The deadlines have passed and the primary filings for county and state elections are set.

While much attention is on the exit of U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, hundreds of Montana residents filed to run for the state’s citizen Legislature. It will convene in January 2027.

In Lincoln County there are going to be several contested races for elected seats as well as one school trustee election and an election seeking a bond for school renovations in Eureka. The school elections will be done by mail only and ballots are due May 5.

April 6 is the last day for regular voter registration for the trustee election. Trustee ballots will be mailed by May 4, according to county election administrator Melanie Howell.

The primary elections will be held June 2. May 5 is the beginning of late registration for the primary election. Primary absentee ballots will be mailed by May 8.

Howell said she strongly encourages residents to check their voter status prior to election day. It can be done online at https://voterportal.mt.gov/WhereToVote.aspx or by calling the office at 283-2302.

For residents seeking to assist in the upcoming June 2 primary election, the county is accepting application for election judges. For more information, call county election deputy Sierra Gustin at 283-2304.

Requirements to be an election judge include being registered to vote in Lincoln County, the ability to work up to a 15-hour day on Election Day, attending a mandatory training session provided by the election administrator and be at least 18 years of age or older.

The county is still sorting out what it will do with polling places and ballot drop boxes. That information will released when the final decisions are made, which is expected to be at Wednesday's county commission meeting.

For more information, see https://lincolncountymt.gov/.

For the sheriff’s position, incumbent Darren Short is being opposed by Libby Police Chief Cody Ercanbrack, Troy Police officer Ian Smith and Marty Dunbar.

Short won primary elections in 2018 and 2022 to secure the sheriff position. Ercanbrack took over as police chief on April 20, 2023, following the departure of former chief Scott Kessel. Smith has served on the Libby and Troy police forces and previously worked in the county detention center.

Also at the county level, District 1 Commissioner Brent Teske is seeking a second term. His opponent in the last election, Stu Crismore, has also declared. Jeff Koskela joined the fray on March 4.

For the county Clerk and Recorder position, Troy resident Crystal Denton will face Libby’s Travis Sigea.

For the public administrator position, incumbent Amanda Eckart will face Libby resident Rocke Gifford.

Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield is running unopposed as is county coroner Roger “Craig” Riddle. County treasurer Sedaris Carlberg is also unopposed.

For school trustee, only one municipality will hold an election - Trego. There are two open seats for a 3-year term and one spot for a 2-year term. Eight candidates have filed, including Stephanie LeDuc-Vanderyatcht, Lee Eggebroten, Leilani Swan, Rob Russell, Heather Brannan, Diane Hackett Carlton, Mark Spehar and Kaitlyn Haugen.

The Eureka School District is seeking approval for a $22.6 million school bond for the purpose of creating a unified school campus by providing money to pay the costs of designing, constructing, improving, renovating, equipping and furnishing improvements on land owned by the District adjacent to Lincoln County High School. 

According to information from the district, the proposed facilities would include constructing a new kindergarten through eighth grade school with classrooms, a gymnasium, a library, a kitchen, administrative spaces and student support areas.

It would also include constructing a career and technical education facility and a bus barn to support district instructional programs and transportation operations; demolishing, removing and site restoration of portions of existing school buildings that are no longer needed; renovating, remodeling and improving portions of existing facilities that the district intends to retain, including repurposing and upgrading the existing middle school gymnasium for community use.

The bond would bear interest at rates to be determined at the time of the sale, payable semiannually, during a term as to each series of bonds of not more than 25 years.

At the state level, three candidates have filed for the House District 1 State Rep. seat. On the Republican side Michelle Bianco is unopposed. Democrats Roberta McCanse and Dakota V. Adams will face each other for their party’s nomination. Rep. Steve Gunderson has termed out and is running for Mike Cuffe’s District 1 Senate seat.

For House District 2 State Rep., incumbent Republican Tom Millett and Democrat Jane Maahs are unopposed in the primary.

For the Senate District 1 seat, Gunderson, a Republican is joined by two Republican candidates,Vince Backen and Neil Duram. Democrat Jonathan Jameson is unopposed.

Federal races appearing on the ballot will include for U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative and Supreme Court Justice No. 4.

In the Supreme Court race, Flathead County District Judges Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson are running.

Vying for Zinke’s seat on the Republican side will be current Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, Flathead County Republican Central Committee Chairperson Al Olszewski, conservative talk radio host Aaron Flint and Ray Flint.

Four Democrats — Ryan Busse, Russ Cleveland, Sam Forstag and Matt Rains — have announced their intentions to run in the primary in the western district.

For Daines’ Senate seat, former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar will run as an independent and Republican U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme filed just before the deadline. Alme has served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana since March 2025. He also served in that role from 2017 until 2020. Republicans Lee Calhoun of Whitefish and Charles Walking Child of Helena also filed.

There are five Democrats running for Daines’ seat. They include Livingston’s Reilly Neill, Michael Black Wolf, of Hays, Michael Hummert, of Helena, Alani Bankhead, of Helena, and Christopher Kehoe, of Missoula.