Some races to keep an eye on

The flurry of late filings on Monday brought about a guarantee of an interesting primary season in Flathead County and Montana.

Locally, the presence of five people on the GOP ballot for county commissioner, many of whom have some degree of name recognition, could result in a slugfest that may see a winner with as little as one-fourth of the votes.

Certainly, former Kalispell council member Bob Herron; former county fairgrounds manager Jay Scott; and businessmen Mike Schlegel, Gary Krueger, and Terry Kramer all can claim the loyalty of some niche of the public. How the vote gets divided between them is anyone’s guess at this point, and promises to create an energetic and unpredictable campaign.

Waiting in the wings will be Clara L. Mears-LaChappelle, who filed as the lone Democrat in the race and thus is assured a place on the fall ballot. She has been a vocal opponent of gravel pit activity in the West Valley and will no doubt bring a unique perspective to the race.

There are some other interesting primaries that have developed in the legislative arena as well. In particular, we are keeping an eye on Senate District 3, where incumbent Bruce Tutvedt is in line to become president of the Senate — IF he is re-elected. Two Republicans are aiming to prevent that. Political newcomer Rollan Roberts II and former Kalispell council member Jayson Peters both filed on the GOP side to unseat Tutvedt, as did frequent candidate Shannon Hanson on the Democratic side.

In Senate District 2, where Ryan Zinke is giving up his seat to run for lieutenant governor, three Republicans have lined up for the chance to replace him. Bill Beck wants to move over from his current seat in the House, while Dee Brown wishes to return to the Legislature, where she has served frequently in the past. Suzanne Brooks, a conservative activist, is seeking her first term in the Legislature. And whoever gets the nomination will face David Fern, who is one of the strongest candidates among the slate of Democrats running this year.

Down in the Polson area, incumbent Republican senator Carmine Mowbray faces a primary challenge in District 6 by Rep. Janna Taylor, who is term-limited in her House district, as well as another Republican, Michael Larson. The winner will face Democrat Greg McClure and Green Party candidate Cheryl Wolfe in November.

At the state level, the most interesting campaign promises to be the Republican contest for the gubernatorial nomination. Seven people have filed for the chance to run against presumptive Democratic nominee Steve Bullock, who is currently the state’s attorney general. As in our county commissioner race, the crowded field could mean it’s anybody’s game, although the favorite remains former congressman Rick Hill.

At least three other candidates have large followings, however, and anyone could win if the vote is splintered enough ways. Look for a hard-fought battle between Corey Stapleton, Ken Miller, Neil Livingstone and Jim Lynch to emerge as the alternative to Hill. And if none of those candidates excite you, then you can still pick from the second tier and choose between another Democrat, two more Republicans, a Libertarian, and even an independent.

Like we said, it should be interesting.