Alan Simpson was a longtime Republican politician from Wyoming best known for his tenure in the U.S. Senate, which included a decade as Senate whip.
- Died: March 14, 2025 (Who else died on March 14?)
- Details of death: Died in Cody, Wyoming at the age of 93.
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Alan Simpson’s legacy
Though born in Denver, Simpson is best known for his long association with the state of Wyoming, which included decades as a United States senator. He continued a family legacy of politics: His father, Milward Simpson, had also served as a state representative and U.S. senator from Wyoming, as well as its governor, and his older brother, Pete Simpson, served four years in the Wyoming House of Representatives. His son, Colin M. Simpson, continued that tradition of public service, holding office in the state House from 1999 to 2011.
Simpson attended the University of Wyoming, where he earned a degree in political science before completing law school at the same institution. He also served three years in the U.S. Army in the 1950s and worked as a lawyer in Cody, Wyoming prior to stepping into politics.
Simpson’s political career began in 1964, when, like his dad, he was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives. His big leap forward came in 1978, when he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate. Simpson was a moderate Republican known for his independent approach to governance, often working across party lines.
Starting in 1985, he was named Senate majority whip for a term, then served as the Republican minority whip into the next decade. In 1995, after Trent Lott became the GOP’s Senate whip, Simpson opted not to seek election to what would have been his fourth term in office. After leaving the halls of Washington D.C., he taught at the Harvard Kennedy School and became a public speaker, consultant, and prominent contributor to political discussions.
Throughout his career, Simpson was revered for his candid and sometimes humorous style. He gained respect among some as a centrist in an increasingly divided political climate, although he also made waves at times, such as during the hearings to appoint Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. Simpson’s assertive questioning of Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of sexual harassment, led him to admit later he’d been “a monster.”
Simpson is known for his work on the Simpson-Bowles Commission, which was tasked by President Barack Obama with finding a long-term solution to the federal budget deficit. The commission’s recommendations, which focused on entitlement reform, tax reform, and deficit reduction, were not enacted by Congress.
Simpson chronicled his time in office – and, in particular, his relationship with the media – in his 1997 book, “Right in the Old Gazoo: A Lifetime of Scrapping with the Press.” In 2022, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.
Notable quote
“In politics, there are no right answers, only a continual flow of compromises among groups, resulting in a changing, cloudy and ambiguous series of public decisions, where appetite and ambition compete openly with knowledge and wisdom. That’s all there is.” — 2019 interview with PBS’ “Frontline”
