Attorneys in Ada County judge race appear 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.
With all precincts reporting across the four counties Wednesday morning, Morse trailed his opponents, Jeffrey Street and Greg Woodard. Street led with 40.7% of the vote, followed by Woodard with 30.6%. Morse was third at 28.8%.
If none of the candidates receives a majority of the vote, the race goes to a run-off in the general election, at which time Morse would be eligible for the judge position, according to prior Statesman reporting.
However, based on the unofficial results, the run-off would feature just Street and Woodard.
Street was the top vote-getter in Ada County, but Woodard won Elmore and Morse won Valley and Boise counties.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 10:52 PM.
