Local campaign spending ramps up for primary

Those political signs and mailers appearing across Northwest Montana aren’t free, and the first round of campaign finance reports shows tens of thousands of dollars have already been spent in 2016 legislative contests.

Tuesday was the deadline for candidates for Montana’s House and Senate districts to report campaign contributions through April 28.

Area Senate campaigns have attracted the most money thus far, with more than $30,000 raised and $22,000 spent in the Senate District 3 race.

Don “K” Kaltschmidt reported raising $17,181 and spending $13,338 during the district’s primary race in which he faces Rep. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell. Kaltschmidt also loaned $10,000 to his campaign during the reporting period.

Regier has spent $6,381 out of $7,989 raised.

The winner of that primary will face Democrat Melissa Hartman in the general election. Hartman has no primary challengers, but reported contributions of nearly $5,000, of which she has spent about half.

The other fundraising leader during the early reporting period is Rep. Al Olszewski, a Republican Senate District 6 candidate. The Kalispell doctor has spent $5,356 out of nearly $14,000 raised. He has loaned himself an additional $6,000.

Candidates are not limited in how much they can spend on their own campaigns. While they can directly donate to their coffers, many instead loan themselves the money, allowing them to recoup the money from later donations.

In area House races, the District 11 Republican primary between Jean Barragan and Derek Skees has attracted over $12,000 in contributions.

Barragan reported spending $5,289 out of $7,150 raised. Skees reported raising $5,224 and spending $2,295.

Democrat David Fern has amassed $8,200 in his effort to succeed departing Rep. Ed Lieser, D-Whitefish, in House District 5. Fern has spent $2,319 while his Republican opponent, Chet Billi, reported spending $1,535 of $1,555 raised.

Neither incumbent Rep. Zac Perry, D-Hungry Horse, nor Republican challenger Taylor Rose faces a primary challenge in the House District 3 race. Perry spent $490 out of $4,587 raised and Rose spent $1,511 out of $3,805 raised.

Republican Matt Regier has $4,495 in contributions in his campaign for House District 4, including a $3,125 loan from himself. The political newcomer spent $1,432 during the reporting period.

Legislative candidates must report all contributions to their campaigns, and missed deadlines automatically result in fines from the state political practices office.

Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jon Motl said this is the first time legislative candidates have had to file this round of reports, due 35 days before the June 7 primary election.

The next reports, covering the period from April 29 through May 21, are due May 26.

Under the Disclose Act passed by the 2015 Legislature, 2016 is also the first year legislative candidates are required to submit reports electronically. That information is immediately posted on the Campaign Electronic Reporting System, the state’s new campaign finance database.

Motl said Tuesday that he hopes the new system will increase transparency in the state’s elections.

“You can require reporting, you can require disclosure, and Montana has been in the forefront of the nation on that,” Motl said. “But unless it’s transparent and immediately available to the press and the public, you’ve only got half the battle won.”

The state’s new reporting website allows users to search by individual candidates, political action committees, contributors and races.

To use the state’s campaign finance database, visit https://camptrackext.mt.gov/CampaignTracker.

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.