Kalispell mayor will not seek reelection

Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson will not seek reelection.

“I didn’t want to run again this last time, this time for sure, unequivocally,” Johnson said near the end of Kalispell City Council’s Jan. 21 meeting. “I am not running for mayor or council in the next election.” 

“I’m getting awful jaded in my younger old age, and I need a breather” from keeping tabs on the state capital and Washington, D.C., he said.  

“I can honestly say it’s been a tremendous experience,” Johnson added. 

The three-term mayor was first elected in 2013, re-elected in 2017 and again in 2021. That last election saw him defeat City Councilor Sid Daoud at the ballot box.  

Johnson’s term as mayor will end in December 2025.  

Johnson grew up in Whitefish and raised his seven children in Kalispell. When not in the City Hall, he works as a financial advisor for Stifel, a multinational investment banking corporation. 

Johnson took office over a decade ago with a mission to revitalize the city’s downtown district and finish the U.S. 93 Bypass. The mayor has since led with a belief in small government, with the city’s financial health being a top priority going into his final term, reported by the Daily Inter Lake.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.