A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
House District 5. Whitefish school board member David Fern has filed for the Democratic primary. Incumbent Rep. Ed Lieser is not running for re-election. HD-5 leans Democratic.
House District 6. Rep. Carl Glimm (R-Kila) filed for re-election. HD-6 is solidly Republican.
House District 11. The Secretary of State’s website now lists Derek Skees as having filed for HD-11. This makes more sense than his taking a run at Frank Garner. Yesterday SecST listed Skees as filing for HD-7; probably a clerical error.
House District 3. Taylor Rose, whom Flathead Memo introduced on 30 September, filed for the Republican primary. Rose has a campaign website. Incumbent Rep. Zac Perry (D-Columbia Falls) filed a C-1 last year.
Senate District 6. Rep. Albert Olszewski (R-Kalispell) filed for the seat being vacated by Janna Taylor. He's expected to face former Sen. Carmine Mowbray in the Republican primary.
House District 7. Incumbent Republican Frank Garner filed for re-election. Former Rep. Derek Skees filed as a Republican, setting up a primary contest that Garner should win without much difficulty. Skees’s wife, Ronalee, lost to Garner in the 2014 GOP primary. Lynn Stanley filed for the Democratic primary.
Update, 15 January 2016 at 9:21:55 MST. Skees is now listed as filing for HD-11, which is being vacated by Rep. Olszewski. This is a deep red district. The winner of the Republican primary will win the general election.
House District 10. Rep. Mark Noland (R-Bigfork) filed for re-election.
Senate District 2. Sen. Dee Brown (R-Hungry Horse) filed for re-election.
Senate District 4. As expected, Rep. Keith Regier has filed for the Republican nomination. SD-3 is currently represented by termed out Sen. Bruce Tutvedt.
House District 4. Looks like a contested Republican primary. Matt Regier filed for the seat being vacated by termed-out Keith Regier (son and father?). Former Rep. Jerry O’Neil filed a C-1 with political practices late last year.
House District 9. Incumbent Republican Randy Brodehl filed.