Flathead senate race is most expensive

From commissioner to district judge, lots of personal money invested

According to most recent quarterly candidate finance reports filed with the Montana Office of Political Practices, the big money in Flathead Valley primary races this year was found in the Senate District 3 race. It has been described as the most expensive legislative primary race in the state.

Republican challenger Rollan Roberts II, of Whitefish, reported $30,621 in receipts for his campaign, including $25,312 of his own money and $5,309 from 55 individuals, of which 27 were out-of-state contributors.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Bruce Tutvedt, of Kalispell, reported $19,705 in receipts, including $3,300 from 19 political action committees (PACs) and one incidental committee. Most of Tutvedt’s money came from the 149 local individuals who contributed $16,405.

The winner of this contentious race will face Democrat Shannon Hanson, of Whitefish, who didn’t report any receipts or expenditures.

Candidate finance reports were not available to the Hungry Horse News in time for the May 30 paper. In other local races:

• Five of the six Republican candidates for Flathead County commissioner for the north valley filed campaign finance forms. Kirk Gentry, of Columbia Falls, topped the list, reporting $5,455 in receipts, of which $3,065 was personal money and $2,350 came from 20 individuals.

Cal Scott, of Columbia Falls, was next with $3,505 in receipts, including $2,835 of his own money, $160 from one PAC and $510 from five individuals. Scott, who was picked by commissioners Dale Lauman and Pam Holmquist to be the interim commissioner until after the November election, filed for bankruptcy in August 2009. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Butte discharged Scott and his wife from $229,154 in claims. The trustee’s final account in June 2011 included $170,170 in unsecured claims accrued on 22 credit cards.

Doug Adams, of Whitefish, reported $2,455 in receipts, including $1,950 of his own money and $495 from five individuals. Ben Stormes, of Whitefish, reported $2,440 in receipts, including $2,000 of his own money and $440 from five individuals. Glenn Kolodejchuk reported $1,730 in receipts, of which $1,335 came from 13 individuals.

Democrat Gil Jordan, of Coram, running unopposed, reported $1,526 in receipts, including $526 of his own money and $825 from 11 individuals.

• The leader among all county commissioner candidates was Republican Terry Kramer, of Kalispell, running for the south valley commissioner seat. He reported $20,150 in receipts, including $8,885 of his own money, a $1,235 loan and $9,345 from 64 individuals.

Gary Krueger, of Kalispell, was second among the five Republicans in the south valley race. He reported $16,675 in receipts, including $10,446 of his own money, $160 from one PAC and $5,465 from 42 individuals. Krueger filed for bankruptcy in 1992, three years after his wife died of cancer, leaving three young boys to raise.

Bob Herron, of Kalispell, reported $16,420 in receipts, including $3,195 of his own money and $13,225 from 102 individuals, the most of any commissioner candidate. Jay Scott, of Kalispell, reported $15,872 in receipts, including $8,003 of his own money and $6,034 from 57 individuals. Mike Schlegel reported $4,474 in receipts, including $2,654 in personal money and $1,740 from 14 individuals.

The lone Democrat, Clara Mears-LaChappelle, did not report receipts for this period. She said she filed for bankruptcy in April after losing her job and $2,400 in monthly income.

• In the three nonpartisan races for district court judge, incumbent Ted Lympus is running unopposed for Department 1. The top-two primary winners from each department will face each other again in the November election.

Kalispell City Judge Heidi Ulbricht led all judge contenders in receipts with $15,170, which included $12,120 of her own money and $2,865 from 34 individuals. Her opponent in the race for Department 3, Vanessa Ceravolo, reported receipts that included $1,100 of her own money, about $8,000 that she loaned the campaign and $5,540 from 42 individuals.

In the Department 2 race, Flathead County Justice of the Peace Dan Wilson reported $15,000 in receipts, all his own money. Kalispell attorney Bruce Frederickson reported $10,226 in receipts, including $8,616 of his own money and $1,610 from 13 individuals. Kalispell attorney Robert Allison reported $8,335 in receipts, including $5,479 of his own money and $3,285 from 23 individuals.

• In the Senate District 2 race, Dave Fern, of Whitefish, the lone Democrat, led the way in receipts with $6,540. That included $260 of his own money and $6,280 from 60 individuals.

Republican Bill Beck, of Whitefish, came in second with $5,295, including $2,000 of his own money, $560 from four PACs and $2,710 from 24 individuals. His Republican primary opponent, Dee Brown, of Coram, reported $4,715 in receipts, including $2,002 or her own money and $2,713 from 23 individuals.

• There were no competitive primary races for House Districts 3 and 5. Democrat Zac Perry, of Hungry Horse, reported $3,429 in his coffers for the House District 3 race, including $400 from the Flathead Democratic Party and $2,766 from 32 individuals. His opponents, incumbent Republican Jerry O’Neil, of Columbia Falls, and Libertarian Shawn Guymon, of Kalispell, did not report any receipts.

Incumbent Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, reporting $1,755 in receipts for his House District 5 race, including $1,370 from 10 PACs and $335 from three individuals. Democratic challenger James Mahnke, of Columbia Falls, did not report any receipts.