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House Speaker Bedke beats Priscilla Giddings in GOP primary for lieutenant governor

Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke fended off far-right firebrand Rep. Priscilla Giddings in Tuesday’s primary election for lieutenant governor.

With all 44 counties reporting, Bedke won the Republican race for lieutenant governor with 51.6% of the vote to Giddings’ 42.6%. He was ahead by close to 25,000 votes.

“Idahoans want consistent, pragmatic, and conservative results to come from the Lieutenant Governor’s office. As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will never embarrass Idaho,” Bedke said in a news release Wednesday. “Instead, I will continue fighting to protect our shared conservative values and serve as an ambassador for our great state.”

Bedke is an Oakley rancher and 22-year legislator who served as speaker of the House for nearly half that time. Bedke’s chief legislative triumph is settling water rights disputes among Idaho farmers. He also touts red-tape reduction, boosts for education and tax cuts among his achievements, aligning with Gov. Brad Little, who won his primary race Tuesday.

“It’s a testament to the success that Idaho is experiencing,” Bedke said of Little’s victory.

Giddings, meanwhile, has focused on strengthening gun rights, tightening election laws and investigating alleged “indoctrination” in Idaho schools during her three terms in the House. The White Bird Republican is a former “top gun” U.S. Air Force pilot and current lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserves.

Giddings conceded the race in a video posted on Facebook. She called on her supporters to “keep up the fight,” to help “build armies at the local level” and for “patriots” to run for positions on school boards, health districts and county commissions.

“Today doesn’t mark the end of our quest to let freedom fly,” Giddings said. “I urge you to keep up the fight. You’ve shown that involved caring conservatives can still make the liberal machine fear you.”

Giddings has defended her character throughout her third term after facing censure for sharing an article that named the woman raped by former Idaho Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger. Von Ehlinger was convicted of the rape last month.

Also running for the GOP nomination was Daniel Gasiorowski. A retiree from Placerville, Gasiorowski said he hoped to work with the governor to eliminate grocery taxes and fund education, child care and affordable housing while eliminating business regulations.

Boise attorney Terri Pickens Manweiler, a Democrat, and Constitution Party candidate Pro-Life (a person, formerly known as Marvin Richardson), of Emmett, also were running for lieutenant governor uncontested in the primary.

The Idaho lieutenant governor serves a four-year term.

Hayat Norimine and Alex Brizee contributed.