Steve Symms was a staunch conservative and longtime Republican elected official, serving four terms in Congress and two as a United States senator for Idaho.
- Died: August 8, 2024 (Who else died on August 8?)
- Details of death: Died in Leesburg, Virginia at the age of 86.
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Steve Symms’ legacy
Idaho native Steve Symms earned a degree in agriculture from the University of Idaho, after having grown up on his family’s fruit farm, then served a three-year stint in the United States Marine Corps before entering the world of politics. In 1972, at age 34, he ran for Congress and won his first of four consecutive terms. In 1980, he then ran for the U.S. Senate, serving two terms there before choosing not to seek a third.
Symms became a lobbyist after leaving the Senate, forming the consulting firm Symms, Lehn Associates, Inc. and the lobbying group Symms & Haddow Associates, which is now called Parry, Romani, DeConcini & Symms.
During his time in office, Symms was a staunch conservative, often taking contrary positions on major votes. In 1990, he was one of just six senators to vote against the Americans With Disabilities Act. Five years prior, he was one of four to vote “no” on a resolution condemning apartheid.
Symms made waves during the 1988 presidential election when he claimed without evidence that there were photos of Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis’ wife, Kitty, burning an American flag. No such photos existed.
But Symms also worked directly with democrats on other issues — in particular on rural healthcare and measures to support U.S. agriculture.
Tributes to Steve Symms
Full obituary: The Washington Post
