Michael D. Crapo (pronounced "Cray-poe") (born May 20, 1951 in Idaho Falls, Idaho) is the junior United States Senator from Idaho. He is a Member of the Republican Party. Sen. Crapo is a a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. He is one of five current U.S. Senators who belong to the LDS Church. The other four are Gordon Smith (Oregon), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Robert Bennett (Utah) and Harry Reid (Nevada). Crapo earned a B.A. from Brigham Young University in 1973 and J.D. from Harvard University School of Law in 1977. He served as clerk to Judge James M. Carter, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit and then returned to Idaho to become a lawyer. While practicing law in Idaho Falls, Idaho in the 1980s, he was active in the Republican Party's campaigns for seats in the state legislature. He was elected to the state senate in 1984.
Crapo was a member of the state senate from 1985 until 1992, serving as Senate President Pro Tempore from 1988 to 1992, when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He was a member of the House from 1993 until 1999, being re-elected in 1994 and 1996. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1998, gaining the seat of Republican Dirk Kempthorne, who ran for governor and was elected to that position. Crapo was re-elected in 2004 with 99f the vote, with the other 1
