Idaho General Election · November 3, 2026Find polling place
Independent

John R. Stegner

John R. Stegner

Governor

John Stegner, Independent candidate for Governor of Idaho

John Stegner, a retired Idaho Supreme Court justice, is the Independent candidate for Governor of Idaho in the November 3, 2026 general election. He filed on February 27, 2026, and the Idaho Secretary of State lists the filing as approved.

Judicial career

Stegner is a Grangeville native and a University of Idaho College of Law graduate. He spent 12 years in private practice with the Lewiston firm Clements, Brown & McNichols, P.A., and two years as a clerk to U.S. District Judge Harold Ryan, according to Governor Butch Otter's May 22, 2018 news release announcing his Supreme Court appointment.

Governor Phil Batt appointed him a district judge in November 1996, and he served as a Moscow-based district judge from January 1997. Otter appointed him to the Idaho Supreme Court on May 22, 2018, to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Warren Jones. Stegner was one of four finalists nominated by the Idaho Judicial Council. The Idaho Press reported that he held that position through his retirement on October 31, 2023, and that he now works in private practice as a mediator.

Otter said in 2018: "Judge Stegner's record alone speaks volumes about his commitment to the law, his community and our state."

Drug court and mental health court

Stegner helped start the Latah County Drug Court in January 2002. In the 2018 release he said he did so "because I was frustrated with the lack of options available to me as a sentencing judge when dealing with individuals addicted to controlled substances."

He started the Latah County Mental Health Court in July 2012. He said in the release that he did so "because I was also frustrated by the way the mentally ill were dealt with in the criminal justice system."

Abortion ruling

In Planned Parenthood Great Northwest v. State, decided January 5, 2023, a majority of the Idaho Supreme Court upheld Idaho's abortion laws in an opinion by Justice Brody. Justice Zahn dissented. Stegner joined that dissent and wrote separately.

Stegner wrote: "I would hold that Article I, section 1 of the Idaho Constitution protects the fundamental right of a woman in Idaho to terminate a pregnancy."

Abortion rights initiative

The November 3 ballot includes the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act, an abortion rights initiative. The Idaho Capital Sun reported on July 18, 2026, that Stegner said: "I would be prepared to veto any efforts by the Legislature to change or limit what the people have done through the initiative process."

Stated priorities

On health care, his campaign website says: "I support initiatives passed by the citizens of Idaho - including reinstating Medicaid access and Prop 1 should it be passed."

On education, it says: "As governor, I will work to undo the damage caused by the school choice voucher bill and return the more than $50 million that was siphoned away from Idaho's public education."

On public lands, it says: "Public lands are Idaho's crown jewels. They are not for sale."

Campaign poll

On August 6, 2026, Stegner's campaign released the results of a poll it commissioned from Change Research. The poll surveyed 1,213 likely Idaho voters from July 28 to 30, 2026, with a modeled margin of error of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points, according to the campaign's news release.

In the initial three-candidate ballot test, Brad Little received 48 percent, Terri Pickens received 27 percent and Stegner received 11 percent. In separate head-to-head matchups, respondents first received biographies of each candidate. In those matchups Stegner received 51 percent to Little's 35 percent, and Little received 54 percent to Pickens's 35 percent.

What critics say

Idaho Education News reported on July 10, 2026, that Stegner "shared how he is different from Gov. Brad Little but was vague in some responses during a Q&A." It added: "But Stegner offered scant specifics in some of his responses."

Brian Almon, editor of the Gem State Chronicle, wrote on August 15, 2026, about the campaign's poll: "the poll was conducted by Change Research, an unabashedly left-wing organization that has a picture of Kamala Harris at the top of its homepage, so I would take it with a grain of salt."

Campaign finance

The Idaho Secretary of State's Sunshine campaign finance system showed contributions of $517,520.41 and loans of $1,000.00 for the 2026 cycle on October 2, 2026. It showed expenditures of $286,743.97.

The Idaho Capital Sun reported on October 2, 2026, that Stegner raised $492,941 from people and $22,895 from companies. It reported that $353,765 came from Idaho and $161,070 from out of state.

Sunshine showed $231,776.44 in cash on hand.

Sources

Profile published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated October 2, 2026. This profile will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Frequently asked questions

What party is John Stegner running with?
He is running as an Independent candidate for Governor of Idaho. The Idaho Secretary of State lists his February 27, 2026 filing as approved for the November 3, 2026 general election.
What judicial experience does John Stegner have?
He served as a Moscow-based district judge from January 1997, then as an Idaho Supreme Court justice from his May 22, 2018 appointment until his retirement on October 31, 2023.
Who appointed John Stegner to the Idaho Supreme Court?
Governor Butch Otter appointed him on May 22, 2018, to fill the vacancy left by Justice Warren Jones. The Idaho Judicial Council had nominated him as one of four finalists.
How did Stegner vote on Idaho's abortion laws as a justice?
In the January 5, 2023 case Planned Parenthood Great Northwest v. State, he joined Justice Zahn's dissent and wrote separately that the Idaho Constitution protects a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy.
What has Stegner said about the abortion rights initiative?
The Idaho Capital Sun reported on July 18, 2026, that he said he would be prepared to veto any legislative effort to change or limit what voters approve through the initiative process.
What has Stegner said about school choice?
His campaign website says that as governor he would work to undo the damage caused by the school choice voucher bill and return more than $50 million to public education.
Who commissioned Stegner's poll?
His campaign commissioned the poll from Change Research. It surveyed 1,213 likely voters from July 28 to 30, 2026, and the campaign released the results on August 6, 2026.
How much money has Stegner raised?
Idaho Sunshine showed $517,520.41 in contributions for the 2026 cycle on October 2, 2026, with $286,743.97 spent and $231,776.44 in cash on hand.