Some endorsement decisions are difficult to make. The race between longtime House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, and the pugilistic Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, does not present one of those hard decisions.
Voters in the Republican primary have an easy choice in this lieutenant governor’s race: between a candidate with a long track record of solving hard problems and a candidate who does nothing but make fiery speeches; between a candidate with a boringly clean record on matters of ethics and a candidate who was recently sanctioned by her colleagues for dishonest conduct and cruelty to a subordinate.
Giddings didn’t do much to make us have to ponder a decision, even though it would have been easy.
Giddings chickened out of a televised debate with Bedke — and out of an interview with this editorial board. The Statesman editorial board never endorses candidates who won’t agree to an interview.
Bedke agreed to both the interview and the debate, maintaining a track record of openness that’s longstanding. The 63-year-old Oakley rancher did this despite the fact that we have more than once been critical of votes he’s cast and decisions he’s made.
That tells you something about each of them: You’re probably going to disagree with Bedke about some things, but he’ll hear you out and give you his justification. With Giddings, if you aren’t on her far-right team, you aren’t worth talking to.
Bedke’s candidacy offers a simple promise: return the office of lieutenant governor to a low-profile position that assists the governor and presides over the Senate. No more temper tantrums in executive order form; no more turning an elected office into a four-year campaign platform; no more breaking the budget by trying to hide public records.
“I will never embarrass the state of Idaho as lieutenant governor,” Bedke said.
That would be a refreshing change from Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s term, during which she captured national headlines repeatedly — and never for a good reason.
There’s another key difference between Bedke and both Giddings and McGeachin: Bedke understands policy deeply, and he has a record of succeeding when it matters.
There are few areas where that’s clearer than in water policy.
Bedke’s breakthrough water deal between users in the agricultural areas in the Magic Valley and those to their north and east is just such an example.
Bedke brought the state to a deal. It kept hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland in Eastern Idaho from going fallow, even as surface water irrigators and fish farms in the Magic Valley were assured they could continue operating. As water issues become more acute, Bedke would provide the state with a vital asset: someone who understands the complexities of water policy, but who can also bring opposing sides to the table to strike a deal.
Then there is the matter of personal character and integrity.
You don’t have to look far back to see Giddings showing dishonesty, cruelty and disdain for ethical rules. When former Rep. Aaron Von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, was first accused of raping a 19-year-old intern — for which he was found guilty by a jury Friday — Giddings reacted by posting a far-right blog article that named the intern, showed her photo and gave details about her family.
For doing this, and then being evasive when the House Ethics Committee was investigating the matter, Giddings was formally censured by a 49-19 vote in November.
Quite simply, doxxing a young intern and rape victim should disqualify Giddings from ever holding any office again. Any boss who treated a subordinate member of their company that way would not only be fired, but also would be unlikely to find another job in the same line of work.
If Giddings — who seeks to wield the power of government — is not held to the same ethical standard as a retail manager, it will say something terrible about the moral judgment of the people of Idaho.
Bedke, on the other hand, has been asked by his colleagues to lead the House every two years for the past decade. Add our endorsement in his run to be lieutenant governor to the list.
This story was originally published May 01, 2022 4:00 AM.
BEHIND OUR REPORTING
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Who decides the endorsements?
Members of Idaho Statesman editorial board interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The editorial board is composed of journalists and community members. Members of the Statesman editorial board are: Statesman editor Chadd Cripe, opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members Greg Lanting, Terri Schorzman and Garry Wenske.
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