The chairman of the Montana Public Service Commission announced last week he will not run for re-election in 2014 due to his ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer.
Bill Gallagher was elected to the commission’s District 5 seat in 2010 and was twice elected to chair the agency that regulates the state’s utilities. He was a 2012 candidate for Lt. Governor.
“I love the job of public service and I am very good at working and fighting for the people of Montana,” he said in a statement. “There is a battle waging for the direction of our state and country and, while I have been privileged to participate and even lead in that battle, I must face the harsh reality that my fight with cancer could limit my effectiveness in a second term.”
Gallagher, 54, said he plans to continue focusing on completing his four-year term on the Commission, which ends in January 2015.