Giddings spent nine years on active duty in the
United States Air Force. She was a pilot with the
81st Fighter Squadron, and was a B Flight Commander from 2008 to 2014. Giddings is the president of Air Force Academy Idaho Alumni Association. In 2016, Giddings defeated incumbent
Shannon McMillan, in the Republican primary with 61.1% of the vote. Giddings defeated Democratic candidate Jessica Chilcott with 70.8% of the votes in the general election. In 2018, Giddings defeated McMillan and Ryan Lawrence with 56.1% of the vote in the Republican primary. Giddings was unopposed in the general election. In 2020, Giddings defeated Dennis Harper in the Republican primary with 56.43% of the vote. Giddings was unopposed in the general election. During her tenure in the House, Giddings has often disparaged the press, dismissing unflattering news stories as "
fake". In 2021, Giddings sought to defund
Idaho Public Television. Her motion failed on a 2–16 vote. In 2016, Giddings claimed a
homeowner's exemption over two homes. Under Idaho law, a taxpayer may claim a homeowner's exemption over only one primary, occupied residence. The Ada County assessor's office sought back taxes against Giddings, In 2019, Giddings proposed legislation to require schools and daycare centers to notify parents of their entitlement to exempt their children from all required immunizations; the bill passed the state House, but died in the Senate. In 2020, Giddings sponsored legislation that would prohibit the state or any Idaho locality from contracting with a business that "discriminates against persons on the basis of their vaccination records or vaccination state." In 2021, Giddings voted against a $1.1 billion bill to increase salaries for Idaho public schoolteachers; as a result, the bill failed on equally divided (34–34) state House vote. Also in 2021, Giddings was among the most outspoken opponents of accepting $6 million in federal funds for grants to
early childhood education providers; a dispute over whether to accept the funds sparked a political furor in the state, as right-wing state legislators promoted misinformation and fringe conspiracy theories about the bill.
Censure In April 2021, Idaho Republican state Representative
Aaron von Ehlinger raped a 19-year-old intern. In August 2021, on her
Facebook account and in her newsletter, Giddings publicly released the identity and a photo of the woman, who had previously been referred to as
Jane Doe to protect her identity. Giddings also made disparaging remarks about the woman and the allegations. When this was referred to the Idaho House Ethics Committee, Giddings initially denied sharing the information. During the meeting, another committee member showed lawmakers that the post was still on Giddings' Facebook account. Giddings' answers were described as "combative and evasive," including when it was suggested that the bullying the intern had experienced would discourage women from reporting
sexual assault. Giddings also disparaged the intern as a "
honey trap" in a newsletter. Giddings denounced the bipartisan House Ethics Committee hearing on her conduct, accusing House Speaker
Scott Bedke of creating a "weaponized ethics hearing" with the sole intent of defeating her in the primary, despite the original ethics complaint being made before either had announced their runs for lieutenant governor. The House Ethics Committee unanimously found Giddings acted in a manner "unbecoming of a representative." They recommended to the full House that Giddings be
censured and stripped of her seat on the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee. Giddings did not attend most of the hearing against her. The Ethics Committee did not recommend a more severe sanction, such as expulsion from the House or from Giddings' two other committee seats (the Finance-Appropriations and the Agricultural Affairs committees). In the May 2022 primary, Bedke defeated Giddings. Giddings won most of the counties in the
Idaho Panhandle, but Bedke outperformed Giddings in most other counties in the state. == Personal life ==