Election filing deadline coming up Monday
The slate of candidates for Flathead County’s election positions remains slim, with just two business days left to file before Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline.
As of Thursday morning there were no candidates for county superintendent of schools, a position currently held by Marcia Sheffels, who has indicated she’s not running again.
Phil Mitchell of Whitefish remains the lone candidate for the District 1 county commissioner seat held by Cal Scott. Mitchell, a Republican, said in a press release on Wednesday that he has raised just over $15,000 from more than 115 contributors to his campaign.
Mitchell, a Whitefish businessman, said he expects other candidates to file for the seat before the Monday deadline.
“Regardless of who else files, I’m going to campaign hard to win, as our fundraising success already demonstrates,” Mitchell said.
Scott has yet to announce whether he’s running for re-election. He was appointed to represent District 1, the northern tier of the county, after Jim Dupont died in March 2012, and was elected in November that year to fill out the remaining two years of Dupont’s term.
In three other partisan county races, the incumbents so far are running unopposed. They are Treasurer Adele Krantz, County Attorney Ed Corrigan and Sheriff Chuck Curry. All three are Republicans.
Flathead County Justices of the Peace Dan Wilson and Mark Sullivan are seeking re-election and also have no opposition for their nonpartisan positions.
There’s a four-way race for clerk and recorder that includes county grant writer Debbie Pierson plus Char Terry Sherman and Rebekah Eslick Savelle, both former employees of the Clerk and Recorder Office. Corey Pilsch, shop and fleet supervisor for the county Road and Bridge Department, filed for clerk and recorder on Thursday. All four candidates are seeking the Republican nomination. The clerk and recorder also serves as election administrator, surveyor and auditor.
Current Clerk and Recorder Paula Robinson is retiring.
No Democrats have filed yet for any county offices.
There are several contested state legislative races and Democratic contenders for several local House district races.
In the race for Public Service Commissioner No. 5, Republican Derek Skees of Kalispell will face Brad Johnson of East Helena in the primary election. Democrat Galen Hollenbaugh of Helena is a third candidate for Public Service Commissioner.
The Flathead County Election Department will relocate from the main courthouse to the Flathead County Fairgrounds during the months of April, May and June. All registration and absentee ballot processing will be conducted at the Country Kitchen building at the fairgrounds during those months.
The primary election is June 3 with the general election Nov. 4.