Campaign finance reports filed

Republicans in most state legislative races in north-central Montana are ending the election season with larger campaign war chests than their Democratic opponents, according to the last campaign finance reports filed Thursday.

The reports are the last ones political campaigns must file before next Tuesday’s elections.

An individual can give a maximum $530 in a given election to a state Senate campaign and $330 to a campaign for the Montana House of Representatives. PACs can give no more than $1400 to a state Senate campaign and no more than $850 to a campaign for the Montana House of Representatives, the COPP website says.

The latest reports cover the period from Sept. 30 through Oct. 22.

House District 28

In the race for House District 28, first term state Rep. Stephanie Hess, R-Havre, outraised her Democratic opponent Hill County Democratic Party Vice-Chair Jacob Bachmeier taking in $2,952 to his $1,280.

The latest fundraising period ends with $7,504.72 cash on hand for Hess and $214.78 for Bachmeier.

Hess’ contributors included Andrew Brekke, chair of the Hill County Republicans and president of the Havre City Council, who gave that candidate $160. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox donated $100. Set Berglee, a contractor from Joliet gave her $300, while Wayne Boich, CEO of Boich Companies in Ohio made a $330 contribution.

State Rep. Casey Schreiner, D-Great Falls and Northern Montana Health Care CEO Dave Henry gave Bachmeier $50 and $200 respectively. He also received $200 from the Blaine County Democratic Central Committee and $100 from EYE PAC.

House District 27

Ryan Rominger, the Democrat in the race to succeed termed-out state Rep. Roy Hollandsworth, R-Brady, ended the fundraising period with $737.32, compared with the $103 his  Republican opponent, former Chouteau County Commissioner Jim O’Hara, has in the bank.

Finance reports say Rominger, a farmer and psychology professor, took in $881.41, leaving him with $1,389.45 before expenses. That money included $300 from the Liberty County Democratic Central Committee and $100 from Treasure State PAC, which the Center for Responsive Politics lists as a Missoula-based leadership PAC affiliated with Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

He also received donations from three individuals including $170 from from Diana O’Hara of Fort Benton.

During the same fundraising period, James O’Hara took in $470. The Montana Academy of Ophthalmology Eye, an organization that represents eye doctors and surgeons in the state of Montana gave his campaign $100. State Rep. Bob Brown, R-Whitefish, and his wife, Sue, donated $100 as did Montana Republican Party Chairman and state Rep. Jeff Essman, R-Billings.

Missoula physician Carter Beck gave $100 to O’Hara.

House District 32

Term-limited state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, is unopposed in his bid for House District 32. Campaign documents show he has not raised or spent any money during the latest fundraising period.

House District 33

Republican candidate Casey Knudsen of Malta had not filed his reports for the Sept. 30 to Oct. 22 period. Reports from the June 23 through Sept. 29 period that were filed Oct. 4 show that Knudsen ended that period with $1,208.13, including $63.13 left over from the primary.

  In that period, Knudsen had raised $975. Ronda Wiggers a physician from Great Falls gave $200. The remainder of the money came from PACs. The campaign brought in $150  from the Montana Gas and Oil PAC based in Helena, $200 from the Montana Republican PAC and $425 from the Blaine County Republican Central Committee.

The final report filed by Knudsen’s Democratic opponent Mike Finley of North Havre, showed he did not raise any money between Sept. 30 and Oct. 22.

Senate District 16

State Rep. Bruce Meyers, R-Box Elder, who is running to succeed Windy Boy in the Montana Senate, raised $1,764 in the last fundraising period and after expenses had $2,383.68 remaining in the bank.

Meyers gave his own campaign $450. Campaign reports show his biggest donors were Greg Hertz of Polson, president of Moody’s Market Inc. and Seth Berglee, a contractor from Joliet, who each gave $300 to the Meyers campaign.

Eye PAC, which is based out of Billings, gave Meyers $100. Other notable donors included Brekke, who also serves as the campaign’s treasurer, who gave $160. Essman and state Rep. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, each gave $100.

Meyers’ opponent, former state Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, who has held the seat before, has $821 on hand after raising $550, campaign reports say.

That includes $250 from Treasure State PAC and $100 from the Blaine County Democratic Party.

He also received money from three donors including $50 from former state Sen. Greg Jergeson, D-Chinook.

Senate District 17

State Rep. Mike Lang, R-Malta, opted out of seeking re-election to his seat to make a bid for the Senate seat now occupied by term-limited state Sen. John Brendan, R-Scobey.

Lang ended the latest campaign fundraising period with $3,479.58 in his general election account and another $4,241,63 left over from the primary. He raised $270 from two donors $170 — Darren Mason of Homestead, a consultant with an agriculture company and $100 from Tim Fox.

No campaign reports had been filed as of this morning by Lang’s Democratic opponent, Douglas Adolphson, a motel owner  and retired plumber from Glasgow.