Ben Toews

Benjamin "Ben" Toews is a Republican member of the Idaho Senate representing District 4, which covers parts of Kootenai County including portions of Coeur d'Alene. Toews has held the seat since December 2022 after defeating Tara Malek 59.7 percent to 40.3 percent in the 2022 GOP primary and was re-elected in 2024 with 66.3 percent in the general election. He is seeking re-election in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, in which he appears unopposed. The general election is November 3, 2026.

Background

Toews is a native Idahoan who grew up in the Coeur d'Alene area. He attended Lake City High School, participated in student government at North Idaho College (Senator, Vice President, and President), and earned an Associate of Arts in political science from NIC and a bachelor's in international business from Gonzaga University (approximately 1999-2002), as described on his campaign website. He worked approximately 17 years at Bullet Tools, a family startup specialty construction-tools business with his in-laws, advancing to President/CEO before the company was acquired by Marshalltown Company in 2019; he then served as director of international sales for Marshalltown. He is married to Elisha and they have five homeschooled children. He helped found a homeschool co-op where he taught economics, government, leadership, and coached debate.

Political Career

Toews was first elected to the Idaho Senate in 2022, defeating Tara Malek in the Republican primary and winning the general election; he was re-elected in 2024, per Ballotpedia. He serves as Senate Majority Caucus Chair and on the Local Government & Taxation and State Affairs committees, per his Idaho Legislature profile. He received the 2025 Idaho Family Strong "Champion of the Family" award.

Policy Positions

Toews's 2026 legislative record includes sponsorship of HB 752, which criminalized use of bathrooms, changing rooms, and showers designated for the "opposite biological sex" (misdemeanor up to one year in jail; applies to government and private facilities; signed into law and described in coverage as one of the nation's strictest). Per Idaho Capital Sun coverage, Toews said the bill provides "a clear, proactive tool to secure sex-separated private spaces in our state, while accommodating common-sense realities." The Fraternal Order of Police and other law-enforcement groups opposed the bill on enforceability grounds, and six transgender Idahoans, supported by the ACLU and Lambda Legal, filed a federal lawsuit challenging it as unconstitutional. He also sponsored 2025 SB 1198 prohibiting DEI policies and activities at public higher education institutions, and sponsored HB 822 (2026), the parental-notification bill requiring schools, healthcare providers, and other youth-serving professionals to notify parents within 72 hours if a minor requests social transition or expresses a transgender identity, with civil penalties for non-compliance. He introduced 2025 legislation to extend Idaho's child tax credit to pregnant mothers, saying, "If we truly value life, we must ensure families — especially mothers — have the financial and emotional support they need," and co-introduced HB 98 alongside Rep. Judy Boyle to bar taxpayer-funded school district personnel and resources from subsidizing Idaho Education Association operations.

Political Alignment

The Idaho Freedom Foundation Freedom Index has scored Toews at 100 percent in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, placing him among the highest-scoring senators on IFF metrics; his lifetime score is approximately 88 percent. The Idaho Freedom Foundation president called SB 1198 the "death sentence" for DEI in Idaho and credited Toews's leadership. He signed the May 2024 Hazlitt Coalition walkout letter alongside Sens. Herndon, Hart, Lenney, Nichols, Bjerke, Trakel, and Zuiderveld.

Campaign and Endorsements

Toews appears unopposed in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary. Independent expenditure filings on the Idaho Sunshine portal show 2026 backing from the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee totaling approximately $1,190. Idaho EdNews reports the KCRCC filed approximately $6,000 in total 2026 IE supporting a slate of approximately 25 conservative candidates. He would likely face Democrat Carissa Brewer in November (whom he defeated in 2024 with 66.3 percent).