Quick Voter Guide

Resources for Montana Primary Voters

By Kaylee Porter, 6-02-08

Never before has Montana been so important in the Democratic presidential primary. We’ve observed this electoral process from a distance for years, so finally being on the frontline is cause for excitement. In the onslaught of presidential campaigning, however, little attention has been paid to other important races.

Tomorrow’s primary ballots include candidates for Governor, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Attorney General and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, as well as many other contested races and two proposed mil levy increases. So, make sure you take the time to catch up on these races before heading to the polls.

Below, you’ll find a list of the races, with links to newspaper stories, Web sites and other resources to find out more about each candidate.

On the state level, Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) has two primary challengers, Bill Fischer, a Lakeside excavator and logger, and Don Pogreba, a Helena teacher. Neither candidate is seeming to pose much of a threat to Schweitzer, however. On the Republican side, state Sen. Roy Brown faces a minor challenge from Larry H. Steele of Great Falls.

Five Republicans are vying to run against U.S. Sen. Max Baucus in the fall. Kirk Bushman, an industrial facilities designer, and state Rep. Michael Lange, both of Billings, have campaigned the most aggressively, but Bob Kelleher, a Butte lawyer, and Patti Lovaas, a Missoula accountant are on the ballot as well. (Click on each candidate’s name to see the Lee Newspapers State Bureau profile.)

A three-way Democratic race among Jim Hunt, a Helena lawyer, Bob Candee, a Richey farmer-rancher, and former Public Service commissioner and John Driscoll of Helena will determine who challenges Republican U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg this fall. Hunt has raised the most money.

Republican candidates Lee Bruner of Butte and Tim Fox of Helena are competing for the Attorney General nomination. On the Democratic side the candidates are Steve Bullock of Helena, state Rep. John Parker of Great Falls and former state Sen. Mike Wheat of Bozeman.

The Democratic race for superintendent of public instruction is the only other statewide contested primary. Denise Juneau, the director of Indian education at the Office of Public Instruction, state Sen. Sam Kitzenberg, Claudette Morton, a longtime educator from Helena, and state Rep. Holly Raser of Missoula are all vying for the spot.

There are three Democrats running for the open spot on the Missoula Board of County Commissioners. They are Dennis Daneke, a representative of the Local 28 Carpenters Union, which covers laborers in much of western Montana, Michele Landquist, a rancher from Lolo who has worked for numerous nonprofit agencies over the last 25 years, and Jeff Patterson, a private investigator and certified fraud examiner from Turah.

Voters will also be able to decide if they are willing to pay higher taxes to support substance abuse prevention programs. The Missoula County Prevention Program Levy would raise $368,920 a year for this purpose and would cost owners of homes assessed at $200,000 about $12 annually. There is also a rural fire district levy that would cost the owner of a $200,000 home $52.00 per year.

For a sample ballot of the Democratic and Republican primaries click here.

Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.