Republican Bukacek holds narrow lead in PSC primary
Dr. Annie Bukacek, a candidate for Public Service Commission district 5, waves to motorists outside the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds during the state's primary election in Helena, Mont., on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP)
Kalispell physician Ann Bukacek was ahead Wednesday morning on the Republican side for the Montana Public Service Commission, with Rep. Derek Skees, also of Kalispell, close behind in District 5.
Bukacek had 11,073 votes to Skees’ 10,999.
Helena rancher Joe Dooling slipped from an earlier lead Tuesday to 10,360. Dean Crabb had 3,106.
On the Democratic side, retired private sector finance manager John Repke, of Whitefish, remained ahead of Kevin Hamm, who runs an internet company. Repke had 54% of the vote, or 8,769, and Hamm had 46%, with 7,545 with most votes counted.
Five elected Public Service Commissioners regulate monopoly utilities in Montana. This year, commissioners from Districts 1 and 5 are on the ballot.
Incumbent Randy Pinocci looks headed for another term with the Public Service Commission with nearly twice the votes of his challenger.
Pinocci had nabbed most of the votes late Tuesday in District 1 for the Republican primary for Public Service Commission, a healthy 65%, with 28% of precincts counted, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s Office. By Wednesday morning, he had 18,193 votes.
Former Bureau of Indian Affairs officer K. Webb Galbreath, the only challenger in the district made up of roughly northeast Montana, counted 35%, or 9,764.
No Democrats were on the ballot for District 1.