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HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years AGO
Republican Keith Regier and Democrat Dave Fern were both elected Tuesday to the Montana Legislature.
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | November 9, 2016 8:15 AM
Longtime Whitefish resident Democrat Dave Fern was elected to state House District 5 during Tuesday's election, and seasoned legislator Republican Keith Regier earned the spot for Senate District 3.
Fern faced Republican Chet Billi, who made a name for himself last year when he proposed a concealed carry initiative for school teachers. Fern owns a small business, Chimney Solutions, and has spent 24 years on the Whitefish School Board.
Fern won with 56 percent of the vote to Billi's 43 percent. Fern earned 3,241 votes and Billi had 2,470.
The seat was left open after Democrat Rep. Ed Lieser decided not to seek a third term.
Regier faced Democrat Melissa Hartman, who owns a private mental health counseling practice in Whitefish. The run was her first venture into electoral politics. Regier, a retired educator, has represented House District 4 for the last eight years and he is the current House Majority Leader from Kalispell, but reached his term limit in District 4.
The seat for SD3 became available as Republican Sen. Bruce Tutvedt termed out after eight years.
Regier earned 56 percent of the votes compared with 43 percent for Hartman. Regier tallied 6,480 votes to Hartman's 4,921.
Republicans won every other race in Flathead County except for House District 3 where incumbent House District 3 representative Zac Perry held on to beat Republican challenger Taylor Rose. HD3 covers Columbia Falls and the Canyon.
Incumbent Republican Pam Holmquist earned re-election over Democratic challenger Eileen Lowery in the county commissioner race. Holmquist earned 68 percent with 31,066 votes, while Lowery earned 31 percent at 14,036 votes.
In the race for U.S. Representative, Republican Ryan Zinke of Whitefish retained his seat over Democrat Denise Juneau. Zinke collected 64 percent of the votes compared with Juneau's 31 percent.
The race for governor was still very close Wednesday morning. Incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock pulled ahead of Republican challenger Greg Gianforte to win re-election. Bullock earned 49 percent of the votes, compared to Gianforte's 47 percent.
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