Editing Mike Simpson (section)

==Early life, education and private career==
Born in [[Burley, Idaho|Burley]], Simpson was raised in [[Blackfoot, Idaho|Blackfoot]], where his father was a [[dentist]]. He graduated from [[Blackfoot High School]] in 1968, [[Utah State University]] in [[Logan, Utah|Logan]] in 1972, and the dental school of [[Washington University in St. Louis]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/dental/history/index.html|title=WU School of Dental Medicine - History of the School|website=Beckerexhibits.wustl.edu|access-date=22 July 2022}}</ref> in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1977.<ref name=ocd2011>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVSkbYQp6qgC&pg=PA83|publisher=United States Congress|title=Official Congressional Directory, 2011–2012: 112th Congress |year=2011|page=83|isbn=9780160886539}}</ref> Simpson practiced dentistry in Blackfoot until his election to [[United States House of Representatives|Congress]] in 1998. He was elected to the Blackfoot City Council in 1980 and to the [[Idaho Legislature|state legislature]] in 1984, the first of seven terms. He was the [[Speaker (politics)|speaker]] of the [[Idaho House of Representatives|Idaho House]] before his election to Congress.