Bart McKay Davis (born March 7, 1955) is an American attorney and politician who served as the

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the District of Idaho from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

Idaho Senate The Idaho Senate is the upper chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 35 Senators elected to two-year terms, each representing a district of the state. The Senate meets at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho. Composition of ...

, representing District 33 from 2002 to 2017. He represented

District 29 A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

from 1998 to 2002. During his time in the Idaho Senate, he served as state senate majority leader.

Early life and education

Born in

Rapid City, South Dakota Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...

, Davis was raised in

Idaho Falls, Idaho Idaho Falls (Shoshoni: Dembimbosaage) is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States. It is the state's largest city outside the Boise metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 64,8 ...

. Davis received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

in English from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

in 1978 and a Juris Doctor in 1980 from the

University of Idaho College of Law The University of Idaho College of Law is the law school of the University of Idaho, with its main location in Moscow and a second campus in the state capital of Boise. As of the entering class of 2017–18, students may take all three years of in ...

Career

Following his graduation from law school, Davis began his legal practice in Idaho Falls. He is admitted to practice before the

Idaho Supreme Court The Idaho Supreme Court is the state supreme court of Idaho and is composed of the chief justice and four associate justices. The decisions of the Idaho Supreme Court are binding on all other Idaho state courts. The only court that may reverse ...

, the

United States District Court for the District of Idaho United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

, the

United States District Court for the District of Arizona The United States District Court for the District of Arizona (in case citations, D. Ariz.) is the U.S. district court that covers the state of Arizona. It is under the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The District was est ...

, the

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District ...

, and the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. In 1990, he was co-counsel with former solicitor general Rex Lee in '' Davis v. United States'' before the United States Supreme Court. Davis' parents were the petitioners in the case. Since 2001, Davis has represented Idaho as a commissioner on the

Uniform Law Commission The Uniform Law Commission (ULC), also called the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, is a non-profit, American unincorporated association. Established in 1892, the ULC aims to provide U.S. states (plus the District of C ...

. He is a past chairman of the Council of State Governments.

Idaho Senate

In 1998, six-term incumbent Senator John Hansen did not seek reelection to the Idaho Senate. Davis ran for the open seat and was elected. He served as Majority Caucus Chair from 2000 to 2002, and from 2002 to 2017 has served as Senate Majority Leader.

U.S. Attorney

In June 2017, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

appointed him to become the next

in the

. The

Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...

on September 7, 2017, approved his recommendation by a unanimous voice vote. He was confirmed by

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding vo ...

on September 14, 2017. On February 8, 2021, he along with 55 other Trump-era attorneys were asked to resign. On February 11, 2021, Davis submitted his resignation, effective February 28.

Redistricting

Senator Pro-Tem

Chuck Winder Chuck Winder is a Republican member of the Idaho Senate. He serves as the president pro tempore of the Idaho Senate and previously served as the majority leader. He is married to Dianne Winder; the couple has two children. Early life, education, ...

appointed Davis to Idaho's Independent Redistricting Commission. Davis serves as co-chair of the commission.

Personal life

He married Marion Woffinden Davis in 1976 and together they have six children.

Writing

* Bart Davis, Kate Kelly, and Kristin Ford, ''Use of Legislative History: Willow Witching for Legislative Intent'', 43 Idaho College of Law Review 585 (2007). * Bart Davis, ''Idaho's Messy History with Term Limits: A Modest Response'', 52 Idaho College of Law Review 463 (2016).

Electoral history

References

External links

Biography at U.S. Department of Justice

Idaho Legislature - Senator Bart Davis
- official government site , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Bart 1955 births Living people 21st-century American politicians 1998 Idaho elections Brigham Young University alumni Idaho lawyers Republican Party Idaho state senators Latter Day Saints from Idaho People from Idaho Falls, Idaho Politicians from Rapid City, South Dakota United States Attorneys for the District of Idaho University of Idaho alumni University of Idaho College of Law alumni