Butch Otter Current 32nd Governor of Idaho and member of the Republican Party Date of Birth: 03.05.1945 Country: USA

Biography of Butch Otter

Butch Otter, the current 32nd Governor of Idaho, and a member of the Republican Party, held the position of Lieutenant Governor of Idaho the longest, from 1987 to 2001. He is the third Catholic governor of Idaho. Clement Leroy 'Butch' Otter was born on May 3, 1942, in Caldwell, Idaho, into a large family. His father was an electrician, and his family moved to many rural towns in the Midwest and western United States, causing Butch to attend 15 different schools. Otter graduated from St. Teresa's Academy (now Bishop Kelly High School) in 1962. The future governor worked various jobs, including janitor, ticket seller at a theater, and lawn mower. He never excelled academically and, although he aspired to be an educated person, he did not envision a career beyond being a skilled electrician or carpenter. At one point, Butch even considered becoming a priest, but he later enrolled in college in Boise and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Idaho in 1967. With 30 years of political experience, Otter also had a successful career with the leading agribusiness corporation, 'Simplot International.' Starting from the bottom, Butch rose to become the chairman of the company. In 1964, he married Gay Simplot, the daughter of his longtime employer, J.R. Simplot. After 20 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1992. In 1972, Otter first ran for office and became a member of the Idaho House of Representatives, representing Canyon County. Six years later, he ran for Governor of Idaho but lost to fellow Republican Allan Larsen. In 1986, Butch returned to politics and was elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Idaho, subsequently winning re-election in 1990, 1994, and 1998. He served under Democratic Governor Cecil Andrus, as well as Republican Governors Phil Batt and Dirk Kempthorne. On December 15, 2006, Otter announced his candidacy for the gubernatorial election. In the Republican primary on March 23, he surpassed three opponents, and on the general election on December 6, he defeated Democrat Jerry Brady. Brady, the former owner of 'The Post Register,' had previously run for governor in 2002, losing to Dirk Kempthorne. Butch opposed abortion and voted for a ban on federal funding for abortions. He supported an amendment to the Constitution that defined marriage as between 'one woman and one man.' Otter also voted for the creation of the nationwide AMBER Alert system for missing children and spoke out against federal restrictions on gun sales. Idaho's governor recommended an increase in education funding in the state by $1.36 million. He voted for the construction of a fence along the Mexico border and opposed amnesty for undocumented immigrants. On August 18, 2006, Butch married his longtime friend and former 'Miss Idaho,' Lori Otter, in Meridian.