Hansen easily beats Mattson

State Rep. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, withstood a challenge Tuesday in her bid to move to the state Senate, and now advances to the general election.

Hansen defeated Chester farmer Carl Mattson 1,744 to 927, with more than 65 percent of the vote.

She now faces Sen. Greg Jergeson, D-Havre, in the Nov. 4 general election for Senate District 14 that runs from the Canadian border in Liberty and western Hill counties, including Havre, through Chouteau County to just outside of Great Falls.

Jergeson was unopposed in the primary, receiving 1,234 votes Tuesday.

Hansen was elected to the House of   Representatives in 2010, taking the seat vacated by Rep. John Musgrove, D-Havre, who left office due to term limits. She defeated Democrat Jack Trethewey 1,923 to 1,066.

In 2012, Hansen defeated Democrat Brenda Skornogoski 1,979 to 1,667.

She ran for the Senate this year rather than running in the newly redistricted House election, with Stephanie Hess running as a Republican in House District 28.

Hess, who received 578 votes Tuesday in her unopposed primary race, faces Democrat Janet Trethewey in the general election. Trethewey, also unopposed Tuesday, received 612 votes.

Jergeson served nearly 30 years in the Senate then left office due to term limits. He then termed out of the Public Service Commission after serving two terms on that body, and ran again for the Senate in 2012. In that election, he defeated Republican Don Richman of Harlem 3,823 to 3,391.

After redistricting eliminated his ability to run in the district including Chinook, effectively removing him from office, Jergeson moved to Havre and filed as a candidate in the new SD 14.