Democrat Paula Koch Tops Flathead Valley Legislative Fundraising With $53,000 Haul

In the heavily Republican Flathead County this fall, it was Democrat Paula Koch who boasted the largest general election fundraising haul of any candidate running for the state House or Senate. The veteran educator, who’s running in a competitive race to represent House District 4, which contains most of Columbia Falls and part of Whitefish, raked in more than $53,000 in her first bid for office. That amount is more than three times the haul of her Republican opponent, entrepreneur Shaun Pandina.

Across the valley, those running for the state Legislature, based on reports submitted to Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices that reflect fundraising efforts through mid-October, have raised a sum total of $357,919.35 for their general election funds, and spent $215,425.02, as they attempted to capture Flathead Valley voters’ backing.

The data doesn’t include funds candidates brought in for their primary election bids. In some cases, candidates transferred leftover dollars from their primary election funds into their general election ones; in other cases, candidates facing competitive primaries spent those funds. In the Flathead Valley and its surrounding areas, it was mainly Republican candidates who faced competitive primary contests. To see fundraising figures from the primary, click here.

Koch’s large general election haul makes her race with Pandina the most expensive one in the area this fall. Pandina’s haul of nearly $17,000 means the matchup has yielded more than $70,000 in funding flowing into it.

The race between incumbent Rep. Debo Powers and entrepreneur Derek Peachey in the neighboring House District 3, which contains Whitefish, Olney, Essex and Polebridge, was a close second. Powers reported bringing in $30,496.36 and spending $18,685.31 as she attempts to hold onto her seat.

Peachey, her Republican opponent, was the second-best fundraiser in the valley this fall, with $38,455.78 flowing into his general election coffers. He has spent more than $27,000 of that as he attempts to flip the seat out of Democratic hands.

It’s perhaps unsurprising the two north valley House races have attracted the highest amount of funding this fall, given their unusual competitiveness in the Flathead Valley. In 2024, the first year the current iterations of the two districts were on the map, each race was decided by fewer than 200 votes. More often, however, Republican domination is a theme in the area, as many other House races saw GOP members winning with 60% of the vote or more in 2024.

For all the data on how much state House candidates in the Flathead Valley brought in and spent, click here.

On the state Senate side of the aisle, Kalispell city councilor Kyle Waterman, who’s running in Senate District 4 as a Democrat, had the biggest general election fundraising figure. Waterman raised $21,434.20 for his bid against veteran state legislator Rep. Amy Regier. Regier, a Republican whose family looms large in the state Legislature, brought in $19,935.66, the second-highest figure among those running for the state Senate in the area.

The pair’s race in SD 4 was the highest grossing of the four state Senate races taking place in the area this fall. It has brought in more than $41,000, with the candidates spending $35,367.18 of those funds.

For all the data on how much state Senate candidates have raked in and spent, click here.

Ballots were mailed to absentee voters Oct. 9. Election Day is Nov. 3. Voters can check their registration status and the status of their ballot here: https://voterportal.mt.gov/WhereToVote.aspx. To register to vote, voters can either bring their completed voter registration application to their county elections office or visit their county elections office to fill out a voter registration application and receive a ballot there.

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