Page 23 - Flathead Beacon // 6.15.16

★ FLATHEAD COUNTY
Holmquist Takes GOP Vote for Commission Race
Incumbent county commissioner wins over Republican challenger
BY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
For many candidates this year, the primary races were a formality needed to get to the main stage of the general elections in November, largely because many candidates did not face a primary opponent.
But for Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holm- quist, a primary victory over Republican challenger Tim Harmon means there is still an opportunity to nish her rst six-year term with the promise of another.
Holmquist beat Harmon by just under 1,200 votes during the June 7 primary, earning 7,303 to Harmon’s 6,123. She took 54 percent of the vote, while he earned 46 percent, a 10-point di erence that stayed in place from the rst reports of the vote count until the nal results.
As the incumbent, Holmquist risked losing the pri- mary and essentially leaving herself a lame-duck com- missioner for the rest of her term as the representative of District 2, had Harmon won. She now faces a chal- lenge from Democrat Eileen Lowery of Kalispell, who ran unopposed in the primary.
Holmquist said she was both excited and a little spent after the June 7 election, and that she is looking for- ward to continual campaigning this summer before the November generals.
“I just wanted to thank my family and my campaign people who helped me,” Holmquist said. “And the vot- ers, for believing in me and pushing me through to the general. I’m looking forward to that.”
As a candidate, Holmquist championed her work for private property rights, having written and successfully installed a Property Owner’s Bill of Rights in the Flathead County Growth Policy, as well as her nancial work with the county budget, which both candidates agreed is healthy.
Harmon, who currently works as the maintenance supervisor at the Flathead County Fairgrounds, decided to throw his hat into the ring after seeing the commission
★ LINCOLN COUNTY
Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist. BEACON FILE PHOTO
renege on its decision to facilitate a FEMA grant helping
shore up a sloughing blu on White sh Stage.
He ran on the promise of making the county commis- sion’s business more transparent, including holding eve- ning meetings for residents who can’t make it to the day-
time hearings.
The two GOP candidates were relatively quiet during
the primary election, with yard signs doing most of the talking for both.
“Overall, it was a nice, clean race and I appreciated
that,” Holmquist said.
She also said she appreciated Harmon’s work and
dedication, and that “he did very well” for his rst time running for public o ce.
Holmquist was rst elected to represent District 2 – encompassing the southeast section of the county – in 2010, and has served as the chairperson of the board since 2012.
The general election is on Nov. 8.
mpriddy@ atheadbeacon.com
Bennett, Cargill to Face O in Fall Commission Race Political newcomer and former representative vie for seat in Lincoln County
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
Jerry Bennett and Rhoda Cargill emerged from a eld of ve candidates on June 7 and will now face o in the fall for the chance to represent Troy and the surrounding area on the Lincoln County Commission.
Bennett scored 39 percent of the vote and Cargill garnered 17 percent of the vote, beating former Commissioner Law- rence Dolezal by just 12 votes. Libby City Manager Jim Hammons had 15 percent of the vote and former Troy Mayor Anthony Brown got 10 percent.
Lincoln County’s commission is non-partisan so the primary determines the top two candidates who will run in the fall.
Bennett and Cargill are vying to ll the seat being vacated by
current Commissioner Greg Larson, who announced earlier this year that he would not seek a second term. Lar- son was appointed to the commission in 2014 after his predecessor, Ron Downey, stepped aside for health reasons.
Prior to running for the commission, Bennett served in the Montana House of Representatives for eight years. During the campaign he said the connections he made in Helena would be a valuable resource for Lincoln County in the future.
Cargill has never held elected o ce and her only foray into politics before was an unsuccessful run for state Senate six years ago. Despite losing that race, Car- gill said she remains an engaged citizen who frequently attends public meetings around the county. The morning after the primary, she said she was ready to bring a new perspective to the commission. Her
top priority would be making govern- ment more e cient while maintaining services and not raising taxes.
Bennett has said he wants to help spur economic growth in the county and rebuild infrastructure. He said one of his priorities as commissioner would be to help the county attract new businesses to the area that, in turn, would result in increased tax revenues.
The winner of the general election will join Mark Peck and Mike Cole on the three-person commission.
Whoever wins will help guide Lin- coln County through a critical period in the community’s history. This year, the Environmental Protection Agency is entering the nal stages of its decade- long Superfund cleanup of Libby and the surrounding area that was contaminated from decades of asbestos mining. The
county is also looking toward a future where the timber is no longer the area’s predominate industry. The decline of logging has had an impact on how much money the county receives from the fed- eral government via the Secure Rural Schools program.
Many in the county are split about what would lead to a more prosperous future. Some say the county should dou- ble down on its e orts to force the federal government to change environmental rules that hamper the natural resource extraction industry. Others say the county should change course and bank on its natural beauty to attract visitors. Whoever wins a seat on the county com- mission this fall will have an outsized role in determining what direction the county takes.
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
JUNE 15, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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