Kalispell Legislator Courtenay Sprunger and Special Education Teacher Arthur Fretheim to Face Off in House Race
The candidates are vying to represent downtown Kalispell in House District 7 where housing and public education are at the center of their campaigns
By Maggie Dresser
Incumbent Republican state legislator Courtenay Sprunger will face off against Democratic newcomer Arthur Fretheim in a race to represent House District 7 in downtown Kalispell, where both candidates are focused on public education and housing affordability.
After serving her first term in the Montana House in the 2023 session, Sprunger is seeking reelection after rising to prominence as a moderate, policy-oriented Republican. She has garnered support from Gov. Greg Gianforte and a coalition of Democrats and Republicans.
Originally from Kalispell, Sprunger graduated from Flathead High School and Vanguard University in Southern California before founding Big Sky Public Relations.
Sprunger carried eight successful bills through the Legislature, including the establishment of an adoption tax credit; the expansion of advanced opportunity funding for schools; and the creation of a fund to match federal grant dollars for statewide infrastructure projects.
If elected for a second term, Sprunger plans to continue fighting for public schools in the Flathead where teacher salaries remain depressed while keeping taxes low.
“Taxpayers do not have more to give – it’s a painful time,” Sprunger said in an interview with the Beacon. “So how do we address the shortfall happening with starting teacher pay? We’ve got to thread the needle with starting teacher pay with the funding formula for inflation.”
Born in Walla, Walla, Wash., Arthur Fretheim spent his childhood summers in the Flathead Valley to visit his grandparents before moving to Kalispell in 2014 after graduating from Grinnell College in Iowa. He now works as a special education teacher for the Somers Lakeside School District, which he says has motivated him to run for the legislature.
“Each year we have staff meetings and there is a new law that you have to comply with,” Fretheim said. “I think in a way, I’m there as an advocate for other teachers and students and families at the schools.”
Fretheim says the education funding formula needs to change to allow less reliance on the passage of school bonds and levies.
“I think if you’re in Whitefish and you can pass a bond or levy, that system works well, but for a city like Kalispell – I think that’s a problem,” Fretheim said.
Fretheim is also focused on creating more housing affordability in the Flathead amid a rise in homelessness, an issue he says inspired him to run for the Legislature.
After attending multiple city council meetings to voice his opposition against closing the Flathead Warming Center, Fretheim believes attacking the root cause of homelessness like affordable housing can assist the homeless population and shelter the community’s most vulnerable members.
Sprunger, too, has made housing affordability a prominent plank in her candidacy. As evidence, she pointed to her support of the multi-faceted workforce housing measure, House Bill 819, which focused on increasing housing and is beginning to show returns.
As part of the bill, communities have the opportunity to establish a revolving fund with its share of the money and a match from local governments, which is then used to buy up 30% of the purchase price for the eligible buyer.
“It’s the first step in homeownership, which is not achievable right now,” Sprunger said. “That’s one thing I would like to see executed.”
If reelected, Sprunger plans to continue working on issues like transportation infrastructure, education reform and community safety.
“I’m here to work on practical everyday issues that affect the heart of Kalispell,” Sprunger said.
In addition to housing and education, Fretheim wants to see Medicaid expansion along with more healthcare options for Montanans as facilities like Logan Health continue to consolidate.
“With all of the consolidation we’ve seen, nurses’ working conditions are going in a negative direction,” Fretheim said.
The general election is on Nov. 5. Absentee ballots are sent out Oct. 11. Read more about the candidates running for Legislature in the Flathead and Tobacco valleys here, and find out what legislative district you live in here. Check your voter registration here.