Matt Salmon

In April 2020, Salmon was named Chairman of the American Kratom Association. The nonprofit organization "advocates to protect the freedom of consumers to safely consume natural kratom as a part of their personal health and well-being regimen."

On February 25, 2016, Salmon announced his retirement from politics. In June 2016, Arizona State University announced that Salmon would join his undergraduate alma mater as Vice President for Government Affairs in the Office of Government & Community Engagement. In this position, Salmon oversees the University’s local, state and federal relations teams. He also holds a faculty appointment as a Professor of Practice in Public Affairs in the ASU College of Public Service & Community Solutions.

Salmon was reelected almost as easily in 2014. However, he announced on February 25, 2016 that he is retiring for good.

Incumbent U.S. Congressman Sam Coppersmith, a Democrat, decided to retire after one term in what was then the 1st District in order to run for the U.S. Senate. Salmon won the Republican primary with a plurality of 39% in a five-candidate field. During his first congressional campaign, term limits were a high-profile issue. Salmon was one of many candidates nationwide who pledged to serve only three terms in Congress. In the general election, he defeated Democratic State Senator Chuck Blanchard, 56%–39%.

In March 2013, he endorsed the idea of bringing back the Hastert Rule, which is that in order to bring a bill to the floor it must have a majority of the majority party's support. He also proposed an amendment to the United States Constitution limiting House members to three terms in office and Senators to two.

In April 2013, Salmon announced that he would continue to oppose same-sex marriage even though his son is openly gay. Salmon's stances have been unmoved despite his acceptance of his son's homosexuality. Salmon's son led the Arizona Log Cabin Republicans; he left the group to focus on medical school.

In April 2011, Salmon announced he would seek his old congressional seat, which was now numbered as the 5th District. His conception of term limits had evolved: in 2011 he stated that they were a flawed concept unless they were applied across the board. His successor in Congress, Jeff Flake, was giving up the seat to run for the United States Senate. He was endorsed by the Club for Growth, Governor Jan Brewer, Senator John Thune, Congressman David Schweikert, Congressman Trent Franks, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. In the August 28 Republican primary, he defeated former state house speaker Kirk Adams 52%–48%. In the general election, Salmon defeated Democrat Spencer Morgan 65%–35%. However, the 5th is as heavily Republican as its predecessor, and Salmon had effectively assured his return to Congress with his primary victory.

In 2011 Salmon signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.

After that race, he served as a lobbyist and chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. In 2007, he served as campaign manager to businessman Scott Smith's successful campaign for Mayor of Mesa. In 2008, he became President of the Competitive Telecommunications Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association.

Incumbent Republican Arizona Governor Jane Dee Hull was ineligible for re-election in 2002. In the Republican primary, Salmon defeated Arizona Secretary of State Betsy Bayless and Arizona Treasurer Carol Springer 56%–30%–14%. He won every county in the state. In the general election, he faced Democratic nominee and Arizona Attorney General Janet Napolitano, Libertarian nominee Barry Hess, and former Arizona Secretary of State Richard D. Mahoney (who ran as an independent, but was previously a Democrat). Napolitano defeated Salmon 46.19%–45.22%, a difference of just 11,819 votes.

He honored his campaign pledge (one of many who pledged to do so in the class of `94) and did not seek re-election to a fourth term in 2000. He was then succeeded by Jeff Flake.

In 1999, he unsuccessfully advocated carving Ronald Reagan's face into Mount Rushmore, claiming that the former President had won the Cold War. An idea that garnered support from Reps. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-Md.) and John R. Kasich (R-Ohio). Salmon was instrumental in obtaining the January 29, 2000 release of U.S. based academic researcher Song Yongyi from detention in China on spying charges.

In 1993, he sponsored legislation that created new drug test programs for employers. That year, he also called for an independent study of the Department of Economic Services' child welfare agency.

In 1992, he was elected to a new leadership position called assistant majority leader. He served that position until 1995.

In 1990, he ran for the Arizona Senate in the 21st Senate District based in Mesa, Arizona. In the Republican primary, he defeated incumbent State Senator Jerry Gillespie, who was controversial due to his support of impeached Governor Evan Mecham and his vote against the Martin Luther King holiday. In the general election, he defeated Democrat Bill Hegarty 60%–40%. In 1992, he won re-election to a second term unopposed.

Salmon was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and lived in Taiwan from 1977–1979 as a missionary.

Matthew James Salmon (born January 21, 1958) is an American Republican politician, who retired from office after serving as representative for Arizona's 5th congressional district . The district is based in Mesa and includes most of the East Valley. He previously represented the district, then numbered as the 1st District, from 1995 to 2001. In 2002, he lost by less than 1% to Janet Napolitano in a highly competitive governor's race. He regained his old congressional seat in the 2012 election. Salmon and his wife Nancy have been married for 34 years. They have four children and seven grandchildren.