Primary Politicking Puts Some Republican Lawmakers on the Defense

When Lyn Bennett was young, she visited the Louisiana state capitol building with her mother.  

“They work for you,” she recalled her mom telling her about the representatives in the statehouse.   

Separated by decades and more than 2,000 miles, Bennett converted those words of wisdom to reality in 2024, when the lifelong Republican won a hard-fought seat at the Montana Capitol, elected to serve constituents in the Flathead Valley’s northern tip. 

As a freshman lawmaker, Bennett cast a majority of votes in lockstep with the GOP’s wing of hardline conservatives, which backed her in the 2024 election. But she was unwilling to compromise her principles on issues she believed would be good for her district. She ultimately broke ranks on the legislative session’s most divisive measure — property tax reform. 

As Bennett prepares for a three-way Republican primary contest to retain her seat in House District 4, she’s encountering strong political headwinds from the same corners of the Montana GOP that supported her two years ago. 

She’s not alone. 

Outside factors are at play in several legislative races this year. Attack ads from political action committees, along with social media posts and mailers, have buffeted some local districts — including Courtenay Sprunger’s House District 7, and Bennett’s House District 4. Locally, the Flathead County Republican Central Committee (FCRCC) issued candidate endorsements. It first did so in 2024, creating a stir among candidates, some of whom raised issues with a process they called biased. This year, the endorsements were anticipated from the jump — though in some cases, they still have caused controversy. And in the background, Republican elected officials have split allegiances when it comes to financially backing opposing primary candidates.  

The dynamics at play in House Districts 4 and 7 showcase splits within the Republican Party and its supporters. That split is a storyline that in many instances harkens back to the issue of property taxes. 

Although the two legislators fending off the attacks in the Flathead, Sprunger and Bennett, have at times aligned with different camps of Montana’s splintered Republican Party, they share a common denominator: both voted for the same pair of bills last legislative session that reformed the state’s property tax code.  

That polarizing issue, along with critiques of the state budget, has served as a driving force behind several of the ads, mailers and social media campaigns against the incumbents in both local districts. And the outside noise echoes a statewide trend, as several state legislators — many who align with the GOP’s more moderate wing — have described their districts being inundated with mailers, attack ads, radio spots, digital ads and more in the lead-up to the June 2 primary.   

Those tactics are poles apart from the political ideals that compelled Bennett to run for office. 

Bennett, who moved to Montana 16 years ago, remembers casting her first ballot for President Ronald Reagan and still thinks of herself as a Reagan Republican. But Bennett used to think legislators were a far cry from ordinary citizens, considering them a group of people who had special qualifications to do the job. A registered nurse by trade, she enjoyed being involved with Republican politics from behind the scenes, as part of the central committee and Glacier Country Pachyderm Club. She served as president for the local offshoot of the national group, which aims to bring Republicans together to understand politics and participation in the process. 

But in 2022, Bennett saw an opening to run in her district, then House District 5. She lost the election to seasoned Democratic legislator Dave Fern, but learned a lot in the process. When the legislative maps were redrawn in 2024, she filed to run again, this time in the newly minted House District 4. She ran unopposed in the Republican primary, and said she spent eight months knocking on doors.

“I have faces seared in my head of people struggling, especially with property tax itself,” Bennett said.  

The local Republican Party arm didn’t endorse Bennett, but she did receive backing from Americans for Prosperity-Montana (AFP-MT), a Koch-brothers backed conservative interest group with a focus on economic issues. Their backing indicated a certain level of conservatism on Bennett’s part. And she said the Montana Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative hardliners in the state legislature, threw its weight behind her too. 

In November 2024, Bennett bested her Democratic challenger in the district that includes parts of Whitefish and Columbia Falls. And during her freshman session in 2025, Bennett voted against Medicaid expansion and supported making judicial races a partisan affair — both wedge issues splitting the Republican Party.  

But when it came time to vote on House Bill 231 and Senate Bill 542, two bills that rewrote the state’s property tax code and implemented a homestead exemption for in-state residents, Bennett cast “yes” votes, signaling a rare departure from her conservative caucus. (She voted with the Republican majority 91% of the time, according to Montana Free Press’ capitol tracker.)  

The fallout from those bills, though, generated a groundswell of Republican infighting that surprised Bennett — especially because her votes supporting the measures appear to be the sole factor contributing to the slew of attacks against her this year. The wave of opposition marks something of a 180-degree pivot from her first election cycle in the district. As she campaigns in a crowded primary contest this cycle, the stakes are even higher. 

But the support from the GOP, including some groups that previously supported Bennett, has waned. 

“Lyn Bennett voted to raise property taxes on Flathead Valley businesses,” proclaimed a video paid for by Accountability in State Government, a PAC founded by former state Sen. Dan Bartel, a Republican. “Last session, Lyn Bennett voted for Senate Bill 542 and House Bill 231, legislation that increased commercial property taxes across the Flathead Valley.”  

The video has racked up more than 45,000 views on YouTube. It’s been shared by other Republican-aligned accounts as well, like the Montana Freedom Caucus, one of the groups Bennett said supported her in 2024.

Once again, the FCRCC passed her over for an endorsement, this time electing to back one of her opponents, entrepreneur Shaun Pandina. AFP-MT passed her over for an endorsement as well, though the group also hasn’t endorsed either of her two challengers. And Bennett is fending off attack mailers and contending with PAC attack ads, hitting her on housing and property tax votes.  

Meanwhile, Flathead-area Rep. Amy Regier and Sen. Matt Regier have both donated to Pandina. Matt Regier, who serves as the state Senate president, has been an ardent opponent of the state’s property tax reform bills from 2025. He previously told the Beacon the state legislature’s property tax debacle could have been avoided if voters had vetted legislators — a call that’s been echoed by several other Republican legislators. A PAC called Republicans for Freedom that lists Matt Regier as its treasurer has also donated to Pandina.  

Pandina ran against Sprunger in HD 7 in 2024, clinching the FCRCC’s backing then as he has this year, though he ultimately didn’t prevail. A local entrepreneur who has lived in the Flathead for more than 30 years, Pandina responded to emailed questions from the Beacon for this story.  

“This run comes straight from my heart as a dad,” Pandina wrote. “My four children are fifth-generation Montanans, and it breaks my heart to think the skyrocketing cost of living, driven by crushing property taxes and runaway government spending, could force them to give up the Montana dream and leave the only home they’ve ever known. I can’t stand by while families like mine are priced out of the Montana we love. I’m running because I care deeply about giving our kids, and every family in HD 4, a real shot at building prosperous lives here. We need bold leadership to rein in those costs, unleash opportunity, and keep Montanans prosperous for generations to come.”  

He said his top priorities came from listening “to folks in the district,” who are concerned about property tax relief, fiscal responsibility, parental rights and “excellent education,” and strong election integrity.  

When asked about distinctions between himself and Bennett, Pandina pointed to his property tax stance of being “all-in on reducing, not shifting property taxes” — along with spending cuts and defending parental rights, like school choice — as one of their major differences. Bennett did say she supports parental rights and school choice. 

And for Pandina, the backing and donations from local legislators and the local party “hit close to home.”  

“As a small business owner who’s balanced real budgets, they know I get what fiscal responsibility demands,” Pandina wrote. “They see that HB 2 was not a truly balanced, responsible budget, and the legislators supporting me are the ones who voted against it.”

HB 2 refers to House Bill 2, the state budget, which is the lone must-pass item in each legislative session.

“That shared stand inspires me every day,” Pandina continued. “This local trust — from neighbors and fellow conservatives right here in the Flathead — drives my determination to deliver the bold changes HD 4 families need: reining in wasteful spending, lowering costs, and keeping Montana prosperous and affordable so our children can build their futures here and thrive in this community we all call home.”

Another X-factor in the HD 4 race is Nathan Purdy, Bennett’s other challenger. Purdy, who owns a medical imaging service, filed to run for office on Feb. 28. He did not receive an endorsement from the FCRCC in the committee’s first round of recommendations. His most recent campaign finance report with the Commissioner of Political Practices showed no donations coming into his campaign during the period from Jan. 1 to March 15.  

Bennett, for her part, stands by her votes on the property tax bills. It was an idea in the right direction, she said, and in her reelection campaign this spring, she said she’s talked with several constituents who have been grateful for the savings they received this year.

As she works her way through a challenging primary cycle, she’s tried to remember the lesson her mother taught her during the trips to Louisiana’s state capitol building when she was young: that she works for the people. 

“What is encouraging, or what keeps me going?” Bennett said. “It is the people at the doors. And I got a letter in the mail, and it’s got the cutest little cats on the front. It’s the most encouraging letter I’ve ever gotten, so I just, I go, ‘read that letter.’ That’s who you’re running for. That’s who you’re with. Not party bosses. It’s people like her, that live in my district.”  

Bennett has received some support from fellow Republicans as well, for which she says she’s grateful; especially as some of those supporters are facing intraparty headwinds of their own.  

In addition to Sprunger donating to her reelection campaign, Bennett’s also received backing from Rep. George Nikolakakos, R-Great Falls, who is facing off against Public Service Commission member Randy Pinocci in the Electric City primaries; and from Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, another more moderately calibrated legislator who is looking to move up to the Senate this spring, but faces a primary contest against a more conservative challenger.  

For Sprunger in HD 7, which runs through the heart of Kalispell, the heat from within her own party isn’t new. In a February interview with the Beacon, Sprunger, a Flathead High grad who runs a boutique PR firm, described herself as a “conservative for the common good.” The two-term incumbent has long had a target on her back from some members of her own party for her willingness to cross the aisle on certain issues.  

Montana Free Press’ capitol tracker puts Sprunger on par with other members of the Flathead’s delegation for casting votes along the party line. She voted 90% of the time with the side taken by most Republicans in 2025. Comparatively, Bennett voted with her caucus 91% of the time; Matt Regier, the Senate president, cast votes with his caucus 92% of the time; Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, 91%; and Rep. Terry Falk, R-Kalispell, voted with his fellow Republicans 88% of the time. 

But Sprunger takes pride in her willingness to work with anyone, framing it as a strength that she’ll collaborate for the good of the state. 

“For me, I know that when I show up in Helena, I’m a conservative,” Sprunger said. “I was elected as a conservative, and I love every person that I have had the chance to represent, and I hope that I will have the chance to go down there and do something great — or good, at least — for every one of those people in my district, whether they voted for me or not.” 

This year, Sprunger landed on AFP-MT’s list of legislators to be held “accountable” for votes on property tax reform and the state budget. She has contended with social media attacks from that group since before filing opened in mid-February.  

AFP-MT’s involvement in Sprunger’s district predates her. Her predecessor in HD 7, former Republican Rep. Frank Garner, landed on AFP’s list of targets over his support of Medicaid expansion in 2015. Garner, a former Kalispell police chief, saw AFP cover his district in flyers, knock doors for his opponents, and host a town hall against him. The people in his district at the time backed their legislator. In Garner’s estimation, that’s because the people he represented felt he was doing right by them — and he thinks HD 7 constituents see the same quality in Sprunger.  

“She’s going to work with anybody that she believes will work with her to the benefit of the people she represents, and that is exactly the problem as some of the groups like AFP see it,” Garner said. “They don’t want people to be making independent decisions. They want them to conform to their ideology or else.” 

AFP-MT director Jesse Ramos, a former Missoula city councilor who took the helm of AFP-MT in 2023, said the group’s accountability efforts differ from explicit endorsements, where the group throws financial weight and organizing behind candidates. Instead, Ramos framed the group’s accountability work as an attempt to simply inform voters as to how their representatives voted on certain issues. He views it as work that helps citizens engage with their government.  

“The decisions and the votes these legislators make impact Montanans for generations,” Ramos said. 

Sprunger has also posted on social media about the barrage of attack ads and texts against her, one of which came from the same Accountability in State Government PAC that hit Bennett with an attack ad on property taxes. 

The PAC’s attack ad against Sprunger — which has racked up more than 100,000 views on YouTube — raised an accusation of a conflict of interest because Sprunger’s PR firm contracted with the state’s Department of Transportation, a department which Sprunger advocated funding in the 2023 legislative session through the SAFER Act. That act passed the state House with unanimous support and created a state fund to match federal grant dollars for road and infrastructure projects across Montana.  

Sprunger defended herself in a March 4 Facebook post, writing that she has “always gone above and beyond to disclose [her] business relationships publicly — including before presenting or voting on legislation that has a potential to impact [her] business.” She also posted a video on March 11 addressing attack ads generally and encouraging voters to do their homework when it comes to understanding who’s behind attack ads and fact-checking their claims. 

“I think that we are in a society right now that says, us versus them all the time,” Sprunger said. “But when it comes to outside interests wanting to spend their big money to come in and own my vote, my perspective is it’s them versus all of us. I’m here for Kalispell first.”

Beyond accountability campaigns and attack ads, Sprunger’s opponent, Luke Maxwell, clinched the FCRCC’s endorsement. It’s not the first time the local party has declined to back her. In 2024, during Sprunger’s first reelection campaign, the FCRCC voted to back Pandina, who ran against her in HD 7, instead. Sprunger said she declined to participate in the FCRCC’s endorsement process.

AFP-MT did not explicitly endorse Maxwell. Ramos said the group doesn’t usually engage in issue advocacy and express advocacy — openly endorsing and backing a candidate — in the same race.  

Maxwell has also received donations from several Flathead-area legislators: Matt Regier, Rep. Falk, Evergreen Rep. Lukas Schubert’s committee to elect, and the Republicans for Freedom PAC.  

The Beacon attempted to contact Maxwell at the email address listed for his campaign on the Secretary of State’s candidate filing portal several times for comment on this story but did not receive a response. Maxwell did not list a phone number along with his filing. He has an active campaign website with a donation portal, but the site does not list any details or biographical information about the candidate.  

Sprunger, for her part, has received funding from the Montana Auto Dealers Association and Montana Contractors Association. Her individual donors include a slew of current and former Republican elected officials: Rep. Bennett, former Rep. Tony Brockman, state auditor James Brown, Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen, former Rep. Bruce Tutvedt, and Rep. Denley Loge.  

In her reelection campaign thus far, she has highlighted her work reducing illegal labor, studying non-resident hunting and the “Right Back Act,” a bill that provided property tax relief and stabilized the 95 school equalization mills, as her biggest legislative achievements from the 2025 session. 

As Sprunger runs for reelection, the two-term state representative has tried to treat outside noise as just that: noise.  

“If I spent my life walking around worried about who was going to mail me, I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the mirror,” Sprunger said. “And I had to make that decision the first time I decided to run. Because I think, in the end, I ended up being the people’s Republican, even if I wasn’t always the local party’s Republican, and I can live with that.”  

Voters will have a chance to weigh in on primary races come June 2.  

The matchups between Bennett, Purdy and Pandina, and Sprunger and Maxwell, are only two of four local legislative races with primary matchups on the GOP side of the aisle. And whoever makes it through the primaries will face off against Democratic candidates who have filed to run in each district — Paula Koch in HD 4, and Madison Evans in HD 7.  

House Districts 3 and 6 will also see Republican primaries. In each of those races, the primary contests are not between incumbent legislators and newcomers, but rather, between Republicans who have not yet held the offices. 

To find out your district, visit: https://www.legmt.gov/districts/.

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