Benjamin Allen wins Idaho 1st Judicial District judge race by wide margin

Benjamin Allen swept Kootenai County and the rest of Idaho’s First Judicial District, winning the judge’s race by a wide margin in a contest that will affect how residents in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and throughout North Idaho move through the courts. In Kootenai County, the district’s largest voting base, Allen took 15,373 votes to Lisa Chesebro’s 9,097, a 62.82% to 37.18% split. Districtwide, Allen finished with 25,921 votes, or 64.09%, and carried all five counties in the district.

That result matters because the First Judicial District covers Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah counties, and district judges handle the cases that touch daily life most directly: felony criminal matters, major civil disputes, family law, juvenile cases and appeals from magistrate court. Idaho law says the district has eight district judges, and district judge terms run four years, beginning the first Monday in January after the election. For Kootenai County residents who depend on the courthouse for criminal, domestic and civil matters, Allen’s win sets the tone for one of the region’s most consequential judicial posts.

Allen’s margin was broad everywhere. He won at least 63% in each of the other four counties and finished ahead in every corner of the district. That kind of spread suggests voters across North Idaho were not simply choosing a familiar name, but endorsing the kind of courtroom experience Allen brought to the race. As Shoshone County prosecuting attorney, Allen said he joined the prosecutor’s office in 2014, became deputy prosecutor in 2015, chief deputy in 2018 and prosecuting attorney in 2022. He also said he has tried homicide cases, argued before the Idaho Supreme Court and worked on child protection, juvenile, mental commitment and civil matters.

The transition will not be immediate. Allen said he still must formally resign his current post and complete the installation process, which he expects to finish by January 2027. Barbara Duggan has given notice of her intention to retire on August 1, 2026, and until Allen can take the bench, district judges will rotate through Shoshone County cases. Once Allen steps down as prosecutor, Shoshone County will need to appoint someone to finish the final two years of that term.

The district court itself is also in flux. The First Judicial District Magistrates Commission has been weighing applicants to replace magistrate judge Robert Caldwell, who died in April at age 59. Allen’s win, paired with the turnover already underway, means the court system serving Kootenai County and its neighbors is entering a period of change under a newly strengthened mandate.