Lyle Johnstone

Lyle Johnstone: Idaho Republican Candidate for House District 26B

Lyle Johnstone is a Republican candidate for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 26B, which covers Jerome, Lincoln, and Blaine counties. Johnstone lives in Eden, in eastern Jerome County. With no Republican primary challenger, he advances directly to the November 3, 2026, general election, where he will face Democrat Kevin Marsh, according to Idaho Education News. Incumbent Rep. Jack Nelsen, whom Johnstone has challenged in two prior primaries, announced in February 2026 that he would not seek re-election.

Background

Lyle Johnstone grew up on a farm in the Magic Valley and describes himself as a third-generation Idahoan in coverage by the Times-News. He has an accounting background and worked in agricultural equipment sales, and previously served on the North Side Soil Conservation District board. He is retired. According to his campaign website, Johnstone has been married to Debbie for 46 years and has three sons, daughters-in-law, and six grandchildren.

Johnstone is a co-founder and board member of the Magic Valley Liberty Alliance, which he helped form in 2021 with future state Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld as an educational nonprofit following their unsuccessful 2018 legislative campaigns. Idaho Education News has identified him as MVLA’s board chair as of late 2025. In local party roles, Johnstone serves as a Republican precinct committeeman in Jerome County and as Legislative Republican Chair for District 26.

Political Career

Johnstone has not held elected legislative office. He has run for the Idaho House four times, losing three Republican primaries and facing no primary contest in 2026. Incumbent Clark Kauffman defeated Johnstone in the 2018 Republican primary for District 25B, according to Ballotpedia. Following redistricting, Johnstone ran twice for the District 26B seat against Jack Nelsen, losing the May 2022 primary and losing the May 2024 primary by 2,049 votes to 1,880. He filed for the 2026 primary but drew no Republican opponent after Nelsen’s retirement.

Policy Positions

Johnstone has articulated consistent positions across multiple campaigns and on his campaign website. On water, he has stated that Idaho’s surface and groundwater rights are threatened by federal regulators and that he would support legislation removing authority from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, as reported by the Idaho Mountain Express.

On state sovereignty, Johnstone has stated that any federal regulation he views as unconstitutional should be nullified by the state. On fiscal matters, he has argued that legislators allied with Gov. Brad Little have doubled state spending in less than five years, and he has called for Idaho to reduce its reliance on federal dollars, which he says account for 43 percent of the state budget, according to a 2024 Magic Valley Liberty Alliance candidate profile.

On parental rights in healthcare, Johnstone has said no minor should receive any medical treatment or consultation without explicit parental consent, and that violations should carry the harshest legal penalties available. On abortion, he described the procedure in the same profile as “genocide” against the unborn. On the Second Amendment, he has pledged to support all legislation reinforcing gun rights.

Johnstone has publicly described himself as a “Liberty candidate” and has written on his campaign website that he intends to join “fellow constitutional and liberty-minded representatives” in taking Idaho back to a “sovereign state position.”

Political Alignment

Lyle Johnstone is classified as a Far-Right Extremist based on documented organizational affiliations, rhetoric, and campaign activity.

Johnstone stated in 2022 Times-News coverage that he is committed to supporting the ideals of the Citizens Alliance of Idaho, a right-wing activist organization. He is a co-founder and current board chair of the Magic Valley Liberty Alliance, a far-right group that Idaho Education News has reported received a cease-and-desist letter and fine from the Idaho Secretary of State’s office over a misleading voter guide. MVLA named incumbent Rep. Jack Nelsen its 2025 “RINO of the Year.”

In November 2025, MVLA partnered with the Virginia-based Young Americans for Liberty to run a door-knocking campaign targeting Nelsen, an effort Johnstone encouraged in his capacity as District 26 Republican Committee Chair. Johnstone also presided over the district Republican committee that censured Nelsen in March 2025 for voting against the Idaho GOP platform on bills including school-choice vouchers, restrictions on mask mandates, and classroom-speech restrictions.

On his campaign website, Johnstone has framed Republican legislators aligned with Gov. Little as a “Republican swamp” serving globalist interests and has described establishment Republicans as “RINOs.” This pattern of rhetoric — sustained across multiple cycles, multiple outlets, and direct organizational leadership — places him at the rightward edge of Idaho Republican politics.

Campaign and Endorsements

Johnstone’s campaign operates under the name Lyle Johnstone for Idaho at lyle4idaho.com. No formal endorsements have been publicly reported for his 2026 campaign as of April 2026. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for him in his 2024 primary campaign.

Public Controversies or Criticism

A January 2026 commentary in Political Potatoes, a Substack newsletter, characterized Johnstone’s encouragement of the MVLA–Young Americans for Liberty campaign against Nelsen as relying on misrepresentations and criticized his conduct as District 26 Republican Committee Chair. The piece also noted the Idaho Secretary of State’s prior cease-and-desist and fine against MVLA over a misleading voter guide. Johnstone has not publicly responded to these characterizations in sources reviewed for this profile.

FAQ

Who is Lyle Johnstone in Idaho? Lyle Johnstone is a Republican candidate from Eden, Idaho, running for the Idaho House of Representatives in District 26B. He is the co-founder and board chair of the Magic Valley Liberty Alliance and has run for the Idaho House three times previously without success.

What district is Lyle Johnstone running in? Johnstone is running in Idaho House District 26B, which covers Jerome, Lincoln, and Blaine counties. He has no Republican primary opponent and will face Democrat Kevin Marsh on November 3, 2026.

Is Lyle Johnstone an incumbent? No. Johnstone has not held elected legislative office. The seat is open after incumbent Rep. Jack Nelsen announced in February 2026 that he would not seek re-election.

What are Lyle Johnstone’s political positions? Johnstone has stated positions supporting state nullification of federal regulations, protection of water rights from federal oversight, strict parental consent requirements for minors’ healthcare, opposition to abortion, and reduced state spending. He has aligned himself with the Citizens Alliance of Idaho and leads the Magic Valley Liberty Alliance.

How many times has Lyle Johnstone run for the Idaho Legislature? Johnstone has run four times: for District 25B in 2018, and for District 26B in 2022, 2024, and 2026. He lost the Republican primary in all three prior contests.

2024 Primary Election Results Nelsen 2,049 / Johnstone 1,880

2022 Primary Election Results Nelsen / Johnstone

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