After a few years representing insurance companies in Boise, Kidwell ran successfully for Ada County prosecutor.[8] Two years later, Kidwell won a race for a seat in the Idaho Senate,[8] and a year later became the majority leader.[9] He ran for the congressional seat in 1972 that Jim McClure was vacating for the United States Senate, but lost in the Republican primary to Steve Symms and returned private legal practice for several years.
In 1974, Kidwell defeated incumbent Idaho Attorney GeneralTony Park.[8][10] He served one four-year term and considered a run for governor in 1978,[11] but withdrew from the race in August 1977;[12][13] he returned campaign donations, telling Idaho voters that he was taking a sabbatical to travel with his family.[8][11]
Kidwell tried again for the congressional seat in 1980 vacated by Symms,[14][15] but lost the primary to state senator Larry Craig,[16][17] and then moved his family toHawaii.[8]
After joining a notable firm in Hawaii as a partner, Kidwell in 1982 was appointed U.S. associate deputy attorney general, and he represented the Republic of the Marshall Islands as its appointed attorney general.[8]
After returning to Idaho and working in private practice for close to a decade, Kidwell ran for the Idaho Supreme Court in May 1994 against incumbent Justice Cathy Silak and lost.[4][8][18] Four years later, Kidwell ran again for an open seat and won a three-way race in May and the run-off in November;[8][19][20] he was the second in Idaho history to win elections in all three branches of state government (after former Chief Justice Allan Shepard), and was sworn in on January 4, 1999.[21]
Kidwell served one full six-year term on the court and retired at age 66 in January 2005, succeeded by Jim Jones.[8]
^"Wayne L. Kidwell". Boise High School, Class of 1956. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
^"Sigma Chi". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1960. p. 216.
^"Seniors". Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook. 1960. p. 312.
^ abcdefghijklmHedberg, Kathy (October 17, 2004). "Off the bench; Retiring justice reflects on life spent in public service". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 1A.
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