Six seek top job in county

Six people have filed for the District 3 commission spot currently held by Dale Lauman. Lauman is not seeking re-election.

Five Republicans will square off in the June 5 primary election. The winner advances to the Nov. 6 general election where he will face Democrat Clara L. Mears-LaChappelle, the only Democrat to file for the office.

LaChappelle lives in West Valley. She filed for office Monday afternoon.

Last Friday, Ponderosa Estates resident Bob Herron filed for the Republican nomination. Herron owns an insurance agency in Kalispell and is a former Kalispell City Council member.

Herron said he has been thinking about running for commission for several years, but when commissioners in January changed the commission district boundaries to equalize their population, he was moved out of District 3.

Last week, however, commissioners rescinded their January vote and reinstated the boundaries that have been in place for years. Herron then decided to file for office.

After every census, governments must evaluate their districts to ensure as equal as possible number of residents live in each district.

Other Republicans who have filed for commissioner are Jay Scott, Mike Schlegel, Gary Krueger and Terry Kramer.

Scott was the longtime Flathead County Fairgrounds manager and has owned and operated a livestock operation in the county for 35 years.

Schlegel is president of Schlegel and Sons Contractors, the business his family has owned and operated for four decades.

Krueger owns and operates construction, trucking and farming businesses in the county.

Kramer owns Kramer Enterprises, a construction company.

Incumbent Peg Allison is unopposed in her bid for re-election as a Republican to the office of clerk of district court.

Ted Lympus is unopposed in his bid for re-election to the Department 1 District Court judge position in Flathead County.

Robert Allison, Bruce Fredrickson and Daniel Wilson, all of Kalispell, are seeking the Department 2 district judge’s spot being vacated by Kitty Curtis.

Vanessa Ceravolo and Heidi Ulbricht, both of Kalispell, filed for the Department 3 judge’s position, vying to succeed Stewart Stadler.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.