Primary delivers mixed results for Northwest Montana incumbents
Test ballots are entered into a vote tabulator during a a public viewing test for the 2026 Special and School District Election at the Flathead County Election Department in Kalispell on Thursday, April 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Tuesday’s primary election delivered beginnings and endings to political hopefuls across Northwest Montana.
“From my perspective, the people prevailed,” said state Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, the Republican incumbent for Montana House District 7, representing downtown Kalispell.
Sprunger earned 64% of the vote in the district’s Republican primary, fending off a challenge from political newcomer Luke Maxwell. Despite a decisive victory, Sprunger said she isn’t ready to ease up on the gas quite yet.
“The best campaigners always say run like you’re behind,” she said. “That’s my mentality in these things.”
While she isn’t starting from behind, the primary results do hint that the general election may be far tougher than previous years. Madison Evans, the sole Democrat in the race, ended the day with 780 votes, compared to Sprunger’s final tally of 819 votes. Another 457 votes were cast for Maxwell, bringing the total Republican vote to 1,276.
With only 35% of Flathead County residents casting votes in the primary, Evans may well be able to close the gap between her and Sprunger in the general election.
Even closer races can be expected in House Districts 3 and 4, which collectively encompass Whitefish, Columbia Falls and the North Fork area.
In House District 3, Derek Peachey earned 817 of 1,518 votes in the Republican primary to beat out challenger Cathy Mitchell. Another 1,506 votes were cast for incumbent Debo Powers, the sole Democrat in the race. Powers secured 51.7% of the vote in the 2024 general election, winning by fewer than 250 ballots.
Shaun Pandina upset the status quo in neighboring House District 4, ousting incumbent Lyn Bennett by a margin of more than 500 votes.
A total of 1,350 votes were cast in the Republican primary, compared with 1,076 votes for sole Democrat Paula Koch.
Bennett said she sees her impending departure from the Montana House as a beginning rather than an end.
“I don’t need to be in that spot. I don’t own that spot. It’s a two-year commitment to serve your community, but there’s other ways to serve,” she said.
“My dogs will be happy I won’t be gone as much,” she added with a laugh.
Despite her optimism, Bennett said she was disappointed with how the primary election unfolded. She was caught off guard when attack ads funded by out-of-state political action committees began to flood her constituents’ mailboxes and fill their screens, lambasting her for her positions on various bills from the 2025 legislative session. Bennett attributed her loss, in part, to what she described as partial truths in the ads.
OTHER REPUBLICAN candidates to emerge victorious from contested primaries on Tuesday include Jim Riley, a businessman running for House District 6, and Steve Gunderson, a former state representative from Lincoln County in the running for Montana Senate District 1. Riley earned 67% of the vote in his district to secure the nomination over Arthur Dunn while Gunderson beat state Rep. Neil Duram and Libby entrepreneur Vincent Backen with 53% of the vote.
The only contested Democratic race in the region occurred in Montana House District 1. Dakota Adams won 62% of the primary vote compared to Roberta McCanse’s 38%.
Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 406-758-4433 or hsmalley@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.