Saturday, March 07, 2026
39.0°F

Write-in candidates file for Ward 2 vacancy

KRISTI NIEMEYER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 5 months AGO
by KRISTI NIEMEYER
Kristi Niemeyer is editor of the Lake County Leader. She learned her newspaper licks at the Mission Valley News and honed them at the helm of the Ronan Pioneer and, eventually, as co-editor of the Leader until 1993. She later launched and published Lively Times, a statewide arts and entertainment monthly (she still publishes the digital version), and produced and edited State of the Arts for the Montana Arts Council and Heart to Heart for St. Luke Community Healthcare. Reach her at [email protected] or 406-883-4343. | September 21, 2023 12:00 AM

Voters in Polson’s Ward 2 will face a choice between two write-in candidates in the Nov. 7 election.

Incumbent Tony Isbell opted not to file for office and no candidates filed for his seat by the March deadline. However, two candidates did file by the write-in deadline of Sept. 5: David Coffman and Lisa Rehard.

According to Lake County Election Administrator Toni Kramer, neither of the declared write-in candidates will appear on the November ballot. Instead, voters in that ward will need to write the name of their preferred candidate on the ballot and mark the adjacent oval.

Ronan had no contested council seats and formally cancelled its election during last week’s council meeting.

Two at-large four-year seats are open on the St. Ignatius City Council. Candidates are incumbent Steve McCollum, Janis Heffern, Rikki Menz-Merchant and Davin Sorrell.

The St. Ignatius Rural Fire District is asking voters to support a levy for 6.19 mills, which will raise approximately $27,205 a year for the next seven years.

Kramer said ballots will be mailed Oct. 18 and must be returned to the county election office by Tuesday, Nov. 7.

ARTICLES BY KRISTI NIEMEYER

Duct Tape Caper: Attendance incentive sticks Polson principal to the wall
March 5, 2026 11 p.m.

Duct Tape Caper: Attendance incentive sticks Polson principal to the wall

Kids at Linderman Elementary in Polson were able to stick it to principal Kristin Wilson last Friday. Or, rather, stick her to it in a duct-tape attendance challenge.

Duct Tape Caper: Attendance incentive sticks principal to the wall
March 4, 2026 11 p.m.

Duct Tape Caper: Attendance incentive sticks principal to the wall

Kids at Linderman Elementary in Polson were able to stick it to principal Kristin Wilson last Friday. Or, rather, stick her to it in a duct-tape attendance challenge.

February 25, 2026 11 p.m.

A few primary races shape up as filing deadline nears

With the filing deadline less than a week away for county, state and federal candidates, here’s a snapshot of who hopes to gain or retain their seat: