Representative Bill Sali

William Thomas Sali (born February 17, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician who served as a Representative from Idaho in the United States Congress from 2007 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served a single term in the United States House of Representatives, representing Idaho’s 1st congressional district. During his tenure in Congress, Sali contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic governance of the nation while representing the interests of his constituents in a period of significant national political and economic developments.

Sali pursued a career in law before entering federal office, establishing himself as an attorney in Idaho. He became active in state politics as a member of the Idaho Legislature, serving in the Idaho House of Representatives. In that role, he built a reputation as a staunch conservative and was involved in a number of intra-party disputes with prominent Idaho Republicans, including former Idaho House Speaker Bruce Newcomb and U.S. Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho’s 2nd congressional district. Despite these disagreements, Sali maintained a base of support within the state Republican Party and among national conservative organizations.

In 2006, Sali sought election to the United States House of Representatives from Idaho’s 1st congressional district. The seat was open because three-term Republican incumbent C. L. “Butch” Otter vacated it to run successfully for governor of Idaho. On May 23, 2006, Sali won the Republican nomination in a six-way primary with 26 percent of the vote. His Democratic opponent in the general election was Larry Grant. Although some Idaho Republican leaders had previously clashed with Sali, the Idaho Republican Party and the national Republican Party ultimately rallied behind his candidacy. High-profile national figures, including Vice President Dick Cheney, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, traveled to Idaho to campaign for him. His effort also received substantial financial and organizational backing from conservative and party-aligned groups such as the Club for Growth, the Republican National Committee, and the National Right to Life PAC.

Sali was elected to Congress on November 7, 2006, defeating Larry Grant by 11,908 votes. His victory was likely aided by the strong performance of Butch Otter at the top of the state ticket; Otter won all but two counties in the 1st congressional district in his gubernatorial race. Sali took office on January 3, 2007, joining the 110th Congress. As a freshman Republican representative from Idaho, he participated in debates and votes on issues ranging from federal spending and taxation to national security and social policy, reflecting his party’s positions and the conservative preferences of many voters in his district. His term in office coincided with the final years of the George W. Bush administration and the onset of the financial crisis of 2007–2008, a significant period in American history.

In 2008, Sali sought reelection to a second term in the House of Representatives. He first faced a primary challenge from Iraq War veteran Matthew Salisbury in the May 2008 Republican primary, which he successfully defeated. In the general election, his Democratic opponent was businessman Walt Minnick. The race proved competitive in a political climate that was increasingly favorable to Democrats nationwide. On Election Day, Minnick defeated Sali by 4,211 votes, becoming the first Democrat to win a congressional election in Idaho in 16 years, since Larry LaRocco’s reelection in 1992. Although Sali carried 11 of the district’s 19 counties, he was unable to overcome a deficit of approximately 5,000 votes in Ada County, home to both candidates and the population center of the district, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of its residents.

Sali’s defeat in 2008 was historically notable in Idaho politics. He became the first Idaho congressman in 56 years to fail to win a second term, a circumstance not seen since Republican John Travers Wood was defeated in 1952. His successor, Walt Minnick, would also serve only a single term before being defeated in 2010 by Republican Raúl Labrador, underscoring the competitive but generally Republican-leaning nature of the district. After leaving Congress in January 2009, Sali returned to private life and to his legal and political interests. As a former member of both the Idaho House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives, he remains part of the modern history of Idaho’s congressional delegation and of Republican politics in the state.