Mike Crapo

Democratic Platform

Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo, as Finance Committee chair, is one of the Senate's most influential voices on economic and tax policy. He supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) and has consistently advocated for lower taxes on individuals and businesses, deregulation, and free market economic policies. He opposes large deficit-spending packages and supports balanced budget approaches to fiscal policy.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.

Democratic Platform

Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo has opposed the Affordable Care Act and supports market-based healthcare reforms. His Finance Committee chairmanship gives him significant influence over Medicare and Medicaid policy. He has engaged on prescription drug pricing, supporting targeted reforms to lower costs through competition rather than government price controls.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo supports border security and enforcement-first approaches to immigration. He backs completing physical border barriers, stricter enforcement of existing law, and legal immigration reforms that prioritize agricultural and skilled workers important to Idaho's economy.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.

Democratic Platform

Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo supports school choice, parental rights in education, and reducing federal control over state and local school decisions. He has backed workforce training programs and opposes federal education mandates he argues undermine community decision-making in Idaho.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo is a strong defender of Second Amendment rights and consistently opposes new gun control legislation. He argues that protecting the constitutional rights of Idaho's substantial hunting and outdoor recreation community requires resisting federal restrictions on law-abiding gun owners.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.

Democratic Platform

Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo supports American energy production, including Idaho's significant hydroelectric power, along with oil and gas development. He opposes aggressive federal climate regulations and mandates he argues harm Idaho businesses and agriculture, and favors market-driven approaches to energy development.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo supports a strong U.S. military and has engaged on foreign policy through trade and economic policy in his Finance Committee role. He has supported maintaining U.S. alliances and has been involved in international trade agreement debates that affect Idaho's agricultural exports.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.

Democratic Platform

Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo, as Finance Committee chair, has significant jurisdiction over Social Security and Medicare. He supports structural reforms to ensure both programs' long-term solvency and opposes tax increases as the primary solution. He has discussed potential adjustments for younger workers while protecting benefits for those near retirement.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.

Mike Crapo

Senator Crapo supports law enforcement and has focused on combating drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl and methamphetamine, as Idaho's primary criminal justice challenge. He co-sponsored the First Step Act (2018) and supports targeted sentencing reforms for nonviolent offenses alongside strong law enforcement.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.