The candidate filing period has begun, kicking off Montana’s 2016 election season.

A handful of candidates waited outside Secretary of State Linda McCulloch’s office Thursday to be the first to register when she opened the doors at 8 a.m.

This year’s top races include those for president, governor, U.S. House and four statewide offices. Voters will also choose three Supreme Court justices, three public service commissioners and 11 district judges.

Republicans will try to hold on to their legislative majority with 25 of 50 Senate seats and all 100 House seats up for election.

Seven proposed ballot initiatives so far have been approved for signature gathering.

McCulloch says with this year being a presidential election, she expects more candidates to file than the 139 candidates who ran in 2014.

The filing period ends on March 14.

By Thursday at 5 p.m., 14 candidates had filed for state office in Northwest Montana:

•  Senate District 2: Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse (incumbent)
•  Senate District 3: Keith Regier, R-Kalispell
•  Senate District 6: Albert Olszewski, R-Kalispell
•  Senate District 7: Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls (incumbent)
•  House District 2: Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka (incumbent)
•  House District 3: Taylor Rose, R-Marion
•  House District 4: Matt Regier, R-Kalispell
•  House District 7: Frank Garner, R-Kalispell (incumbent), R-Kalispell; Lynn Stanley, D-Kalispell
•  House District 9: Randy Brodehl, R-Kalispell (incumbent)
•  House District 10: Mark Noland, R-Bigfork (incumbent)
•  House District 11: Derek Skees, R-Kalispell
•  House District 12: Gren Hertz, R-Polson (incumbent)
•  House District 13: Bob Brown, R-Kalispell (incumbent)

Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson, both of Kalispell, filed to run for two Flathead County district judge positions.