Olszewski first candidate to file in race for governor

Republican gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Al Olszewski, R-Kalispell, is the first to file in the Montana governor’s race, filing Tuesday, and he has selected state Rep. Ken Bogner, R-Miles City, as his lieutenant governor.

Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock cannot run for re-election due to term limits, leaving the seat of Montana governor open for the election in 2020. Since last year, several people have declared for Montana governor. 

On the Republican side of the ballot, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, who cannot run for re-election to that office because of term limits, and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., also have declared, but neither had filed as of print deadline this morning.

On the Democrat side, Montana Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, House Majority Leader Casey Shreiner of Great Falls and Missoula businesswoman Whitney Williams, daughter of retired long-time U.S. Rep. Pat Williams, have declared but had not filed by this morning.

Libertarian Ron Vandervendor has also declared as a gubernatorial candidate but had not filed as of this morning.

A number of candidates have also filed for election for legislative offices, including Senate districts 16 and 17 and House districts 27, 28, 31 and 33. 

Incumbent Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, has been the latest to have filed for office. 

“I have officially submitted the documentation for candidacy of Montana Senate District 17,” Lang said, adding that his constituents are from Hill, Blaine, Phillips, Valley, Daniel, Sheridan and Roosevelt counties, saying that is northeastern Montana, “a great part of the world with the best people.”

No other candidate had filed for Senate District 17 as of print deadline this morning.

Rep. Bridget Smith, D-Wolf Point, who cannot run for re-election in the House due to term limits, has filed as a candidate for Senate District 16, now held by Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, who has filed as a candidate for her seat in House District 31.

Senate District 16 stretches from Hill County to Roosevelt County, almost to the North Dakota Border, and includes parts of Rocky Boy’s, Fort Belknap and Fort Peck Indian reservations.

House District 31 is the eastern half of that Senate district.

No one had filed by this morning in the race for House District 32, held by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, the eastern half of Senate District 16

In the House, a Republican primary is pending in House District 33, which stretches from northeastern Hill County through northern Blaine and Phillips counties into northwestern Valley County. Republican Joyce Stone of Glasgow filed as a candidate to challenge incumbent Rep. Casey Knudsen, R-Malta, who also has filed.

Republican incumbent Rep. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, has filed for House District 27 and Democrat Krystal Steinmetz has filed for House District 28 in the race to take the seat held by Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, who announced he is not running this year.

Neither Kasmier nor Steinmetz faced a primary or general election opponent as of this morning.