From 1950 to 1956, he served as prosecuting attorney for
Payette County; he also served as city attorney for Payette from 1953 to 1966. During this span, he was also a member of the
Idaho State Senate, serving from 1961 to 1966. In the 1966 election, McClure ran for the
U.S. House from Idaho's
first congressional district, which had been held by
Democrats since 1953. He defeated two-term incumbent
Compton I. White, Jr. and was re-elected in 1968 and 1970.
U.S. Senate McClure ran for the open
U.S. Senate seat
(Class II) in
1972, vacated by the retirement of
Len Jordan. In the general election, he defeated Democrat
William E. "Bud" Davis, the president of Idaho State University. McClure was reelected by wide margins in
1978 and
1984. The seat was occupied by
William Borah for over three decades (1907–1940), and has been continuously held by Republicans since 1949. During his 18 years in the Senate, McClure served as the chairman of the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity McClure emerged as an early proponent of
electric cars and
energy independence. He also chaired the
Senate Republican Conference from 1981 to 1985.
Retirement At age 65, McClure declined to run for a fourth term in 1990. Republican congressman
Larry Craig of
Midvale easily won McClure's Senate seat in November 1990, served three terms, and was succeeded by
Jim Risch. After leaving the Senate, McClure became a mining consultant and
lobbyist in Washington, D.C., founding the firm of McClure, Gerard, & Neuenschwander. Up until his death, McClure maintained a residence in
McCall. In October 1995, the new home of the College of Mines and Earth Resources at the
University of Idaho was dedicated as James A. McClure Hall. On December 12, 2001, the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in
Boise was renamed for McClure. == Personal life ==