SHELLEY — Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador is in the midst of a re-election campaign, but the state’s top law enforcement officer still found time last week to show support for candidates he believes in.
Such was the case when Labrador stopped in Shelley to attend a campaign function held by District 30B Republican candidate Julianne Young of Blackfoot. The event, held at the North Bingham Historic Park, featured a field of 250 American flags, live music and food — a nod to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“I have been traveling around the state for conservative candidates who I know will keep their promises to their constituents,” Labrador said. “I have had a relationship with (Young) over the years and I thought she did a great job while she was in office.”
Labrador is also supporting state Rep. Barbara Ehardt of Idaho Falls and Idaho Senate candidate David Worley of Pocatello.
Young acknowledges the close working relationship that the Idaho Legislature and Idaho Attorney General’s Office can have.
“We have this separation of powers in our system of government that allows the people’s representatives to write the policies that can be vetted in the courts, so it’s a really important thing for legislators to work closely with those who can prepare us to be successful in court challenges,” Young said. “What I appreciate about Raul is his clear desire to partner with the legislature and I think he has appreciated my careful legislative work that has supported that success.”
Young held the District 30B office from 2018 until she was defeated during the 2024 Republican primary by Ben Fuhriman, who went on to beat Democrat Breane Buckingham in the November election. On primary election day Tuesday, it was Fuhriman as the incumbent and Young as the challenger. The results weren’t available by press time but the winner will go on to face Buckingham in November.
Labrador won his office in 2022, first defeating then-Attorney General Lawrence Wasden during the Republican primary, then beating Democrat Tom Arkoosh in November.
Labrador said he went right to work on areas he felt had been underserved.
“When I took office, there was a backlog of over 1,400 unreviewed Internet Crimes Against Children tips not being addressed,” Labrador said. “We reviewed every one of them and cleared the backlog. We restructured the unit, now review tips within 24 hours and have quadrupled arrests in three years.”
He also pointed to the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, passed by the Idaho Legislature in 2020, which prohibits transgender females from participating in female-designated school sports, requiring participation to be based on biological sex at birth.
“The law wasn’t being fully defended in court,” Labrador said. “When I became AG, I made it a top priority and took that fight all the way to the United States Supreme Court where we are awaiting a decision.”
Lower federal courts upheld challenges to the law, with one judge stating it likely discriminated against transgender female athletes. The Idaho Attorney General’s Office challenged that decision, and it was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in the summer of 2025, with a decision still pending.
Labrador said his office also successfully defended the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit, which allows families up to $5,000 per student — or $7,500 per student with qualifying disabilities — to cover the costs of attending nonpublic schools.
“I made sure my team was prepared in advance of the lawsuit and we won unanimously at the Idaho Supreme Court, giving Idaho parents real choices in their children’s education,” he said.
If re-elected, Labrador said he will continue to protect Idaho families, defend the state’s laws and take on conservative legal battles that will keep Idaho strong.
Labrador does not face a challenger in Tuesday’s primary but will face Democrat Lori Hickman in November.