At the stroke of 5 p.m. on Monday, March 15, the filing deadline for candidates passed and the political season kicked off with a bang, revealing a crowded field of candidates, particularly in pivotal Flathead legislative districts. The House is currently split 50-50 and Republicans hold a four-person majority in the Senate.
All of which makes for a particularly pivotal race for House District 3, encompassing Columbia Falls, where Republican Dee Brown is term-limited and six candidates from four parties now vie for her seat, among them former Republican state Sen. Jerry O’Neil.
Republican lawmakers outnumber Democrats in the Flathead, making any seat held by a Democrat highly contested – and both are up for grabs. Considering both House District 8’s Cheryl Steenson and House District 4’s Mike Jopek have opted not to run for reelection, those races will certainly prove interesting.
Will Hammerquist, who advocates on behalf of Glacier National Park for the National Parks Conservation Association and was an aide to Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger, is vying for the H.D. 4 seat, encompassing Whitefish, as a Democrat in a five-way race. In H.D. 8, traditionally an unpredictable swing district encompassing downtown Kalispell, Bill Jones is running as an Independent among the five candidates in that race. Jones previously represented Bigfork’s H.D. 9 as a Republican, but withdrew from the party following the hostile 2007 Legislative session.
Kalispell’s H.D. 7 is also up for grabs now that current Republican Rep. Jon Sonju is running for Senate District 4, a seat currently held by term-limited Republican Greg Barkus. Former Kalispell Fire Chief Randy Brodehl and Applied Materials (formerly Semitool) executive Steven Thompson are both running for H.D. 7, along with Democrat Karen Reeves.
And those are just the local races. At the top of the ticket, Republican Denny Rehberg must defend his Congressional seat against seven challengers, including two other Republicans, four Democrats and a Libertarian. Below is a list of all the candidates who have filed for office in Northwest Montana.
CANDIDATE FILINGS
U.S. HOUSE
Denny Rehberg Republican (incumbent)
Mark T. French Republican
A.J. Otjen Republican
Tyler Gernant Democrat
Dennis McDonald Democrat
Melinda Gopher Democrat
Sam Rankin Democrat
Mike Fellows Libertarian
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 5
Ken Toole Democrat (incumbent)
Brad Johnson Republican
Bill Gallagher Republican
JUDGE DISTRICT 11 (nonpartisan)
Rich De Jana
David M. Ortley
Phyllis Quatman
Heidi J. Ulbricht
SENATE DISTRICT 1
Rhoda Cargill Republican
Chas V. Vincent Republican
SENATE DISTRICT 4
Dan Pickar Republican
Jon Sonju Republican
Mary Reckin Democrat
SENATE DISTRICT 5
Verdell Jackson Republican (incumbent)
Edd Blackler Democrat
HOUSE DISTRICT 1
Gerald Bennett Republican (incumbent)
Eileen Carney Democrat
HOUSE DISTRICT 2
Matt Charlton Republican
Mike Cuffe Republican
Tim Linehan Democrat
HOUSE DISTRICT 3
Shawn Bailey Constitution
Shawn Guymon Independent
Zac Perry Democrat
Jerry O’Neil Republican
Harm Toren Republican
Sandy Welch Republican
HOUSE DISTRICT 4
Trevor Caudill Democrat
Will Hammerquist Democrat
Bill Geisse Republican
Damon Pace Republican
Derek Skees Republican
HOUSE DISTRICT 5
Keith Regier Republican (incumbent)
James Henry Mahnke Democrat
HOUSE DISTRICT 6
Bill Beck Republican (incumbent)
Keith Sibbert Constitution
Scott Wheeler Democrat
HOUSE DISTRICT 7
Randy Brodehl Republican
Karen Reeves Democrat
Steven Thompson Republican
HOUSE DISTRICT 8
Dane Clark Democrat
Carl Glimm Republican
Bill Jones Independent
Steve Lavin Republican
Bryan Schutt Democrat
HOUSE DISTRICT 9
Scott M. Reichner Republican (incumbent)
Neal Brown Democrat
HOUSE DISTRICT 10
Mark W. Blasdel Republican (incumbent)
Carla Augustad Democrat
HOUSE DISTRICT 11
Janna Taylor Republican (incumbent)
J. Garth Cox Republican
Josh D. King Republican
Cheryl Wolfe Green
FLATHEAD COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 2
Joseph Brenneman Democrat (incumbent)
Noel Gorton Democrat
Howard W. Gipe Republican
Pam Holmquist Republican
Patrick Nickol Republican
CLERK & RECORDER/SURVEYOR/AUDITOR
Paula Robinson Republican (incumbent)
Rebekah Eslick Savelle Republican
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Ed Corrigan Republican (incumbent)
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, DEPARTMENT 1 (nonpartisan)
Glen Neier
Daniel R. Wilson
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, DEPARTMENT 2 (nonpartisan)
Mark R. Sullivan (incumbent)
Paul D. Sullivan
Travis W. Bruyer
Eric S. Hummel
SHERIFF/CORONER
Mike Meehan Republican (incumbent)
Chuck Curry Republican
Lance Norman Republican
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Marcia M. Sheffels Republican (incumbent)
TREASURER/ASSESSOR
Adele Krantz Republican (incumbent)