Michael Dean Crapo (pronounced "Cray-poe") (born May 20, 1951 in Idaho Falls, Idaho) is the junior United States Senator from Idaho. He is a Member of the Republican Party.

Education and early career Crapo earned a B.A. from Brigham Young University in 1973 and J.D. from Harvard University School of Law in 1977. He served as clerk to Judge James M. Carter, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit and then returned to Idaho to become a lawyer. While practicing law in Idaho Falls, Idaho in the 1980s, he was active in the Republican Party's campaigns for seats in the state legislature.

Crapo was elected to the state senate in 1984. He was a member of the state senate from 1985 until 1992, serving as Senate President Pro Tempore from 1988 to 1992, when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He was a member of the House from 1993 until 1999, being re-elected in 1994 and 1996.

US Senate
Crapo was elected to the United States Senate in 1998, gaining the seat of Republican Dirk Kempthorne, who ran for governor and was elected to that position. In his Senate bid, his campaign signs had a macron placed over the "a" in his name ("Crapo") to hint at the correct pronunciation.

Crapo was re-elected in 2004 with 99% of the vote, with the other 1% going to write-in candidates. He was the only Senate candidate in 2004 to run completely unopposed on the ballot. Some Republicans want him to be appointed to a high position in the Senate Republican leadership because his seat is considered one of the 'safest' in the entire Senate. Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate Minority Leader of Nevada, also suggested Crapo be considered for the vacancy on the United States Supreme Court occasioned by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement announcement.

In the U.S. Senate, Crapo currently serves on the following Senate Committees: Agriculture, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation and Rural Revitalization; Banking, Housing and Urban Development, where he chairs the Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance; Budget; Finance; and Indian Affairs. He chairs the Senate Nuclear Caucus, the COPD (Cardio-Pulmonary Obstructive Disease) Caucus, and the Congressional French Caucus.

Personal life
Crapo was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999 and underwent a radical prostectomy in January 2000. While he had a full recovery and was declared cancer-free at that time, prostate cancer recurred in 2005 and he underwent a series of radiation treatments. His experience led him to become active in advocating for early detection tests for cancer and other treatable diseases.

Crapo is an Eagle Scout and was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA) in 2000. He is a a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.