McClure of Idaho

On February 2, 1966 the Republican candidate for Idaho's First Congressional District seat died in a north Idaho plane crash At the time, no one would have predicted that the tragedy would trigger a career that would make a young Payette County attorney one of the state's best known political figures of the 20th century. Jim McClure's political record is nothing short of astounding. First elected to the Idaho Senate in 1961, he picked up the Republican standard from the fallen John Mattmiller and upset the Democrat favorite in the 1966 congressional election. After serving four terms in the House of Representatives, McClure moved to the United States Senate in 1973, where he served 18 years before voluntarily retiring in 1991, at age 66. The Idaho native worked with six presidents. A dedicated conservative, McClure nevertheless gained the respect of collegues on both sides of the political aisle at the state and national levels for his ability to find practical solutions to complex issues. Veteran author William L. Smallwood spent several years researching the life of Idaho Senator Jim McClure--from his great grandfather who died fighting for the Union during the Civil War, to present day. Smallwood's extensive interviews with the McClure family, friends, key staff members, reporters and adversaries gives readers new insights into Idaho politics during one of the most important eras in the state's history.