Ralph R. Harding
| Ralph R. Harding | |
|---|---|
Harding in 1963
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho's 2nd district |
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In office January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1965 |
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| Preceded by | Hamer Budge |
| Succeeded by | George Hansen |
| Member of the Idaho State Legislature | |
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In office 1955–1956 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 9, 1929 Malad City, Idaho |
| Died | October 26, 2006 (aged 77) Blackfoot, Idaho |
| Resting place | Malad City Cemetery Malad City, Idaho |
| Nationality | United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Wilhelmina Conrad Harding (m.1954–2006, his death) |
| Children | 2 sons, 3 daughters |
| Residence | Blackfoot |
| Profession | Agriculture, Accountant |
| Religion | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch | U.S. Army |
| Years of service | 1951–1953 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Ralph R. Harding (September 9, 1929 – October 26, 2006) was a former congressman from eastern Idaho; he served two terms as a Democrat from 1961 to 1965.
Born in Malad City, Idaho, Harding served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years. He graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1956, after serving in Korea from 1951 to 1953 in the U.S. Army, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant.
Harding served in the Idaho state legislature from 1955 to 1956. He ran against Republican congressman Hamer Budge, a ten-year incumbent in Idaho's 2nd district in 1960. Harding pulled off an upset victory with 51.1 percent, winning by 4,000 votes. He was re-elected in 1962, but was one of the few incumbent Democrats in the U.S. House who lost to Republican challengers even as President Lyndon B. Johnson won in a landslide in 1964. Many attribute Harding's congressional defeat to a speech he made in the U.S. House of Representatives for criticizing LDS Apostle Ezra Taft Benson for being a "spokesman for the radical right of this nation."
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