Jopek withdraws from local House race

Whitefish Pilot

In a move that stunned many local and state political pundits, Rep. Mike Jopek, D-Whitefish, decided last week not to run for re-election.

"It was the hardest decision I've made in a long time," he told the Pilot, "but my heart and gut told me I need to buckle down and stay on the farm this spring."

Jopek explained that working in Helena every other year during March and April conflicted with spring planting at his small farm on Blanchard Lake Road.

His partner, Pam Gerwe, took care of things the best she could while he was away, he said, "but it's my responsibility to get the seeds in."

"My passion is in providing local food," he said, noting that he is the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. "More and more small farms are starting up, and there are partner opportunities with the state. The security of the nation depends on local food, and the federal government is beginning to recognize that fact."

A decade of public service in the Whitefish area is not coming to an end, he said. Jopek will continue to work until the end of the year on an interim committee studying property-tax mitigation, and he continues to promote affordable housing as chairman of the Whitefish Area Land Trust.

He also serves on a "core group" that must develop a management plan for school trust lands surrounding Whitefish by the end of the year. Jopek got involved in protecting recreation values in these lands from the very beginning, when the state first proposed selling some school trust lands for development and swapping Spencer Mountain for private land on Haskill Mountain, near Kila.

Jopek's first bid for the legislature in 2002 ended in defeat to the Republican incumbent, Bob Lawson, by 1,664 to 1,497. But by 2004, Lawson was term-limited out and new legislative districts favored Whitefish Democrats in what had been a Republican stronghold across the Flathead.

Announcing his second House bid in January 2004, Jopek outlined a platform of protecting access to public lands and water, providing businesses incentives to address health-insurance gaps and creating affordable housing for working families.

He also announced he would take no money from special interest groups, a pledge he kept to the end.

Raised in a Republican home, Jopek described himself as a fiscally conservative and socially progressive Democrat. By 2004, he and Pam Gerwe had owned and operated the Purple Frog Gardens farm for 14 years.

After 10 years of Republican control in Helena, it was time for Democrats to take a leadership role, Jopek said at the time. Republican rhetoric called for more extractive industry, but mining and timber accounted for only 3 percent of the state economy, he said, and 40 percent of the state's top-earning corporations paid less than $1,000 a year in taxes.

Jopek had served on the Whitefish City-County Planning Board and the Whitefish Housing Authority, both as chairman. Citing the city's new affordable housing ordinance, Jopek told voters he would fight to keep those tools available for all Montanans.

Rising property values in a rapidly growing Whitefish was a boon to those with homes and land but an increasing problem to young families. But Jopek also recognized early on the problem posed by the state's six-year reappraisal cycle — property taxes were going to increase dramatically for Whitefish homeowners by 2010.

In October 2004, Jopek told the Pilot he would like to freeze property values and change the state system so properties were reappraised when they were sold. But he warned about adjusting property taxes because so much of the revenue went to public education.

Jopek defeated Republican Bill Beck that year by 2,600 to 2,150. Beck, a Navy veteran, went on to win a seat in House District 6, rural Whitefish and West Valley, in 2006.

Getting elected to a second term in 2006 was a cakewalk as Republican Erik Jerde, a libertarian from Kalispell, didn't mount much of a campaign. Jopek, who won by 2,550 to 1,543, continued to call for capping property taxes during the reappraisal cycle. He also proposed reducing property taxes for people who paid Montana income taxes by 5 percent.

The state's financial condition had done a 180-degree turnaround by 2006, going from a projected $300 million deficit to a $900 million surplus. Jopek continued to be a big supporter of education, but he also took a stance against unfunded mandates — including growth policies for cities and counties. He liked the idea of the planning tool, but growth policies were not supported by state money, he said at the time.

And while he supported Gov. Schweitzer's energy initiatives and wanted to see more alternative energy projects supported, he called for legislators to step up by eliminating their own health insurance coverage, which cost state taxpayers about $2 million a year.

The 2008 election was both contentious and a squeaker. Jopek narrowly defeated Republican John Fuller, a Kalispell high school teacher, by 2,919 to 2,427. By that time, as a member of Flathead Gateway Partners, Jopek was heavily involved in protecting recreation values on school trust lands surrounding Whitefish and promoting the A Trail Runs Through It round-the-lake trail system.

Jopek also was serving on an interim committee studying ways to mitigate the fast-approaching property reappraisals. As the general election approached, however, a projected $450 million surplus eroded away under the onslaught of a global credit crisis and resulting economic recession.

Looking to the future, Jopek recognized how the state is faring in these tough times.

"Montana demonstrated its ability to be good fiscal managers — only two states in the nation have a surplus, and Montana is one of them," he said. "We made the tough decisions. The federal government needs to do a better job of fiscal management."

Voters will face large field of candidates

By the time filing for this year's election closed March 15, a crowded ballot was filled with a number of contested races.

There is also one new race — District Court Judge Dept. 4. All judges races are nonpartisan, and any judges race with two candidates or more will appear on the June 8 primary ballot. The top-two winners will face off in the Nov. 2 general election.

As has happened here in the past, several races will be determined during the Republican or Democratic primaries. Absentee ballots will be mailed out May 10. To add to the mix, there will be a school board election on May 4.

Republicans currently control the Montana Senate by 27-23, while the House is divided 50-50. According to state law, a qualified resident can run in any House or Senate district as long as it is in the same county in which the candidate lives.

Statewide, 188 Repub-lican and 133 Democratic candidates for the legislature have filed for election. Many were late filings. By March 9, no Democrats had filed in 46 legislative districts and no Republicans had filed in 32 districts.

In House District 4, Whitefish proper, incumbent Rep. Mike Jopek, D-Whitefish, withdrew from the race on March 15. Two Democrats have filed, Will Hammerquist, of Whitefish, and Trevor Caudill, of Kalispell. Three Republicans will face off in the primary, Damon Pace, of Whitefish, Bill Geisse, of Marion, and Derek Skees, of Kalispell.

In House District 6, rural Whitefish and West Valley, incumbent Bill Beck, R-Whitefish, will face a familiar opponent, Scott Wheeler, D-Kalispell. Wheeler recently became the chairman of the Flathead County Democratic Party, replacing Mark Holston. Keith Sibbert, Kalispell, is running for the Constitution Party.

The county commissioner race is packed, but not as much as in 2006. Three Republicans from Kalispell have tossed their hats in the ring, including returning past commissioner Howard Gipe, the only person to hold the seat for three terms.

Facing him in the Republican primary will be Evergreen businesswoman Pamela Holmquist and Patrick Nickol, a construction contractor. For the Democrats, incumbent single-term commissioner Joe Brenneman, of Kalispell, will face Creston businesswoman Noel Gorton in the primary.

As happened in 2006, the Flathead County sheriff's race will be determined by the Republican primary. Incumbent Mike Meehan, of Kalispell, who was undersheriff when he won four years ago, will face Chuck Curry, of Kalispell, the undersheriff before him, and sheriff's deputy Lance Norman, of Whitefish.

The last time the Flat-head Clerk and Recorder saw an opponent was in 2002, when Paula Robinson, R-Columbia Falls, defeated the Republican incumbent, Sue Haverfield, also of Columbia Falls. Robinson now faces Rebekah Eslick, of Bigfork, in this year's Republican primary.

County Attorney Ed Corrigan, R-Kalispell, County Treasurer Adele Krantz, R-Kalispell, and County Superintendent of Schools Marcia Sheffels, R-Whitefish, are all running unopposed.

A new race on this year's ballot was created when the Legislature created a fourth department at Flathead County District Court. Four candidates have filed for the position — current Justice of Peace David Ortley, of Kalispell, Kalispell City Court Judge Heidi Ulbricht, of Kalispell, Whitefish attorney Phyllis Quatman and Kalispell attorney Rich De Jana.

Two Kalispell attorneys have filed for the Justice of Peace Dept. 1 position vacated by Ortley — Daniel Wilson and Glen Neier.

Four candidates will contend for Justice of Peace Dept. 2, including incumbent Mark Sullivan, of Kalispell, Whitefish attorney Eric Hummel, Bigfork attorney Paul Sullivan and sheriff's deputy Travis Bruyer, of Kalispell.

Incumbent Mike Wheat, of Bozeman, is running unopposed for Montana Supreme Court Justice No. 2, while Nels Swandal, of Wilsall, will face Beth Baker, of Helena, for Montana Supreme Court Justice No. 4.

In Montana's lone Congressional race, incumbent Rep. Denny Rehberg, of Billings, will face two other Republicans in the primary, A.J. Otjen, of Laurel, and Mark French, of Paradise. Four Democrats have also filed, including Dennis McDonald of Melville, Tyler Gernant and Melinda Gopher, of Missoula, and Sam Rankin, of Billings. Mike Fellows, of Missoula, is running as a Libertarian.

Public Service Comm-issioner No. 5 incumbent Ken Toole, D-Helena, will face either Republican primary winner, Bill Gallagher, of Helena, or Brad Johnson, of East Helena.