Contested Idaho Judicial Races Spotlight Campaign Cash and Ethics Concerns

On Thursday, May 14, 2026, EastIdahoNews.com reported that two judicial races in Idaho’s Sixth and Seventh Judicial Districts are seeing significant campaign donations. The primary election is less than a week away, with several contested races throughout eastern Idaho.

In District 6, incumbent Judge Cody Brower, appointed by Governor Brad Little in September 2023, is seeking re-election against Aaron Thompson, a magistrate judge for the Bannock County Magistrate Court since 2018. District 7 marks the first contested judge’s position in 12 years. Judge Steven Boyce, initially appointed by Gov. Little in 2019 and running unopposed in 2022, is campaigning for his second full term, challenged by Randy Neal, the current Bonneville County prosecutor.

Campaign finance information reveals that both candidates in the District 6 judicial race have received thousands of dollars in donations. In District 7, Boyce is the sole candidate to receive donations. According to the Idaho campaign finance system, Brower’s total contributions amount to $2,545, with expenditures of $7,271.98. Thompson has raised $5,975, spending $2,868.25. Boyce leads with total contributions of $22,215.36 and expenditures of $7,270.76.

Rule 4.1(A)(8) of the Idaho Judicial Code of Conduct states that judicial candidates must remain free from political influence. They are prohibited from soliciting or accepting contributions unless through a campaign committee. The code emphasizes that public confidence in the judiciary’s impartiality is compromised if judges appear subject to political influence. Rule 4.1(A)(13) further prohibits pledges or commitments inconsistent with impartial duties.

Despite these ethical guidelines, the state’s campaign finance system lists all contributors. While campaign committees should reject contributions creating conflicts of interest, enforcing this remains challenging.

Most campaign contributions come from within Idaho, but all candidates except Neal have received out-of-state donations. Brower’s out-of-state donations total $250, including $100 from John Olson in Wyoming. Thompson’s campaign received $801 from out-of-state donors, with $300 from Vince Connolly in Georgia. Boyce’s out-of-state contributions total $2,700, including two $1,000 donations from Oregon and Arizona residents.

Boyce received $5,500 from local business owners and law firms such as Smith Woolf Anderson & Wilkinson and Hahn Law, LLC. Brower has spent $6,613.58 on advertising, while Thompson splits expenses between self-promotion and print advertising. Boyce allocated $2,912.66 to advertising and $1,945.00 to broadcast advertising.