2026 Primary Election: Open Seat in Lincoln County’s Senate District 1 Draws Three-way Republican Contest

The three-way race for Lincoln County’s open Senate seat pits two four-term state reps against a Merchant Marine from Libby. The seat, held since 2019 by Mike Cuffe, who has termed out of both the House and the Senate, encompasses the heart of conservative Lincoln County, where 76% of the 2024 general election vote fell to Donald Trump.

But as with many GOP primary contests this election cycle, the degrees by which candidates distinguish their conservative credentials are shaded in two contrasting tones: Did they support or oppose controversial property tax reform in 2025?

Neil Duram, the Eureka Police Department chief currently representing House District 1, not only supported the reform, but, as a member of the House Taxation Committee, was an architect of its key initiatives. Still, he concedes much work remains to be done on the issue, describing the reform as “a base hit, not a home run.”

Steve Gunderson, a retired Libby businessman who represented House District 1 for four terms between 2017 and 2023 (the maps for House Districts 1 and 2 were redrawn during redistricting), did not serve during the 2025 legislative session when property tax reform emerged as its most divisive issue. However, he said he opposed the property tax bills, which passed when some Republicans broke ranks and voted with Democrats.

Vincent Backen, a Merchant Marine and former U.S. Marine Corps rifleman who in 2014 sold his vessel and purchased shuttered properties in Libby, building a boxing gym, bookstore and art gallery, has mostly avoided wading into the property tax debate, urging lawmakers to come together and work their differences out.

Cuffe, the termed-out Eureka lawmaker who’s held elected office in Lincoln County since 2011, said he would not endorsing a candidate in the race, which he wagered “could be a close one.”

The Beacon sent all three candidates questionnaires. The questions, as well as the candidates’ responses, are printed below.

The primary election takes place June 2. Ballots were mailed out to absentee voters May 8. Voters can check their registration status here: https://voterportal.mt.gov/WhereToVote.aspx, and find their legislative district here: https://www.legmt.gov/districts/.

Candidate questions

1. Why did you decide to run for the legislature, and what makes you a strong candidate?
2. What do you think will be the most pressing issue facing the legislature in 2027, and how would you propose tackling that issue?
3. During the last legislative session, property taxes emerged as a flashpoint issue, and the consequences of the legislature’s property tax reform has been a topic rife for debate since. What are your thoughts on the property tax reform passed during the last session?
4. How might the state continue to work on this issue?
5. One prominent storyline in the state over the course of the past two years has been divisions within your party. How do you view the state of the Montana GOP, and where do you hope to see it move in the future?

NAME: Steve Gunderson

AGE: 68

HOMETOWN: Libby

EDUCATION LEVEL: Libby High School graduate

OCCUPATION: Retired small business owner and veteran, serving in both the Montana and North Dakota national guards

PREVIOUSLY HELD POLITICAL OFFICES: Four-term representative for House District 1 (2017-2023)

1. I have well over three decades of natural resource advocacy, business owner and employer experience. It just made sense to advance into the Legislature so that I could better voice the needs of and advocate for, my district and Montana. I served in that position for 8 years as a recognized conservative Republican working my way through the ranks into leadership positions as vice chair and chair of multiple standing committees and ultimately as chair of the Environmental Quality Council over the 2023-24 interim. I am fully engaged with the asbestos issue and have championed legislation that help safeguard our citizens. My past experience and the common-sense, Northwest Montana values I bring will allow me to better serve the people of SD 1 in a much more critical Senate position. I am fully engaged with the voters and feel I am very well known for tackling just about any issues brought to my attention. Experience matters! I bring a toolbox full of knowledge, contacts and relationships will allow me to better serve the voters of Senate District 1. I showed up, was fully engaged and did right by my District and Montana as the House Representative.

2. True tax reform, reducing government bloat and judicial reform will be the main topics of debate. I have a number of ideas that I will bring to the table to debate. Stay tuned if I am elected. I am not on the tax or budget committees but I feel I can bring ideas to my peers and have them critique them and possibly add them in if they have merit.

3. There was NO tax reform passed last session! There was a tax shift that only moved the burden onto businesses where that burden would ultimately be passed onto consumers. This session there will be many new ideas on how to grapple with the tax issue. We will need to look at all alternatives to do what is right for our constituents. One of my solutions would be to allow more mining and timber resource management/logging in Northwest Montana to bring in more natural resource extraction taxes. Put us back to work to increase the income taxes generated!   

4. Reduce “the legislation from the bench” by our liberal judicial system. Help put laws into place that provides citizens or the Legislature recourse to remove liberal biased judges.

5. The MTGOP and its members have done a great job! MTGOP has started that process to primary out our “small r” and de facto Democrat population. The election of Art Wittich as our MTGOP Chair is the first step. Recognizing that we need to better vet our candidates and the steps taken to do that will start to be evident this session. I would like to see more aggressive vetting in the future. The closing of primaries is the next step. We have always had an issue with open primaries.

NAME: Neil Duram

AGE: 56

HOMETOWN: Eureka

EDUCATION LEVEL: Graduated from the University of Montana in 1994 with bachelor’s degree in sociology with emphasis in criminology and a minor in Communication Studies; associate degree in criminal justice from Pierce College in Puyallup, Wash.

OCCUPATION: Chief of the Eureka Police Department, Emergency Medical Technician with Eureka Volunteer Ambulance Service, retired from Montana Highway Patrol after 28 years.

PREVIOUSLY HELD POLITICAL OFFICES: Four-term representative for House District 1, which was House District 2 prior to redistricting (2019-2025).

1. I want to continue my public service to Montana.  The final decider for me to run was the negative articles against the Property Tax changes that occurred in the 2025 session.  I supported the property tax changes, particularly the Homestead exemption.  

Why am I a strong Candidate?  The four terms served as a Representative I was on these committees…Transportation, Taxation, FWP,  Business, and Energy.  I have sponsored 14 bills that were signed by the Governor, and carried many other bills that advanced the conversation on many other topics benefiting our communities. I understand the legislative process and I work to ensure our local governments seek to provide good customer service.

2. The two primary issues that the 2027 session will have heavy discussions on will be 1) Property Tax, aka funding for our local governments and schools; and 2) Recognizing that the years of surplus for our General Fund are likely ending.

1) Property Tax — This is how we fund our local governments and local schools.  Who carries what share will be the primary discussion in 2027 to included how much or a burden for some is too much.

2) General Fund — Montana has had many years of surplus. Primarily from the high numbers of new Montanans moving here and bringing their higher than average incomes with them. Their contributions in income taxes have exceeded our estimates. These surpluses were consumed by new programs, which many will likely be cut … those will be difficult conversations.

3. I supported House Bill 230 and voted for House Bill 542, and Senate Bill 90. On the Taxation Committee, I was actively involved with all the property tax bills. It was my goal to reduce property taxes as much as possible, while recognizing those are the primary mechanisms with which we fund our local governments and local schools. Many times I have read complaints of the tax shift that occurred. News Flash … every change to any of the contributors to the property tax system is a tax shift to the other contributors. During the last four sessions, I supported the continued reductions of Business Equipment Tax (the exempt amount has grown from $30,000, to $100,00, to 300,000, and now to $1 million). This was an effort to allow our Montana businesses to be more prosperous, but admittedly led to a tax shift to residential and other contributors. Montana Property tax is not an easy riddle to solve, despite what some may say.  Montana has adopted the position that local funding should support local programs (that I agree with).

I think that the 2025 property taxes were not a home run, but we did get a base hit. More discussions in 2027 to find a more fair distribution of the property tax load should get us to second base. It is not generally “fun” to pay our taxes, but recognize that our taxes fund our government that allows each of us the opportunity to prosper and enjoy the blessings of liberty.

4. How might the state continue to work on this issue? More discussions, more ideas, more brainstorming sessions to consider the better way forward.  This is our government, we need to be the ones who fund it.  Historically Montana has had Logging and Mineral Extraction carry a much larger share of the burden, if we can get those industries prospering again (in and environmentally sound model) our personal load of the taxes will be less of an impact on our personal budgets.  Lincoln County needs a Sawmill, but before someone will invest in it, Montana needs to give the certainty that we will maintain a predictable and healthy Timber Harvest.

5. Republicans are not cut out by cookie cutters. Personally, I don’t like being told how to vote. I offer up the invitation to convince me why you think I should vote one way or the other.

Governments derive their just powers by the “consent of the governed.” Consent is a crucial component of our Western Culture. In 2025, I brought a bill that required a person’s consent if they were to receive a drug. It described the various types of consent to include implied consent. House Bill 174 got amended in the Senate to include “Vacccine”… that a person must consent to receive a vaccine.  No Democrats supported HB 174 at any stage. On the final reading, 14 Republicans joined the Democrats to kill this bill that would require your consent to get drugged or vaccinated. To add fuel to this fire, between 2nd and 3rd reading, there was no time for discussion, we went directly to 3rd without any break. Those 14 changed from a Yes to a No vote without discussion … when I cornered some of them later to find out why they changed their vote … nothing. One of them wouldn’t even state who advised them to change their vote. They were all members of the solutions caucus that vote as a singular bloc. I find that offensive.

The division in the Senate occurred when nine Republicans joined the Democrats to protect one of the nine from illegal actions taken in December of 2024. Republicans hold each other accountable when wrongs are done. Those nine traded their votes throughout the entire 2025 session to the Democrat to create a majority caucus.

Republicans should justify each and every vote.  Explain the reason why you voted yes or no.

NAME: Vincent Backen

AGE: 64

HOMETOWN: Libby

EDUCATION LEVEL: Post-graduate degree in Marine Transportation

OCCUPATION: Merchant Marine Master Mariner (Captain)

PREVIOUSLY HELD POLITICAL OFFICES: Elected to serve on Libby’s Government Study Commission

1. I am running because there is an open office. Mike Cuffe has term limited out. I am the most qualified to hold that office due to my 45 years working with legislative issues, helping to turn law into regulation. I have the experience and ability to define problems and execute solutions both in private sector and in the public sector. 

2.  Property taxes: Big reforms passed in 2025 need not be adjudicated, but if lawmakers can redraft the bill it would be better than litigation. Judicial elections: Montana Supreme Court and district judge races should not be mandated to be nonpartisan if this is opened up for debate they should be partisan. Campaign finance: corporate money in elections. This should be addressed. A fair and even solution needs to be addressed. The candidate with the most money is not how we should decide elections. One solution can be to have a fixed amount of campaign money based on a dollar per capita of the registered voters. Fair and balanced. Say 2 dollars times the number of registered voters. Citizen initiatives: Voter-approved ballot measures. The people’s voice needs to be on the ballot, not the legislature’s. After all, this is why we have the process. Title 20 overhaul: We need to form a bipartisan commission and from this commission to overhaul Title 20 (the legal framework governing public education). 

3. I support the legislation as signed by the governor.

4. As stated above, big reforms passed in 2025 need not be adjudicated but if lawmakers can, redraft the bill.

5. The GOP in Montanan have a bit of a squabble. They need to come together and work differences out. Identify the issues, put the platform before the personalities. Never fight it out in the public square.

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