Lieser wins House District 4 seat

All-night-long vote counting produced a reversal in the House District 4 race in Flathead County.

When final votes were tallied late Wednesday morning, Democrat Ed Lieser had defeated Republican Tim Baldwin for the Whitefish-area seat.

Lieser had 2,765 votes or 54 percent; Baldwin had 2,355 votes or 46 percent.

That makes Lieser the only Democrat elected to the Legislature from Flathead County. All the other legislative races were won by GOP candidates by overwhelming margins.

Lieser will succeed Derek Skees, who did not seek re-election while he unsuccessfully ran for state auditor.

Lieser, 63, is retired from a 30-year career with the U.S. Forest Service.