David Worley

David Worley is a Republican candidate for the Idaho State Senate in District 28, covering Power, Franklin, and parts of Bannock counties in southeastern Idaho. Worley is challenging nine-term incumbent Sen. Jim Guthrie in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary. He has not previously held elected office. The general election is November 3, 2026.

Background

Worley is a major in the Idaho Army National Guard. In September 2024, the Idaho Army National Guard's Assistant Adjutant General relieved him of command for "demonstrated counterproductive leadership that reduced morale, eroded trust and showed little respect for others." The relief documentation (Exhibit 7A, Tab 6.1) records that Worley said of his First Sergeant, "well, its not like I raped [First Sergeant redacted] well, not yet"; the Assistant Adjutant General characterized the remark as "an extreme lapse of judgment." Worley previously worked at the Arlington, Virginia—based Leadership Institute. He has been involved in southeastern Idaho conservative activism, including organizing a February 11, 2023 sit-in protest at Marshall Public Library in Pocatello against an LGBTQ-affirming children's program, covered by East Idaho News.

Political Career

Per Ballotpedia, Worley ran unsuccessfully for Pocatello mayor in 2021 and for Idaho Senate District 29 in 2022. His 2021 Pocatello mayoral campaign raised $28,162 between September and end of October 2021; Pocatello city officials publicly criticized what they described as his "fringe beliefs regarding firearms and the sovereignty of local governments," per the Idaho State Journal. He filed for Senate District 28 in early 2026, one month after a federal court dismissed his religious-discrimination lawsuit against the Idaho Army National Guard.

Policy Positions

Worley's campaign rests substantially on his religious-discrimination claim against the Idaho Army National Guard. After his September 2024 relief, Liberty Counsel filed a 138-page federal complaint alleging the Guard maintained a "No Christians in Command" policy. U.S. District Court Judge David Nye dismissed the lawsuit on February 12, 2025. The State of Idaho's response brief described the alleged policy as "a non-existent policy concocted by" Worley; the court agreed. He has campaigned on Second Amendment expansion, parental rights, and what he frames as religious-liberty issues.

Political Alignment

Worley is Idaho Freedom Foundation-aligned and has been endorsed by Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador. By contrast, per a May 2026 Idaho EdNews report, his opponent Sen. Jim Guthrie has been endorsed by five Idaho constitutional officers: Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield, Secretary of State Phil McGrane, and Controller Brandon Woolf.

Campaign and Endorsements

Worley is running in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary against nine-term incumbent Sen. Jim Guthrie. Per the Idaho Sunshine portal, his 2026 campaign is supported by approximately $5,590 in independent expenditures from Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC. Idaho EdNews has reported that Citizens Alliance of Idaho PAC draws substantial out-of-state funding, including a $450,000 transfer from a Virginia-based federal affiliate and Pennsylvania gaming-related sources. A separate Idaho EdNews report documents approximately $16,848 in independent expenditures supporting Worley from 36-18-1 Inc., a PAC funded primarily by Rep. Jordan Redman of Coeur d'Alene. An Idaho EdNews opinion column characterized AG Labrador's endorsement of Worley as "improper" campaign help. His 2022 Senate run was supported by personal contributions from Doyle Beck ($1,000) and Brent Regan ($500). The general election is November 3, 2026.

About This Profile

For deeper background on David Worley's military record, dismissed lawsuit, and campaign history, see the IdahoExtremism.org dossier on David Worley.