Candidates start the election season

This morning began at the Hill County Clerk and Recorder's office with a slew of candidates filing as candidates for election or re-election, as today is the first day candidates can file for the 2014 election.

The filings on the county level were heavy from the start. Some legislative candidates filed in Helena, though both major parties planned filing events later today, but little happened off the bat on the national level.

The only candidate for Congress who had filed as of printing deadline this morning was Republican Corey Stapleton of Billings, running for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Hill County candidates filing first thing included Democrats Hill County Commissioner Mike Wendland and Hill County Attorney Gina Dahl. Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger filed for re-election in that nonpartisan race.

A newcomer to elections, Hill County Deputy Clerk and Recorder Sue Armstrong, filed as a Democratic candidate for clerk and recorder.

Clerk and Recorder Darla Dahl did not say whether she would file for re-election.

Hill County Clerk of Court Kathie Vigliotti, who was appointed to take the place of Dena Tippets when she retired last year, announced Wednesday she would run to fill the remainder of Tippets' term. She had not filed as of printing deadline this morning.

Some candidates had filed for legislative races this morning, in advance of events promoted by both the Republican and Democratic state parties announced for opening day.

The Republicans scheduled a Filing Day announcement for 3:30 this afternoon in the Capitol Rotunda, while the Democrat event was set for noon, also in the Rotunda.

Two candidates confirmed this morning they would be filing in a showdown over a new Senate district that stretches from the Canadian border to just outside of Great Falls.

Both Rep. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, and Sen. Greg Jergeson, D-Havre, said they would be filing today to run in Senate District 14.

Jergeson, who termed out of the state Senate in 2002 after nearly 30 years in that body then termed out of the Public Service Commision in 2010, was elected back to the Senate in 2012. Redistricting kept him from running for re-election in the district he served, and he moved to Havre last year, making him eligible to run in the new district.

Hansen was elected in 2012 to her second term in the district that had included part of Havre and western Hill County.

Rep. Roy Hollandsworth, R-Brady, filed as a candidate in the new House District 27, the portion of Senate District 14 that does not include Havre. No Democrats had filed in that district as of printing deadline this morning.

No candidate had filed by printing deadline this morning as a candidate in House District 28, essentially the city of Havre. The Hill County Republican Party announced last week that social worker Stephanie Hess planned to run in that district, but she had not filed as of printing deadline this morning. No Democrats had announced their intent or filed as a candidate in that district as of printing deadline today.

Sen. John Brenden, R-Scobey, is not up for re-election in the Senate District 17 that stretches from eastern Hill County through northern Blaine, Phillips, Valley and Daniels counties to the North Dakota border in Sheridan and northeastern Richland counties.

Rep. Wendy Warburton, R-Chinook, by printing deadline this morning had neither filed for election or responded to a question asking whether she would run in House District 33 in the western half of that district.

Rep. Mike Lang, R-Malta, filed for re-election in the western portion of that district.

No Democrat had filed in either district as of printing deadline this morning.

Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, also is not up for re-election in his district, which stretches from Hill County to Roosevelt County and includes the Rocky Boy's, Fort Belknap and part of the Fort Peck Indian reservations and includes southern Blaine, Phillips and Valley counties.

Rep. Clarena Brockie, D-Harlem, who represents House District 32 in the western half of that district, had neither filed for re-election nor replied to an email by printing deadline today. No other Democrats or Republicans had filed as candidates in that district.

Watch for new filings on Twitter @HavreDaily, and on our website at http://www.havredailynews.com.