Attorneys in Ada County judge race may be headed for run-off election
Ada County voters had an unusual judicial race on their ballots Tuesday, with one vacant bench position leading to a three-way race in what is typically an uncontested selection.
The unlikely circumstance was made more unusual as one candidate isn’t yet qualified for the position — but would be by the November general election.
The three candidates are vying for a judge position in Idaho’s 4th Judicial District, which includes Ada, Elmore, Valley and Boise county courts.
District judges in Idaho must meet certain requirements, including being at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen, an Idaho resident for at least two continuous years and licensed to practice law for at least 10 continuous years prior to the election.
David Morse, one of the candidates for the judgeship, meets the 10-year mark on Oct. 6, according to prior Idaho Statesman reporting.
By around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Morse was trailing his opponents, Jeffrey Street and Greg Woodard, as results continued to come in. Street led with 41% of the vote, followed by Woodard with 30%.
According to election results published by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office, Morse earned the most votes of the three candidates in Valley County, where he took nearly 38% of the vote to Street’s 34% and Woodard’s 28% with all precincts reporting.
If none of the candidates receives a majority of the vote, the race will go to a run-off in the general election, at which time Morse would be eligible for the judge position, according to prior Statesman reporting.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 10:52 PM.
