State Sen. Jon Sonju, R-Kalispell, says he won’t seek re-election to the Legislature — but he does intend to run for Congress if Montana Rep. Steve Daines decides to run for U.S. Senate.

That announcement alone is bound to stir up the Montana political scene, but there is more: Montana Speaker of the House Mark Blasdel plans to run for Sonju’s Senate District 4 seat, setting up a Republican primary election showdown with Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher.

“I feel comfortable not running again because the person I am going to be endorsing is Speaker of the House Mark Blasdel,” Sonju said Friday. “Of course, with my background and friendship with the speaker, he’s the logical choice for me to support.”

Sonju and Blasdel have been friends since kindergarten at St. Matthew’s School in Kalispell.

Sonju, 37, ran as a lieutenant governor candidate with former U.S. Rep. Rick Hill  last year, a campaign that came up short against Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock.

“I have had a lot of contact from the supporters of the Hill-Sonju campaign urging me to take a look at a statewide office again,” Sonju said. “I’m hoping Steve Daines will run for the U.S. Senate, because he is the most qualified ... and if he does choose to do that, I am actively looking at the congressional seat.”

Daines, a first-term congressman, has remained silent on his plans, even after former Gov. Brian Schweitzer announced last week that he would not be running for the seat held by longtime Sen. Max Baucus, who is retiring at the end of next year. Schweitzer was considered by many, particularly Democrats, to be a front-runner if he had entered the race.

“Depending on what Daines does, the landscape is probably going to change in the next few weeks,” Sonju said. “The political season really won’t get started until early this fall. I expect Daines will make a decision, then and the landscape will really start to shape up.”

If Daines decides not to run for the Senate, Sonju said he would consider other options for statewide office.

Sonju said he already has the support of notables such as Hill, Blasdel, former House Speaker Scott Sales and other legislative leaders, along with the network that was built during last year’s gubernatorial campaign.

Sonju, the business development manager for Sonju Industries, served three terms in the Montana House after being elected in 2004, plus one term in the Montana Senate. Because term limits do not yet apply to him, he could seek re-election to the state Senate.

Mayor Fisher announced in early June that she would run as a Republican for Senate District 4, telling the media that Sonju had indicated that he would not seek re-election.

“That was a little premature on her behalf,” Sonju said, adding that he never publicly said he wouldn’t run for re-election. “I think there was probably some whispers out there.”  

Blasdel cannot seek re-election to the House next year because of term limits. Elected House speaker in his final term, Blasdel was able to marshal an unprecedented 100-0 vote for the state budget that was developed.

“Any time you can pass a budget 100-0, that tells you something about his leadership,” Sonju said of Blasdel.

Blasdel said he will formally announce his candidacy for Senate District 4 next week.

“I just wanted to wait for Jon to make an official announcement,” Blasdel said. “Obviously, with Jon deciding to go a different direction, this would be a good opportunity, especially because I represented a good portion of that Senate district.”

Contacted Friday by the Inter Lake, Fisher said she still intends to run for Senate District 4 following her single term as the mayor of Kalispell.

“If Mark chooses to run, he would be a great competitor. He’s a really good person and it would set up a great race,” she said. “The district is the heart of Kalispell and that’s been my base, but I would welcome any competition to the race and I think it would generate some good discussion. It’s the same people I’ve represented before and I live in the district, so I think that helps.”

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.