Candidate filing for 2020 election starting to pick up

Editor's note: This version corrects misreporting that the Hill County sheriff position is up for election. That office is not up for election this year.

An election year that was hotly contested before candidate filing even began is starting to see more people file to run for office on the state and federal level, although many declared candidates still have not filed and filings on the county level still are slim locally.

No one had filed as a candidate for Montana governor this morning according to the Montana Secretary of State elections web pages.

Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock cannot run again due to term limits. He ran as a candidate for U.S. president, but pulled out of the campaign last month.

Republican Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, who cannot run for that office due to term limits, has said he will run for governor and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., who won a special election in 2017 to take the spot vacated when Republican Ryan Zinke left the office to become U.S. secretary of the interior, also has said he will run for the office.

State Sen. Al Olszewski, R-Kalispell, also has said he will run for governor.

On the Democrat's side, Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, a former state legislator and secretary of state, has declared, as has Montana House of Representatives Minority Leader Casey Schreiner of Great Falls, former Montana Rep. Reilly Neil, D-Livingston, and Missoula businesswoman Whitney Williams, who is the daughter of former U.S. Rep. Pat Williams.

After Gianforte declared he would run for governor in his second attempt - he lost to Bullock in 2016 - two Republicans declared they would run for his seat instead of running for re-election to state office. 

Auditor Matt Rosendale and Secretary of State Corey Stapleton both said they would run for the House seat, but neither had filed as of this morning.

Republican John Evankovich of Butte and former state Rep. Debra Lamm, R-Livingston, also a former chair of the Montana Republican Party, had filed by this morning.

Former Montana Rep. Kathleen Williams, D-Bozeman, is making another bid for that seat. Williams lost to Gianforte in 2018.

On the Senate side, incumbent Sen. Steve Daines, D-Mont., had not filed for re-election this morning, but one of his Democratic challengers, John Mues of Loma, had filed.

Declared Democratic candidates Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins, and Cora Nuemann and Mike Knoles, both Bozeman, had not filed as of this morning.

Two Democrats had filed in the race to take Fox's seat as attorney general, Rep. Kimberly Dudik, D-Frenchtown, and Bullock's chief legal counsel, Raph Graybill.

In the race to take Rosendale's place as auditor, Billings businessman Troy Downing, who lost the Republican Primary in the 2018 Senate race, has filed, as has Republican Nelly Nicol of Billings.

State Rep. Shane Morigeau of Missoula has filed in that race on the Democratic side.

Melissa Romano has filed as a Democrat in what could be a rematch of the 2016 election. Romano lost to Republican Elsie Arntzen, who had not filed as a candidate for re-election as of this morning.

State Judicial District 12 District Judge Kaydee Snipes Ruiiz has filed to fill out the term for which she was appointed in January.

In the non-partisan races for Montana Supreme Court, incumbent Laurie McKinnon of Helena and Mike Black, also of Helena, and Mars Scott of Missoula have filed as candidates in the race for seat 5, and incumbent Jim Shea of Helena has filed for re-election to seat 6.

In local county races, most of the candidates to file so far are incumbents.

In Liberty County, incumbent Democrat Maureen Wicks has filed for re-election to her Liberty County Commission seat and Democrat Anne Seidlitz-Melton has filed for re-election as Liberty County clerk of District Court.

In Chouteau County, incumbents Republican Chouteau County Commissioner Daren J. Schuster and Republican Clerk of District Court/Superintendent of Schools/County Surveyor Rick Cook have filed for re-election. 

No one has filed in the race for the seat for Chouteau County public administrator held by Karen Brooke.

In Blaine County, incumbent County Commissioner Delores Plumage has filed for re-election as a Democrat.

In the race for the clerk of district court seat now held by Tami Mitchell, Democrat Jim Doyle has filed.

In Hill County, incumbent Democrat Kathy Vigliotti has filed as a candidate for clerk of district court.

As of this morning, no one had filed in the races for eHill County commissioner, now held by Mike Wendland, county superintendent of schools, now held by Marie Deegan or public administrator, now held by Maggie Big Leggins.

In legislative races, Republican Reps. Casey Knudson of Malta and Josh Kasmier of Fort Benton have filed for re-election.

In the race for Senate District 16 now held by Democrat Frank Smith of Poplar, Maggie Smith of Wolf Point is the only candidate.

As of this morning, no one had filed in the races for the seats held by Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, or Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder.