HELENA — Montana officials have disqualified nine candidates for the Montana Legislature for not filing required campaign documents.
The candidates removed from the ballot Tuesday include four Democrats, four Republicans and one Libertarian.
The purging leaves three incumbent legislators without opponents in either the primary or general election. They are Republican Rep. Mark Noland of Bigfork, Democratic Rep. Bryce Bennett of Missoula and Democratic Sen. Jon Sesso of Butte.
The removal of two other Democrats means Republican primaries will decide the winner of House District 71 and Senate District 18.
State law requires candidates who missed Tuesday’s deadline to file disclosure documents with the commissioner of political practices to be taken off the ballot.
Commissioner Jonathan Motl says his staff attempted to contact the disqualified candidates and local election administrators about the delinquent paperwork.