Woodard or Street for District 4 Judge?

The most common question I hear regarding issues on the ballot is who to vote for in judicial races. Judges and judicial candidates almost always have a much lower profile than candidates for the Legislature or executive offices, and the very nature of the judiciary prevents them from being as candid as legislative or executive candidates.

The Idaho Code of Judicial Conduct specifically prohibits campaigning in such a way as to call into question the independence and impartiality of the judicial branch, which essentially restricts candidates for judgeships to the vaguest narratives possible. Candidates must go out of their way to avoid taking a firm stand on any issue that could potentially come before their court, which means refusing to take a firm stand on almost anything.

Judicial candidates are not even supposed to ask for donations—instead, they must rely on supporters to raise money for their campaigns on their behalf. Nor can judicial candidates publicly identify as members of a political organization, accept endorsements from political organizations, or endorse other candidates.

All that said, how are voters supposed to know which candidate most closely aligns with their values? Just as astronomers can only study black holes by observing the space around them, political watchers must pay close attention to the people surrounding each judicial candidate.

This November, voters in Ada, Boise, Elmore, and Valley Counties will select between two candidates to succeed Judge Lynn Norton of Idaho’s 4th Judicial District. Beyond the immediate effects of deciding important cases, this level of judgeship can be a stepping stone to Idaho’s highest courts. Just a few months ago, Gov. Brad Little appointed Judge Jason Scott, also of the 4th District, to fill a vacancy on the Idaho Supreme Court.

Your choices for 4th District judge this year are personal injury lawyer Jeffrey Street and Deputy Attorney General Greg Woodard. How can you decide which name to mark on your ballot this fall?

Jeffrey Street earned his juris doctorate from the University of Idaho, clerked for Ninth Circuit Judge Randy Smith, practiced law in Texas and Colorado for a few years, then moved to Boise and began working for Litster Frost. Street’s portfolio includes personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, insurance, construction, and other areas. He chaired the Young Lawyers Section of the Idaho State Bar and currently serves as vice chair of the Professionalism & Ethics Section. These connections have enabled Street to build a large network within Idaho’s legal community, resulting in nearly 900 responses to the Idaho State Bar’s judicial candidate survey.

Greg Woodard received his law degree from UCLA in 1999 and worked on complex litigation at several large national firms in the early 2000s. He ran for the Boise School Board in 2022, falling short of election. He is open about his Christian faith, and he and his wife have adopted several foster children. Woodard currently works in the attorney general’s office and has taken part in defending laws involving Idaho’s death penalty, open meetings, and more. Woodard is not as plugged into Idaho’s legal community as Street, receiving just over 50 responses to the Idaho State Bar’s judicial candidate survey.

In this year’s May primary, Jeffrey Street took first place with 40.65% of the vote, while Greg Woodard finished second with 30.56%. A third candidate, David Morse, received 28.79%. Since nobody achieved a majority, the top two candidates advanced to the November general election. Street carried Ada County with 41.54% of the vote, while Woodard carried Elmore County with 35.06%. Morse carried Boise and Valley Counties with 35.92% and 37.75%, respectively. The vast majority of votes in this race were cast in Ada County.

According to Idaho Sunshine, Street has raised just over $57,000 this cycle, compared to just over $8,000 for Woodard. Among Street’s contributors are Democratic state Sen. James Ruchti of Pocatello as well as several Idaho law firms. Woodard’s contributions appear to come mostly from family and acquaintances.

In 2025, Lauren Walker posted a clip of Jeffrey Street testifying against House Bill 335, which would have created penalties for organizations that harbor or assist illegal aliens. Street was testifying on behalf of the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association.

Following his primary victory in May, Street posted on Instagram, and the Idaho Young Democrats responded that they were “rooting for” the candidate:

Prior to the May primary, the Idaho Statesman acknowledged that all three candidates were qualified but chose to endorse Street. Woodard, on the other hand, drew fire from the Idaho Statesman in 2022 over his school board campaign, in which he was supported by the Ada County GOP and the Idaho Liberty Dogs.

Though he has to be careful with explicit endorsements, it seems logical that Attorney General Raúl Labrador has confidence in Greg Woodard, considering that he hired him to serve as a deputy attorney general in 2023. Last May, former solicitor general and Trump White House veteran Theo Wold spoke highly of Woodard, calling him a “constitutionalist and a conservative.”

Just as a black hole is visible only by the effect it has on the light around it, the ideological leanings of judicial candidates can often be discerned only by looking at the people and organizations around them. With Jeffrey Street, I see the trial lawyer establishment and Idaho leftists rallying around someone who publicly opposed legislation that would have held organizations harboring illegal aliens accountable. With Greg Woodard, I see support from conservatives for someone who is not only open about his faith, but lives it.

I know who I will be voting for in this election. How about you?

About Brian Almon

Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and six children in Eagle.

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