A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
Looking for political fireworks next spring? You’ll find them in Senate District 6 (map), which runs from Polson to Kalispell and encompasses most of Flathead Lake. Incumbent Janna Taylor (R-Dayton) yesterday announced she won’t seek a second term — she’s retiring from politics to travel and enjoy her grandchildren — and that House District 11’s Rep. Albert Olszewski (R-Kalispell) will run to replace her in the State Senate.
Olszewski must first get past former Sen. Carmine Mowbray, who filed her C-1 with Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices on 8 September 2015.
Mowbray lost to Taylor 1,630–1,792 in a bitter and ugly primary in 2012. There was considerable crossover voting in that primary, and there may well be significant crossover voting in the 2016 primary. On the political spectrum, Mowbray occupies a spot next to Sen. Bruce Tutvedt — and along with Tutvedt in 2012, was subjected to a cannonade of negative advertising from the Montana Family Foundation — advertisements that Tutvedt called lies.
Tutvedt survived his primary challenge from Rollan Roberts II by just 71 votes, won re-election, and became a leader in the fight against dark money.
Although term limits preclude Tutvedt’s running again for the State Senate, he’s eligible to run for a seat in the Montana House of Representatives. He could file for the GOP nomination in HD-4, where term limits prevent incumbent Keith Regier from running again. He could also run in HD-11. But Tutvedt’s running for anything other than his life would not be popular with the tea party dominated Flathead GOP, which censured Tutvedt for his support of the CSKT water compact.
Olszewski’s decision to run for the Senate opens HD-11 (map), a seat safely Republican. One possible GOP candidate is tea party favorite Mike Hebert, who lost to Olszewski 855–918 in the 2014 primary. Hebert also lost a bid for the Flathead Valley Community College board of trustees.
No one will mistake Olszewski, a surgeon, for a progressive, but during the last legislative session, he did vote and speak against legalizing the sale of raw milk. He was more responsible on that issue than some Democrats.
