Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has submitted the following letter of resignation to Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa:

Dear Secretary Ysursa:

I am humbled by the great honor to have been nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate as the 49th Secretary of the Interior.

As I assume this new responsibility, this letter serves as my notice to resign as Governor of the State of Idaho and Commander-in-Chief of the Idaho National Guard. This resignation will be concurrent with my taking the oath of office as Secretary of the Interior.

It has been my profound honor to serve the people of Idaho as their 30th Governor. I will have the benefit of their friendship, inspiration, and prayers as I enter this new arena of service on behalf of our fellow citizens throughout the United States.

God Bless Idaho, and God bless the United States of America.

Sincerely,
Dirk Kempthorne
Governor

Ysursa responded with the following acceptance:

I, Ben Ysursa, Secretary of State for the State of Idaho, pursuant to the provisions of Section 59-902, Idaho Code, do hereby accept the resignation of Dirk Kempthorne from the Office of Governor of the State of Idaho.

Ben Ysursa
Secretary of State

Ysursa said, “That’s it – it’s upon resignation. … In all respects, he (Risch) is the governor. … Now the title’s official.”

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