A GOP candidate for Idaho lieutenant governor is out. He endorsed another in the race
The 2022 race for lieutenant governor became less crowded over the weekend.
Luke Malek, a Coeur d’Alene attorney and former Idaho House member, withdrew from the race, he announced Sunday evening, and encouraged his supporters to vote for House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley.
“I announce today that I am deferring my efforts to become Idaho’s next lieutenant governor for a future election cycle,” Malek wrote in a Sunday news release.
Malek said he was stepping aside to support Bedke and “prevent extremism from gaining another foothold in Idaho politics.”
With Malek out of the race, that leaves Bedke and Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, for the Republican nomination in May 2022. Giddings’ campaign spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Malek wrote that extremist politics is dividing Idaho, while wasting public money on unnecessary lawsuits, discarding funding for education and demeaning professionals like police and health care workers.
“Extremist politics threaten everything Idahoans hold dear,” Malek wrote. “That’s why today, I’m offering my full support to Scott Bedke.”
Bedke in a Sunday news release thanked Malek for the support and said the action shows Malek holds Idaho’s future in the highest regard.
“I am humbled by his willingness to step aside and put his trust in me,” Bedke said in the release. “I deeply appreciate his continued effort to be a dedicated public servant.”
Bedke also garnered support from former Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, who co-chairs Bedke’s campaign.
Terri Pickens Manweiler, a Boise attorney, is currently the only Democrat who has entered the race.
This story was originally published November 22, 2021 at 11:17 AM.
