Two legislative districts have GOP contests
With 10 days to go before the filing deadline for state legislative office, a pair of Republican primary contests have emerged in Northwest Montana while most area districts have yet to attract Democratic contenders.
Former Republican state representative Derek Skees now has a primary opponent in House District 11, which includes Lakeside and Somers.
Republican Jean Barragan of Lakeside is a history and government professor at Flathead Valley Community College. She filed for the office last month and cited her 31 years of teaching experience as her biggest asset as a candidate.
“I think we need a cross-section of people in the state Legislature that come from all career streams,” Barragan said in an interview Wednesday. “I would consider myself an expert in education. My stand is that there should be educational choice.”
She said she would support a state infrastructure spending bill if elected and would oppose measures that extend the power of the state government over Montana’s counties and municipalities.
“I see the big issues being infrastructure, roads, water rights, public lands and broad-field education, education at all levels,” she said.
Barragan, a former president of the Flathead County Republican Women, added that she believes her 44 years living in the House district will help to differentiate her from Skees during the primary.
For his part, Skees said his prior experience as a lawmaker in the state House will give him an edge in the Republican contest.
“I have experience; I’ve already been there once,” Skees said Wednesday. “I have maintained relationships with each new freshman class that’s come in. If getting legislation accomplished is a function of personal relationships, I have that in spades.”
If elected, he said, he hopes to position himself as a House whip for his party and his biggest goal would be to cut down on property taxes and regulations that he believes restrict economic growth.
“The only way we can create jobs is to get the government off the back of small business,” he said. “We’re over-taxed and there’s too many folks on fixed incomes that are hurting, and there’s too many counties and cities that are strapped.”
Skees last served as lawmaker during the 2011-12 session, representing House District 4, which at the time included Whitefish. He most recently ran for office in the 2014 Montana Public Service Commission race, losing to Republican Brad Johnson.
As of Thursday, the other contested Republican primary will pit Whitefish businessman Don “K” Kaltschmidt against Rep. Keith Regier of Kalispell for the open Senate District 3 seat.
Kaltschmidt is well known for his successful car dealerships, while Regier is the current House majority leader serving his final term in the lower chamber.
No one from either party has officially filed a challenge to Al Olszewski for the Senate District 6 seat, although former Republican Sen. Carmine Mowbray filed campaign finance reports with the state Commissioner of Political Practices last year.
Libby Republican Steve Gunderson is the only candidate running for election in House District 1,
Rep. Regier’s son, Republican Matt Regier, is the only candidate for the House District 4 seat currently listed on the Montana Secretary of State website, but could face a primary challenge.
Former state lawmaker and Columbia Falls resident Jerry O’Neil hasn’t officially entered the race but filed campaign finance reports with the state Commissioner of Political Practices last November.
No Democratic candidates have filed for any of Northwest Montana’s four Senate seats up election. Only five of Northwest Montana’s 13 House races feature a Democrat while all have at least one Republican candidate.
The deadline for candidates to file for the primary elections is March 14. Montana’s primary election is June 7.