Last-minute filings fill several races

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to show Penny Hadford and Dana Kjersem both filed as candidates Monday.

A flurry of filings late last week and Monday before the 5 p.m. filing deadline has added numerous candidates to races of local interest.

Conor Burns of Havre filed Thursday to run as a Libertarian for the House District 28 seat now held by Hill County Democratic Central Committee Chair and state Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre. No Republicans filed to run for the seat. HD 28 comprises most of Havre.

Burns, 36, is a machinist with BNSF and served two tours in the U.S. Navy. He said Sunday that he made the decision to run for the seat about 48 hours before he filed.

“People had been talking to me about doing it for a while, but I never really gave it much thought,” he said. 

If elected, Burns said  he wants to work to reduce property taxes and taxes that small businesses have to pay on equipment.  

“I’m a big economics nerd, so my main concern is to get Montana to a more free market type of atmosphere really.” he said.

Burns added that he also wants to support legislation to increase the rights of gun owners.  

In the race for House District 32 that runs from Hill and Chouteau counties to Phillips County, former Republican state Rep. G. Bruce Meyers of Box Elder is challenging Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder. Windy Boy served in the House and returned to that body last election after terming out in the Montana Senate.

Meyers, who could not be reached for comment by printing deadline this morning, won the seat in HD 32 in 2014 but did not run for re-election in 2016, instead running for the seat in Senate District 16 from which Windy Boy was terming out. Meyers lost to Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar.

Windy Boy, who filed as a candidate Friday, is a former Chippewa Cree Tribe council member and the tribe’s historic preservation officer.

He said his 15 years of experience in the state Legislature provides institutional knowledge he can share with newer lawmakers.

Although he said that he has accomplished a lot during his tenure in the Legislature, Windy Boy said he decided to run for re-election because there is still a lot more that needs to be done.

“It took all these years to get a lot of the stuff through that I did, and there are still other things that need to be done that didn’t quite make it across the finish line,” he said.

One of those is continuing to push to revise the regulation of charter schools in the state, which he said could help provide students in Indian Country more opportunities and staunch the dropout rate.  

Two charter schools already exist in Montana one in Bozeman and another in Libby, but Windy Boy said current law doesn’t provide school districts with enough flexibility.

Miles G. Hutton of Turner filed Friday to run as a Republican in the race for the District 3 seat on the Blaine County Commission.

Hutton, 55, is a Turner native, rancher and owner of Borderline Outfitters, a hunting outfitter business.

Hutton will face Harlem Mayor and former Democratic state Sen. Kenneth “Kim” Hansen in the general election for the seat.

Incumbent Charles Kulbeck, a Democrat from Harlem, announced in January he would not seek re-election.

Hutton said he once ran unsuccessfully for the Turner School Board, but that this year’s campaign will be his first for countywide office.

Hutton said he has considered a run for the County Commission “for a while” and after consulting with his family and local Republicans decided to enter the race.

“We haven’t had anyone from this end of Blaine County be a commissioner for a lot of years, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have some representation, and I have been interested in doing something like this for awhile,” Hutton said.

In other last-minute filings, Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger received a challenge from Bruce Grant in her non-partisan bid for re-election, and Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson, a Democrat, faces a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Dana Kjersem.

Republican Penny Hadford filed to run against Democratic Hill County Treasurer Sandy Brown.

Two Democrats, Deputy Hill County Attorney Karen Alley and Havre attorney Randy Randolph, will compete to be their party’s candidate for Hill County Attorney.

Jessica Cole-Hodgkinson, appointed by the county commissioners to replace Gina Dahl who resigned last year to take a job in Billings, did not file to run in the election.

No Republicans or third-party candidates filed to run for the seat.

Hill County District Judge Daniel Boucher, who is unopposed in his nonpartisan race, filed for re-election Monday.

Clerk and Recorder Susan Armstrong, Auditor Cathy Olson, Sheriff Jamie Ross and County Superintendent of Schools Maureen Odegard, all Democrats, are unopposed.

In the race for Blaine County sheriff, Republican Undersheriff Frank Billmayer and Democrat Sheriff”s Department Lt. Jim Colby, will face each other in the general election.

Treasurer Tori MacLean and County Attorney Kelsie Harwood, both Democrats, are unopposed in their bids for re-election.

Clerk and Recorder/Accessor Tammy Williams and County School Superintendent Valerie White, both Democrats, are running for full terms after being appointed by Blaine County commissioners last year to finish out the terms of their predecessors.

Blaine County Justice of the Peace Perry Miller is unopposed in his nonpartisan race.

Chouteau County Commissioner Robert Pasha will face state Rep. James O’Hara, R-Fort Benton, for the District 3 seat on the commission in the county’s only contested primary.

Chouteau County Attorney Stephen J. Gannon; Sheriff Vern Burdick; Clerk and Recorder Lana K. Classen, all Republicans, are unopposed, as is nonpartisan Justice of the Peace Susan Spencer.

Republican Toni Frieling-Eckhoff is unopposed in her race for the open treasurer/assessor seat.

In Liberty County, Clerk and Recorder Angel Colbry will face a Republican Primary challenge from Gavin Buffington. County Treasurer Denise Waken will go up against challenger Rachelle Fenger in the Republican primary.

County Commissioner Larry Hendrickson, County Superintendent of Schools Kathy Armstrong, County Attorney Robert Padmos and Sheriff Doug Riggin, all Republicans are unopposed in the primaries and general election.

Justice of the Peace Holly Fredrickson is also unopposed in her nonpartisan bid for re-election.

In statewide races in which candidates filed earlier, Joshua Kassmier of Fort Benton and Darrold Hutchinson from north of Hingham will compete in the Republican primary for the seat occupied by O’Hara in House District 27 that runs from the Canadian border to just outside Great Falls, including Liberty and parts of Hill, Chouteau and Cascade counties.

The winner of the primary will go up against Democrat Dan Nelsen of Fort Benton in the general election.

State Rep. Casey Knudsen. R-Malta, is unopposed in the race for House District 33 that runs from northeastern Hill County through northern Blaine, Phillips and Valley counties.

In State Senate District 14 that includes House districts 27 and 28, Brad Lotton of Havre will challenge state Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, in the Republican primary.

The winner will face Democrat Paul Tuss of Havre in the general election.

Republicans in the race for the District 1 seat on the Montana Public Service Commission are in a four-way primary. Former state Rep. Randy Pinocci, R-Sun Belt; state Rep. Rob Cook, R-Shelby. Cory McKinney of Great Falls and Mark Wicks of Inverness are vying for their party’s nomination.

The winner will face off against Democrat Doug Kaercher in the general election for the seat now held by Commissioner Travis Kavulla, R-Great Falls.

Kavulla is unable to run for re-election due to term limits.