Election 2024: Candidates continue to file in 2024 election

Editor’s note: This version corrects that Ryan Zinke formerly was secretary of the interior.

More candidates have filed in the races for the 2024 election, from local county races to the federal election.

In Chouteau County, incumbent County Attorney Stephen Gannon has filed as a Republican for re-election, and in Blaine County, incumbent County Superintendent of Schools Valery White also has filed as a Republican for reelection. Both were unopposed as of this morning.

In Blaine County incumbent Commissioner Frank DePriest is facing a challenge in the Republican primary with both Kevin Mellville and Shane Fox filing in that race. No Democrats had filed as of this morning.

Incumbent Blaine County Sheriff/Coroner John Colby has filed for re-election as a Democrat and has no challengers as of this morning.

Pauly B. Miller has filed as a Republican in the race for Blaine County clerk and recorder/assessor. Incumbent Tammy Williams had not filed as a candidate as of this morning.

Tori MacLean DesRosier had filed as a Democrat for re-election to Blaine County treasurer and was unopposed as of this morning, as was incumbent Blaine County Attorney Kelsie Whitwood Harwood, who also is running as a Democrat.

Incumbent Blaine County Justice of the Peace Perry Miller also was unopposed this morning in his bid to retain the nonpartisan justice position.

Chouteau County also has a contested election, with Seth Broesder and Sissy Felton candidates in the non-partisan race for Chouteau County justice of the peace, now held by Susan Spencer, who had not filed for reelection as of this morning.

The other races with candidates as of this morning in Choueau County were unopposed, including Republican Sheriff Vern Burdick's race for reelection, Republican County Commissioner Cley Rielh's candidacy for reelection, and the candidacies of Republican Clerk and Recorder Lana Claassen and Chouteau County Treasurer Toni Eckhoff, who also has filed for reelection as a Republican.

Incumbent Liberty County Sherriff Nick Erickson also is facing a challenge in his bid for reelection.

In the Republican primary, Erickson faces candidates Jim Hofer and Darbie Wentworth.

All of the other Liberty County races were uncontested as of this morning, including the nonpartisan race for justice of the peace, now held by Holly Fredreckson, with Chris Chase the sole candidate.

Also uncontested were the incumbents running for reelection, all as Republicans. Those are Liberty County Clerk and Recorder Davin Buffington, Treasurer Denise Wanken, County Attorney Robert Padmos and Commissioner Joette Woods.

In Hill County, incumbent Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean, a Republican, faces Democrat Sheri Williams, the executive assistant to the Hill County Commission, in McLean's bid for re-election.

In the Hill County Clerk and Recorder's Office, two deputy clerk and recorders have filed as Democrats for the seat now held by Sue Armstrong.

Lexis Dixon and Tina Louise Salazar each have filed as Democrats in that race.

The other races have incumbents running unopposed as yet, including Hill County Justice of the Peace Audrey Barger in that nonpartisan race, Hill County Sheriff/Coroner Jamieson Ross has filed for re-election as a Democrat, Hill County Auditor Kathy Olson has filed for reelection as a Democrat, as has Hill County Treasurer/Assessor Sandy Brown, a Democrat, while Hill County Superintendent of Public Schools Vicky Proctor, who was appointed in August, has filed as a Republican to retain her seat.

Legislative races

Some local legislative races also are contested, although several incumbents are running unopposed.

In the race for House District 28 which includes most of Havre, Democrat Paul Tuss announced Monday he is running, challenging the reelection bid of first-term Rep. Ed Hill, R-Havre.

In House District 33, which runs from Havre east, Democrat Jordan Ophus of North Havre is challenging Rep. Casey Knudsen, R-Malta, in his bid for a fourth term.

Sen. Russ Tempel, R-Chester, is unopposed in his bid for re-election in Senate District 14, which includes Havre and Liberty County and runs south to just outside of Great Falls.

Rep. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, also is unopposed in his bid fore reelection to House District 27, which is the rest of Senate District 14 excluding House District 28.

Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, as of this morning had not filed for reelection in House District 32, which runs from southeastern Hill and northeastern Chouteau counties into southern Phillips County. Windy Boy had not responded as of printing deadline this morning to an email asking if he planned to file.

No candidates were listed in that race on the Montana Secretary of State website as of this morning.

State and federal races

In state and federal races, incumbent Republican Montana Public Service Commissioner Randy Pinocci was unopposed as of this morning in his bid for reelection.

And the slate of candidates for the two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives continues to grow.

The 2020 Census gave Montana two seats in the House for the first time since 1993.

In the race for House District 1, which has no incumbents, Republicans Allen McKibben of Columbia Falls; former state Sen. Al "Doc" Olszewski, who has run for governor and U.S. senator; Mary Todd of Kalispell, and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, also a former state senator and former U.S. representative, are facing off in the primary.

On the Democratic side, Cora Neuman of Bozeman, who withdrew from the primary in the 2020 Senate race, is the sole candidate.

In the race for House District 2, Republican incumbent Rep. Matt Rosendale faces a primary challenge from Kyle Austin of Billings, formerly of Havre, and James Boyette of Bozeman.

The Democratic primary in that race has Sen. Mark Sweeney, D-Philipsburg, facing Skylar Williams of Billings.