or more large doors for the loading and unloading of cargo...
in Idaho, claiming he received a commitment from the Air Force almost seven years earlier that the planes would be delivered.
Defense DepartmentThe United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the military...
officials said the reason the C-130s had not been sent to Idaho was that no new aircraft were being manufactured for the type of transport mission done by the
Idaho Air National GuardThe Idaho Air National Guard is composed of 3,000 Airmen and officers assigned to two flying wings and six geographically separated units throughout Idaho.-History:...
unit where Craig wanted the planes delivered.
Craig supports the
guest worker programThe Guest Worker Program is a program that has been proposed many times in the past and now also by former U.S. President George W. Bush as a way to permit U.S. employers to sponsor non-U.S. citizens as laborers for approximately three years, to be deported afterwards if they have not yet obtained...
proposed by President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
. In April 2005, Craig tried to amend an
Iraq WarThe Iraq War, also known as the Occupation of Iraq or Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a multinational force led by troops from the United States and the United Kingdom.Prior to the war, the governments of the United...
supplemental bill with an AgJOBS amendment that would have granted legal status to between 500,000 and one million
illegal immigrantsIllegal immigration to the United States refers to the act of foreign nationals violating U.S. immigration policies and national laws by immigrating to the United States without proper consent from the United States government....
in farm work. The amendment failed with 53 votes (60 votes were needed because the amendment was not germane to the underlying bill). A version of the AgJOBS bill legislation was included in the Senate-passed immigration reform bill in 2006. Craig, the principal sponsor of AgJOBS, continues to support
amnestyAmnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent persons. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the offense. The word has the same root as amnesia...
for illegal immigrants who are "trusted workers with a significant work history in American agriculture." This position has been sharply criticized by anti-illegal immigration activists. On June 26, 2007, Craig reiterated his support for the
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, or, in its full name, the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 was a bill discussed in the 110th United States Congress that would have provided legal status and a path to citizenship for the approximately 12 to...
.
In October 2005, Craig suggested that flooded sections of New Orleans should be abandoned after
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
had hit and was quoted on a Baton Rouge television station as saying that "
FraudIn the broadest sense, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and is also a civil law violation....
is in the
culture of IraqIraq has one of the world's oldest cultural histories. Iraq is where the Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations were, whose legacy went on to influence and shape the European and Asian civilizations. Culturally, Iraq has a very rich heritage. The country is known for its poets and its painters and...
is. I believe that is true in the state of
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
as well."
On December 16, 2005, Craig voted against a
clotureIn parliamentary procedure, cloture , also called closure and sometimes a guillotine, is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end....
motion filed relative to the
USA PATRIOT ActThe USA PATRIOT Act, commonly known as the "Patriot Act", is a statute enacted by the United States Government that President George W. Bush signed into law on October 26, 2001...
; the motion ultimately earned only 52 votes, and so a Democratic
filibusterA filibuster, or "talking out a bill", is a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision-making body whereby one attempts to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a proposal by extending a debate on that proposal....
against extension of the act (due to expire at the end of 2005) was permitted to continue. On December 21, 2005, Craig backed a six-month extension of the Act while further negotiations took place. On February 9, 2006, Craig announced an agreement among himself, the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
, and fellow Senators
John E. SununuJohn Edward Sununu is a former Republican United States Senator from New Hampshire. Sununu was the youngest member of the Senate for his entire six year term. He was also its only Arab-American member during his time in office. He is the son of former New Hampshire Governor John H...
,
Arlen SpecterArlen Specter is the senior United States Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. Specter was a member of the Democratic Party until 1965, when he enlisted as a Republican in order to challenge the Democratic district attorney of Philadelphia. Elected to the Senate in 1980,...
,
Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska. Murkowski, a Republican, is the only woman ever elected to Congress from her state, in addition to being the first Senator born in Alaska....
,
Chuck HagelCharles Timothy "Chuck" Hagel is a former United States Senator from Nebraska. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected in 1996 and was reelected in 2002. On 10 February 2009, he was elected as Chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United States, succeeding General James L...
and
Richard DurbinRichard Joseph "Dick" Durbin is the senior United States Senator from the U.S. state of Illinois and Democratic Party Whip, the second highest position in the Democratic Party leadership in the Senate. He became Majority Whip of the U.S. Senate when the 110th Congress convened on January 4, 2007...
to reauthorize the Act.
In 2006 Craig posted to his Senate website all the
earmarkEarmark may refer to:*Earmark *Earmark *Earmark...
s he had inserted into federal spending bills since joining the Senate Appropriations Committee in 1998.
The
American Conservative UnionThe American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.- Activities :...
rated Craig's 2005 voting record at 96 out of 100 points, while the
Americans for Democratic ActionAmericans for Democratic Action is an American political organization advocating liberal policies. ADA works for social and economic justice through lobbying, grassroots organizing, research and supporting progressive candidates.- History :...
rated him at 15 points. Craig supported the
Federal Marriage AmendmentThe Federal Marriage Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
, which barred extension of rights to same-sex couples; he voted for cloture on the amendment in both 2004 and 2006, and was a cosponsor in 2008. However, in late 2006 he appeared to endorse the right of individual states to create same-sex civil unions, but said he would vote "yes" on an Idaho constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages when pressured to clarify his position by the anti-gay rights advocacy group
Families for a Better Idaho. Craig voted against cloture in 2002, which would have extended the federal definition of
hate crimeHate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation."Hate crime"...
s to cover
sexual orientationSexual orientation is a pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, both genders, neither gender, or another gender...
. This legislation was passed in 2007 in both the House and the Senate as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. Craig voted against the measure. The
LGBT advocacyLesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexuality and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
group the
Human Rights CampaignThe Human Rights Campaign is the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender lobbying group and political action committee in the United States, claiming over 725,000 members and supporters, though this membership count is disputed...
issued guides to candidates' voting records in 2004. The Human Rights Campaign group gave him a 0 rating.
Prior to the nomination of Idaho Governor
Dirk KempthorneDirk Arthur Kempthorne , was the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, who served under President George W. Bush from 2006–2009. A Republican, Kempthorne previously served as Governor and as a U.S. Senator from Idaho...
, Craig was mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed
Gale NortonGale Ann Norton served as the 48th United States Secretary of the Interior from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush...
as
United States Secretary of the InteriorThe United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
in March 2006.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
- Subcommittee on Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Committee on Environment and Public Works
- Subcommittee on Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, and Children's Health Protection
- Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests
- Subcommittee on Water and Power
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- Special Committee on Aging
Idaho Hall of Fame induction
In 2007, Idaho Hall of Fame Association inducted Larry Craig into the Idaho Hall of Fame, despite his well-publicized arrest and guilty plea in an airport sex sting, following the failure to
appealIn law, an appeal is a process for requesting a formal change to an official decision.The specific procedures for appealing, including even whether there is a right of appeal from a particular type of decision, can vary greatly from country to country...
. He had been picked in March 2007, months before the arrest.
2007 arrest and consequences
On June 11, 2007, Craig was arrested at the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International AirportMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwestern region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin....
on suspicion of lewd conduct. During the resulting interview with the arresting officer, Craig insisted upon his innocence, disputing the officer's version of the event by stating that he merely had a "wide stance" and that he had been picking a piece of paper from the floor.
In spite of his claims of innocence during the interview, Craig later pleaded guilty to a
misdemeanorA misdemeanor, or misdemeanour in many common law legal systems, is a "lesser" criminal act. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions...
charge of
disorderly conductAlmost every state in the United States has a disorderly conduct law that makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such statutes are often used as "catch-all" crimes...
by signing and mailing a plea petition, dated August 1, 2007, to the
Hennepin County District CourtThe Hennepin County Government Center is the courthouse and primary county government administration building for Hennepin County in the State of Minnesota. It is located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, the county seat of Hennepin County...
in
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
. He paid $575, including fines and fees. Senator Craig signed the petition to enter his guilty plea, which contained the provisions, "I understand that the court will not accept a plea of guilty from anyone who claims to be innocent... I now make no claim that I am innocent of the charge to which I am entering a plea of guilty." Craig mailed his signed petition to the court, and his petition to plead guilty to the misdemeanor charge was accepted and filed by the court on August 8, 2007. Craig later indicated that he regretted filing the guilty plea, stating "In hindsight, I should not have pled guilty. I was trying to handle this matter myself quickly and expeditiously." In an August 28, 2007, press conference
At a news conference on September 1, 2007, Craig announced his intent to resign, "with sadness and deep regret", effective September 30, 2007. On September 4, 2007, a spokesperson for Craig indicated that he was reconsidering his decision to resign, if his conviction was rapidly overturned and his committee assignments were restored. The following week, Craig's attorneys filed a
motionA legal motion is a procedural device in law to bring a limited, contested issue before a court for decision. A motion may be thought of as a request to the judge to make a decision about the case. Motions may be made at any point in administrative, criminal or civil proceedings, although that...
to withdraw his guilty plea, arguing that it "was not knowing and intelligent and therefore was in violation of his constitutional rights." The motion was ultimately denied, upholding the initial guilty plea.
Following the ruling, Craig announced that despite his pledge to the contrary, he would serve out his Senate term. He stated that he intended to "continue my effort to clear my name in the Senate Ethics Committee — something that is not possible if I am not serving in the Senate." Craig did not seek reelection in 2008 and left office on January 3, 2009.
Post-Senate
After his retirement Craig opened the consulting firm
New West Strategies with his former chief of staff Mike Ware, focusing on energy issues.
Electoral history
2002 Idaho United States Senatorial Election
| Larry Craig (R) (inc.) 65% |
| Alan Blinken Alan John Blinken was the 2002 Democratic nominee for United States Senate in Idaho. He was defeated by the Republican incumbent, Larry Craig. Previously, as a resident of New York City in 1990, Blinken ran for the New York State Assembly in Manhattan, but lost to Republican John Ravitz.Blinken...
(D) 33% |
| Donovan Bramwell (Lib.) 2% |
1996 Idaho United States Senatorial Election
| Larry Craig (R) (inc.) 57% |
| Walt Minnick Walter Clifford "Walt" Minnick is an American politician from the U.S. state of Idaho currently serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing . The district is located in the western part of the state, and includes roughly one-fourth of Boise and most of that city's...
(D) 39.9% |
| Mary J. Charbonneau (I) 2% |
| Susan Vegors (Natural Law The Natural Law Party is a defunct political party founded in the USA and around the world. The party platform was based on the concept that Natural Law is the organizing principle that governs the universe, and that the problems of humanity are caused by people violating natural law...
) 1% |
1990 Idaho United States Senatorial Election
| Larry Craig (R) 61.3% |
| Ron J. Twilegar Ron J. Twilegar is the county prosecutor in Boise County, Idaho. Twilegar was the 1990 Democratic nominee for the open United States Senate seat in Idaho vacated by Jim McClure...
38.7% |
1988 Idaho 1st District United States Congressional Election
| Larry Craig (R) (inc.) 65.7% |
| Jeanne Givens (D) 34.3% |
1984 Idaho 1st District United States Congressional Election
| Larry Craig (R) (inc.) 68.6% |
| Bill Heller (D) 31.4% |
1982 Idaho 1st District United States Congressional Election
| Larry Craig (R) (inc.) 53.6% |
| Larry La Rocco (D) 46.4% |
1980 Idaho 1st District United States Congressional Election
| Larry Craig (R) 53.7% |
| Glenn W. Nichols (D) 46.3% |
External links
Further reading