John Stegner

John R. Stegner (born November 8, 1953) is an American attorney and a former justice of the Idaho Supreme Court, retiring after five years in 2023. He was previously a state district court judge for over two decades.

Early life and education Born and raised in Grangeville, Idaho, Stegner is the youngest of four sons of Charles and He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977 from Whitman College and his Juris Doctor from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1982.

Career Stegner was in private practice in Lewiston for twelve years with Clements, Brown & McNichols. He clerked for the late U.S. District Judge for two years and worked for the family business, Stegner Grain & Seed Co.

State judicial service Stegner was previously a judge of the state's second judicial district, based in Moscow. Appointed by Phil Batt to succeed John Judge in November 1996, he served on the court from 1997 to 2018.

Idaho Supreme Court In 2017, Stegner was considered for a vacancy on the state supreme court created by the retirement of Dan Eismann, but Governor Butch Otter appointed Richard Bevan in late August. and the first in several decades. He ran unopposed in the 2020 election, held during the state primary in the spring.

In May 2023, Stenger sent a letter to Governor Brad Little, announcing his upcoming retirement from the court on October 31 and his return to private practice.

Politics Although a Republican for much of his life, in early 2026 Stegner announced that he was to contest the 2026 Idaho gubernatorial election as an Independent.