David Worley

David Worley: Idaho Republican Challenger for Senate District 28

David Worley is a Republican challenger running for the Idaho State Senate in District 28, which covers parts of Bannock and Power counties in southeast Idaho. Worley lives in Pocatello and is seeking the seat in the May 19, 2026 Republican primary, where he faces 16-year incumbent Senator Jim Guthrie of McCammon. The winner of the primary will face the Democratic nominee in the November 3, 2026 general election.

Background

Worley was born and raised in Pocatello and is a graduate of Pocatello High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Government and International Politics from George Mason University in Virginia and a Master of Arts in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., as described in his campaign announcement. After more than a decade in Virginia, Worley returned to southeast Idaho with his wife Barbara and their five children.

Worley has served 23 years in the armed forces, including 14 years on active duty. He is a combat veteran with three deployments to the Middle East, including two tours to Iraq, and has led soldiers as an Infantry Company Commander and served as a Battalion Operations Officer. He holds the rank of major in the Idaho Army National Guard, as noted in Idaho Education News coverage of the race.

Political Career

Worley has not held elected office. He previously ran for mayor of Pocatello and, later, for the Idaho State Senate in 2022 in District 29, winning the Republican primary but losing the November general election to Democrat James Ruchti by approximately eight points, as documented by Idaho Education News. The 2026 campaign in District 28 represents his second bid for the Idaho Senate.

Policy Positions

Worley’s policy platform is published on his campaign website and covers several major issue areas.

On social policy, Worley frames his platform in explicitly Christian terms. His website states that Christian morality is the “foundation of Western Civilization” and that the state plays a legitimate role in supporting public and private morality. His commitments include banning the use of government resources to advance what he describes as the LGBTQ agenda, mandatory minimum prison sentences for the production and distribution of child pornography, restoring Idaho’s traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, and prohibiting drag performances for children, as reported by Idaho Education News.

On abortion, Worley’s platform states that life begins at conception and calls for keeping abortion illegal in Idaho while expanding legal protections for unborn children.

On immigration, Worley calls for criminalizing illegal entry into Idaho at the state level, mandating statewide law enforcement cooperation with ICE, eliminating government benefits and services for people in the country illegally, and imposing penalties on organizations that aid undocumented immigrants.

On government process, Worley’s platform criticizes what he describes as the “desk veto,” the practice of committee chairs blocking legislation without a floor vote. He specifically names incumbent Senator Guthrie’s role as Senate State Affairs Committee chairman and accuses him of using procedural power to block legislation, as covered by LocalNews8. His commitments include requiring up-or-down votes, transparent committee scheduling, and rules reforms to eliminate one-person blocking power.

His platform also lists election integrity, reducing government spending, lowering taxes, and opposing what he describes as ideological indoctrination in public schools as priorities, consistent with positions he expressed in his 2026 campaign announcement.

Political Alignment

Worley is a Far-Right Extremist. His 2026 campaign is backed by Ryan Spoon, the former chairman of the Idaho Freedom Political Action Committee and current First Vice Chairman of the Ada County Republican Central Committee. As reported by InvestigateWest and the Idaho Capital Sun, Spoon is linked to the political network of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and drew national attention in early 2025 for using social media to call for ICE raids on the farms of a sitting Republican state legislator. As documented in Prism News coverage of the race, Spoon has publicly backed Worley’s challenge, signaling that it carries organized institutional weight from the IFF-aligned activist network.

Worley’s platform uses explicitly religious framing as a governing rationale, calls for criminalizing illegal entry at the state level, and targets procedural reforms aimed at the governing wing’s control of the legislative process. His lawsuit against Idaho National Guard leadership, represented by Liberty Counsel and publicly championed by the Idaho Freedom Caucus, reinforces his positioning within the far-right wing of Idaho Republican politics.

Campaign and Endorsements

Worley is challenging incumbent Senator Jim Guthrie, who has held the District 28 seat since 2010. The primary challenge is driven in part by Guthrie’s March 2026 floor vote against the fiscal year 2027 health and human services budget, which drew criticism from the right flank of the Idaho Republican Party, as reported by Prism News. Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has publicly endorsed Worley, stating in a press release that Worley will “fight for Idaho families, support strong border security and hold government accountable,” as reported by Idaho Education News. As of the most recent available campaign finance data, Worley had raised $3,000 compared to Guthrie’s $24,825. The general election is November 3, 2026.

Public Controversies

In January 2025, Worley filed a federal religious discrimination lawsuit against Governor Brad Little and two Idaho Army National Guard generals, represented by Liberty Counsel, alleging he was removed from command of the Guard’s Recruiting and Retention unit in retaliation for political speech he made as a private citizen while campaigning for public office. The complaint stemmed from a 2023 hostile work environment grievance filed against Worley by a subordinate guardsman. A Guard investigation found the underlying claims unsubstantiated but nonetheless recommended a policy to screen command candidates for “concerning ideologies,” which Liberty Counsel characterized as a “No Christians in Command” policy. As reported by Idaho Education News, U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye dismissed the lawsuit in February 2025, writing that it was not clear to the court that such a policy exists.

FAQ

Who is David Worley in Idaho? David Worley is a Republican candidate from Pocatello running for the Idaho State Senate in District 28 in 2026. He is a combat veteran with 23 years of military service and previously ran for the Idaho Senate in District 29 in 2022, losing the general election to Democrat James Ruchti.

What district is David Worley running in? Worley is running in Idaho Senate District 28, covering parts of Bannock and Power counties in southeast Idaho. He faces Republican incumbent Jim Guthrie in the May 19, 2026 primary.

Is David Worley an incumbent or challenger? Worley is a challenger with no prior elected office. He is running against 16-year incumbent Senator Jim Guthrie.

What are David Worley’s political positions? Worley’s platform includes banning state support for LGBTQ-related programs, restoring a traditional definition of marriage in Idaho law, keeping abortion illegal, criminalizing illegal entry into Idaho at the state level, mandatory ICE cooperation by law enforcement, school choice, reduced government spending, and reforms to legislative committee procedures to prevent single-member blocking of legislation.

What is the basis for David Worley’s primary challenge against Jim Guthrie? Worley’s campaign targets Guthrie’s vote against the FY2027 health and human services budget and his use of procedural authority as Senate State Affairs Committee chairman to block legislation. Worley’s platform explicitly names Guthrie’s committee role as an example of the “desk veto” culture he is running against.

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated April 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.