Early returns Tuesday night showed Idaho’s current House Speaker, Scott Bedke, leading the three-person field in the Republican primary for the lieutenant governor’s seat. But the margin wasn’t large enough for Bedke to declare victory before midnight Mountain Time.
The seat is open, because the incumbent, Janice McGeachin, had her eyes set on the governor’s office. Bedke faced off against State Rep. Priscilla Giddings and retired store manager Daniel Gasiorowski. Bedke’s fundraising led the pack, and he racked up endorsements from many conservative groups, as well as his own legislative colleagues and Idaho Gov. Brad Little.
In the November general election, the winner will face Democrat Terri Pickens Manweiler, who faced no opposition in her primary, and, representing the Constitution Party, farmer Pro-Life, who was known as Marvin Richardson before having his name changed.