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Hansen declares in state Senate race

A two-term Republican state representative announced this morning she is shifting her campaign to the state Senate.

Rep. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, said she has filed the paperwork to run in the newly created Senate District 14, which stretches from the Canadian border through Hill, Liberty and Chouteau counties into the northwestern edge of Cascade County.

She said this morning that the redistricting, which also created a single compact district in Havre, gives the opportunity both to bring in a new Republican House candidate and for her to pursue goals in the Senate. That includes continuing on policy committees as she did in the House, on the education and local government and tax committees, and also participating in the Senate side of appropriations in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.

“In some ways, in order to make myself a more well-rounded legislator, I would really like to have that appropriations experience,” Hansen said. “That is probably the No.1 factor for me.”

The only other declared candidate is Sen. Greg Jergeson, D-Havre, who returned to the Senate after terming out — he served 22 years starting in the 1970s — and then terming out after two terms on the Public Service Commission, including six years as chair.

The redistricting approved last year prevented Jergeson from running for re-election in his district. He announced this fall he had moved from Chinook to a Havre residence, allowing him to run in SD 14.

Hansen, who chaired the House Education Committee during this year’s session in her second term, said one of her main goals in the Senate would be to continue pushing for tax reform. She proposed a simplification of the tax code in Montana with the goal of allowing filing on a single page, or even postcard-sized, form.

Hansen, a veteran of the war in Iraq, said she would work with the governor’s office and the state budget office before the start of the 2015 Legislature to draft a bill Gov. Steve Bullock would be willing to sign.

 
 

Reader Comments(5)

Checkitout writes:

I agree that a responsible newspaper reporter would check out the truth or fiction of the Jergeson residency and report the facts to their readers. The truthfullness of his claim should matter in this election

OldGreyGoose writes:

Joe has a point on the residency issue. Greg has supposedly moved to Havre in order to run for the Senate seat here. Whether someone is running for Mayor, Senator or Precinct person the law always matters. Both the letter of the law and the spirit of the law always matter.

Confused writes:

Ahhh Joe - Jergeson is running for Senate District 14 and is not running for the position of mayor. Why would Mr. Solomon bring up the issue of residency? Your just a little confused as usual. Blinding hate does that to a person.

YESYESYES writes:

This is fantastic news. It will be great being represented by someone that truly cares about our community instead of a rabid political party follower. Hansen has done a great job as representative and I look forward to her leadership in the Senate

Joe writes:

Is Mayor Solomon going to make an issue of Greg Jergeson’s residency legalities like he did with Bob Rice? Nope, I forgot they are both democrats so the residency rules don’t apply to them.