Campaign filing period opens today

Montana’s campaign filing period kicks off today, marking the official start to the 2016 election season.

The state’s primary election is June 7 and the general election is Nov. 8.

At the federal level, Montanans will vote for a new president and vice president, along with the state’s single U.S. House representative.

Incumbent Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., is running for re-election. Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, a Democrat from Browning, announced in November she would seek the House seat.

Statewide offices on the ballot will include governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, state school superintendent, Public Service commissioners, Montana Supreme Court chief justice and two associate justices.

While he has not yet made his campaign official, Republican businessman Greg Gianforte has begun raising money for the election and is expected to challenge incumbent Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat.

Tim Fox, the incumbent Republican attorney general, has already filed campaign finance reports with the Commissioner of Political Practices for the 2016 race. No other candidate has announced plans to challenge him.

In the Montana secretary of state race, state Commissioner of Securities and Finance Monica Lindeen, a Democrat, and former state Sen. Corey Stapleton, a Republican from Billings, have announced their candidacies.

Lindeen’s seat is also up, with Missoula Republican Champ Edmunds and Helena Democrat Jesse Laslovich the only current contenders for state auditor, according to campaign finance filings.

Voters will select a new state school superintendent with Juneau pursuing Zinke’s federal seat. Billings Republican Elsie Arntzen and Helena Democrat Melissa Romano-Lehman have begun raising money for the race.

On the Montana Supreme Court, Chief Justice Mike McGrath and Associate Justices James Shea and Patricia O’Brien Cotter are up for re-election to eight-year terms.

McGrath has begun raising money, with no current contenders for the position.

Both Kristen Juras and Dirk Sandefur of Cascade County are vying for Cotter’s seat.

In the Legislature, all House seats are up for re-election, as well as a half-dozen Senate seats throughout Northwest Montana. State senators are elected to four-year terms.

Senate District 2 includes West Glacier and Hungry Horse and is currently held by Sen. Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse.

Senate District 3 includes Whitefish and the northwest corner of Kalispell. Bruce Tutvedt, R-Kalispell, has been termed out of that seat after representing the district for eight years. Last year, Rep. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, announced he would run for Tutvedt’s open seat. Regier is the current House Majority Leader.

Senate District 6 covers northern Lake County, including Polson on its southern end.

Janna Taylor, R-Dayton, who held the seat for the past two years, announced in October 2015 she would not seek re-election. She endorsed freshman Rep. Al Olszewski, R-Kalispell, as her replacement. He will likely face a primary challenge from Republican Carmine Mowbray, who has begun raising money for the race.

Senate District 7 runs along the Idaho border from north of Heron to south of Superior, extending east to include Marion, Hot Springs and Dixon. Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, currently holds the seat.

Residents of Lincoln, Sanders and Mineral counties will have the chance to vote for the Public Service commissioner in District 4, which also includes Missoula, Powell, Ravalli and Granite counties. Philipsburg Democrat Mark Sweeney, the incumbent commissioner, and Hamilton Republican Bob Lake have begun raising money for the race.

Northwest Montana’s House Districts 1 through 13 are all in play.

No campaign finance reports had been filed with the Commissioner of Political Practices for Districts 1, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 as of Wednesday afternoon.

n Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, currently holds the District 2 seat and plans to seek re-election.

n District 3 incumbent Zac Perry, D-Hungry Horse, has filed campaign finance reports, as has his Republican challenger, Taylor Rose of Marion, who announced his candidacy last October.

n In House District 4, Jerry O’Neil, a Columbia Falls Republican, has filed for the seat currently held by Regier. O’Neil is a veteran legislator.

n District 5: David Fern, a Whitefish Democrat, was endorsed by current Rep. Ed Lieser, D-Whitefish, for the seat. After serving two terms, Lieser announced last year he would not run for re-election.

n District 7 incumbent Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, has filed campaign reports for a re-election bid. Lynn Stanley, a Kalispell Democrat, has also begun raising money for the race.

n District 12 incumbent Greg Hertz, R-Polson, and Polson Democrat Susan Evans have filed campaign finance reports for that race.

On the local level, Flathead County Commissioner Chairman Pam Holmquist’s seat is on the ballot.

No candidates had filed campaign finance reports for the position as of Wednesday.

Two Flathead District  judge positions are on the ballot: those currently held by Judge Dave Ortley and Judge Amy Eddy, who was appointed following Ted O. Lympus’ retirement last year.

In Lake County, Commissioner Ann Brower’s District 2 is on the ballot.

There also will be an election for the Lake County school superintendent to serve the remainder of the term ending in 2018. Current Superintendent Carolyn Hall was appointed to the position after the previously elected superintendent stepped down.

To find more information on registering for office or to vote, call the Flathead County Election Department at 758-5535 or visit flathead.mt.gov/election.

For Lake County, call 883-7268 or visit www.lakemt.gov/elections.