Despite that, we know which people have chosen to file a C-1 form with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Office.
You can find all this info on the COPP website under hard copy candidate search.
Here’s how it breaks down:
Montana House
51 people have filed to run for the Montana House of Representatives in 2018. The odds-on-favorite is that the GOP will maintain control of this chamber.
Here are the candidates:
The Flathead
- HD 4 – Shirley Kwen (Dem)
- HD 5 – David Fern (Dem)
- HD 7 – Frank Garner (GOP)
- HD 8 – John Fuller (GOP)
- HD 12 – Greg Hertz (GOP)
Glacier Country
- HD 18 – Llew Jones (GOP)
Great Falls
- HD 19 – Wendy McKamey (GOP)
- HD 20 – Keaton Sunchild (Dem)
- HD 21 – Leesha Ford (Dem)
- HD 23 – Brad Hamlett (Dem)
- HD 24 – Barbara Bessette (Dem)
- HD 25 – Jasmine Krotkov (Dem)
- HD 25 – Jeremy Trebas (GOP)
The Hi-Line
- HD 28 – Jacob Bachmeier (Dem)
Billings Area
- HD 39 – Geraldine Custer (GOP)
- HD 44 – Ming Cabrera (Dem)
- HD 45 – Daniel Zolnikov (GOP)
- HD 47 – Katharin Kelker (Dem)
- HD 49 – Kelly McCarthy (Dem)
- HD 50 – Brenna Bahr (Dem)
- HD 50 – Josh Bradshaw (Dem)
- HD 51 – Darryl Wilson (Dem)
- HD 52 – Amelia Marquez (Dem)
- HD 53 – Dennis Lenz (GOP)
- HD 54 – James Patelis (GOP)
- HD 56 – Susanne Vinton (GOP)
Bozeman Area
- HD 61 – James Hamilton (Dem)
- HD 67 – Kristine Menicucci (Dem)
Helena Area
- HD 70 – Joseph Paschal (Libertarian)
- HD 70 – Jonathan Jackson (GOP)
- HD 81 – Robert Farris-Olsen (Dem)
- HD 81 – Mary Caferro (Dem)
- HD 82 – Moffie Funk (Dem)
- HD 84 – Mary Dunwell (Dem)
Virginia City
- HD 71 – Ray Shaw (GOP)
Dillon
- HD 72 – Thomas Welch (GOP)
Butte Area
- HD 74 – Derek Harvey (Dem)
Philipsburg
- HD 77 – Mark Sweeney (Dem)
The Bitterroot
- HD 86 – Jason Nickisch (Dem)
- HD 86 – Jacob De Vries (GOP)
- HD 87 – Nancy Ballance (GOP)
- HD 88 – Margaret Gorski (Dem)
- HD 88 – Sharon Greef (GOP)
Missoula Area
- HD 90 – Marilyn Marler (Dem)
- HD 91 – Nancy dePastino (Dem)
- HD 91 – Connie Keogh (Dem)
- HD 91 – Matthew Bell (Dem)
- HD 92 – Larry Dunham (GOP)
- HD 95 – Shane Morigeau (Dem)
- HD 96 – Adam Hertz (GOP)
- HD 97 – Dustin Noon (Dem)
32 Democrats have filed and 19 Republicans.
There are 7 contested races, with 3 pitting Dems against GOPers; one pitting a GOPer against a Libertarian; 2 pitting Dems against Dems.
On that last one, it includes a 3-way race for HD 91 for Dems.
Mostly, we see what we see every year – Dems running from their safe zones in the city (sometimes challenging each other in the primary) – while the rural areas of the state see no early Dem candidates.
Montana Senate
- SD 1 – Mike Cuff (GOP)
- SD 4 – Mark Blasdel (GOP)
- SD 5 – Jennifer Allen (Dem)
- SD 9 – Butch Gilespie (GOP)
- SD 11 – Tom Jacobson (Dem)
- SD 12 – Carlie Boland (Dem)
- SD 13 – Bob Moretti (Dem)
- SD 20 – Duane Ankney (GOP)
- SD 22 – Doug Kary (GOP)
- SD 24 – Tom McGillvray (GOP)
- SD 27 – Cary Smith (GOP)
- SD 32 – Jed Hinkle (GOP)
- SD 32 – Pat Flowers (Dem)
- SD 33 – Jennifer Pomnichowski (Dem)
- SD 34 – Gordon Vance (GOP)
- SD 41 – Melissa Romano (Dem)
- SD 41 – Janet Ellis (Dem)
- SD 42 – Jill Cohenour (Dem)
- SD 43 – Pat Connell (GOP)
- SD 49 – Diane Sands (Dem)
- SD 50 – Bryce Bennett (Dem)
We have 10 Republicans and 11 Democrats filing early. One of the Dem races will face a primary – SD 41 with Romano and Ellis.
Melissa Romano filed for the Montana Senate District 41 on April 25. Janet Ellis filed for the same seat two months later, on July 17. It’ll be interesting to see the fundraising reports for that race.
We’re also looking at Missoula’s recently-vacated seat that Wolken had, and the seat that McConnell is giving up in the House to go after that seat.
I will tell you that there’s only 2 contested races in all:
- SD 32 in Gallatin County with Jed Hinkle(GOP) and Patrick Flowers (Dem) running.
- SD 41 in Helena with Dems Melissa Romano and Janet Ellis going at it in the primary.
When it comes to C-1-A reports to not just file but to raise money before filing officially starts…so far just 1 person has filed to raise money for their 2018 run.
That person is Bruce Grubbs, running as a Republican for Gallatin County’s HD 68. He has not filed a C-1, like all those I listed above.
The only other people that have filed a C-1-A form are:
- 5 county commissioner candidates (Andy Hunthausen in L&C, Robyn Driscoll in Yellowstone, Randy Brodehl in Flathead, Stephen White in Gallatin, Josh Slotnick in Missoula)
- 3 county clerk and recorders (Robin Benson of Lincoln County and Tyler Gernant in Missoula and Debra Pierson in Flathead)
- 7 county sheriffs (3 in Flathead County, 1 in Lincoln, 1 in Lake, 1 in Beaverhead, 1 in Park)
- 3 justices of the peace (2 in Yellowstone, 1 in Flathead)
- 3 county attorneys (Josh Racki in Cascade, Kirsten Pabst in Missoula, and Travis Ahner in Flathead)
- 1 School Trustee (Bruce MacIntyre in Yellowstone County)
And that’s it for today. Thanks.