Candidate · November 3, 2026

John R. Stegner

On the ballot for Governor · Idaho

IndependentChallenger
issues with public statements
6

§1On the ballot

Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.

OfficeGovernor · Idaho1
Party on the ballotIndependent1
StatusChallenger
Also on the ballot

§2Who they are

Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Stegner was raised in Grangeville, graduated from Grangeville High School, attended Whitman College and earned a law degree from the University of Idaho.2 He practiced law in Lewiston before Governor Phil Batt appointed him to the bench, and he served 21 years as a district judge in Moscow.2 Governor Butch Otter appointed him to the Idaho Supreme Court in 2018, and he left the courts in 2023 to work as a mediator.2 His campaign website says he helped pioneer drug and treatment courts during his 26 years as a judge.2,3 He and his wife, Laurie, who taught in public schools for 35 years, have three daughters.2

Why they say they're running

His campaign website says he is running because he is frustrated with the state of politics in Idaho and believes the state needs leaders who represent Idahoans and follow the Constitution.3

Websites and accounts

§3What they've said on the issues

Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.

Education

Vouchers and education savings accounts

His campaign website says he would work to reverse the effects of Idaho's school voucher law and return to public education the more than $50 million it says the law took from it.4

  1. Make them available to every family
  2. Offer them only to some students, such as those from low-income families or with disabilities
  3. No public money for private school or homeschooling costs
Marked: the option their statement matches.
State K-12 school funding

His campaign website says the state has an obligation to properly fund public schools and that teachers deserve appropriate pay.3,4

Health Care

Medicaid expansion

His campaign website says he supports voter-passed initiatives, including restoring Medicaid access for Idahoans who lost it.4

Environment and Public Lands

Selling or transferring federal lands

His campaign website says Idaho's public lands must stay in public ownership and are not for sale.3,4

Energy and Climate

Data centers and electricity costs

His campaign website says companies that want to build data centers should have to prove the power and water are available and that communities will not be harmed, and that residents should decide whether data centers are built near them.3,4

State Government

Rules for citizen ballot measures

His campaign website says the legislature has a duty to carry out measures that Idaho voters approve by majority, and that he would stand by voters' decisions.4

§4Money

Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left.

Candidates for governor file campaign-finance reports with the state, not the FEC, so this guide doesn't include their fundraising. Search the state's reports: Sunshine campaign finance search — Idaho Secretary of State.5