Jerry O'Neil wins HD 3

Jerry O’Neil, Republican candidate for House District 3, was the clear winner in Tuesday’s election, garnering 52 percent of the vote.

“I always do good when I’m ahead,” O’Neil said of winning the vote. “At about 10 o’clock I was at the Republican Headquarters amongst friends, I felt elated.”

Wednesday morning, O’Neil answered questions about his plan for his next term in office.

“It’s going to be difficult. I’m going to try to increase Montana’s relationship with the federal government, by giving us, Montana, more power over our own affairs,” O’Neil said. “Of course I’m going to try to make the state more fiscally healthy.”

O’Neil said he plans to keep the people’s money with the people.

“They can do it themselves rather than have the government do it for them,” he said. “There’s some things we need the government to do for us, otherwise programs that don’t accomplish much probably need to be cut or eliminated.”

O’Neil did not give a clear answer about funding education in House District 3. School District 6 is looking at a $500,000 shortfall in fiscal year 2011-2012 and may be forced to reduce staff, including teachers, and begin cutting programs.

“I’m sure we’re going to fund it as good as we can afford,” O’Neil said of education in the state of Montana. “We’ll have to take a look at the budget and see what we can afford. The governor has said that our economics is rosy. But it appears that we’re spending $25 to $30 million a month more than we’re taking in.

“Like every homeowner who balances their own budget, don’t spend what we don’t have.”

Zac Perry, the Democratic candidate for House District 3, trailed O’Neil with 39 percent of the vote. Independent Shawn Guymon earned just 8 percent.

Across the county and state, Republicans took win after win.

In the county commissioner race, Republican Pam Holmquist handily routed incumbent opponent Joe Brenneman, a valley dairy farmer and Democrat.

Denny Rehberg, Republican incumbent for Montana’s sole U.S. House of Representatives seat, won neatly over Democratic candidate Dennis McDonald. Rehberg garnered 20,996 votes in Flathead County, while McDonald earned 8,070. Libertarian candidate Mike Fellows earned a mere 1,947 votes in the county.

Helena attorney Bill Gallagher, a Republican, ousted incumbent Ken Toole from his Public Service Commission District 5 seat.

In the District Court District 11 Department 4 race, Flathead County Justice of the Peace David M. Ortley won over Heidi J. Ulbricht, a Kalispell city judge.

Daniel Wilson won over Glen Neier in the Justice of the Peace Department 1 race. Both men are longtime valley attorneys.

Incumbent Mark Sullivan was the clear winner of the Justice of the Peace Department 2 race. He won out over Flathead County sheriff’s deputy Travis Bruyer.

The results of other local senate and house district races are as follows (asterisk denotes incumbent):

Senate District 4

Jon Sonju (R) - 3,961

Mary Reckin (D) - 1,881

Senate District 5

*Verdell Jackson (R) - 5,690

Edd Blackler (D) - 1,934

House District 4

Will Hammerquist (D) - 1,849

Derek Skees (R) - 1,936

House District 5

*Keith Regier (R)- 3,534

James Henry Mahnke (D) - 873

House District 6

*Bill Beck (R) - 3,178

Scott Wheeler (D) - 1,535

House District 7

Randy Brodehl (R) - 2,237

Karen Reeves (D) - 851

House District 8

Steve Lavin (R) - 1,444

Bill Jones (I) - 285

mBryan Schutt (D) - 1,017

House District 9

*Scott M. Reichner (R) - 2,390

Neal Brown (D) - 808

House District 10

*Mark W. Blasdel (R) - 3,508

Carla Augustad (D) - 908

House District 11 (Flathead County ballots only)

*Janna Taylor (R) - 693

Cheryl Wolfe (G) - 134