Ahead of Montana’s June 2 primary election, the Daily Inter Lake sent questionnaires to state Legislature candidates running in contested races in Northwest Montana.

Following are responses from House District 3 Republican candidates Derek Peachey and Cathy Mitchell.

HOUSE DISTRICT 3 

Name: Derek Peachey 

Age: 51 

Residence: Whitefish 

Current Occupation: Entrepreneur in digital media and technology 

Professional & Community Background: I’ve spent 25 years building and leading businesses in digital media and technology, solving real-world problems and creating jobs. Today, my company is based in Whitefish, where my wife and I are raising our two boys.  

We’re rooted here, on the ice and fields with Glacier hockey and Glacier baseball, in our schools and in our church. My wife serves as the chair of the board at Whitefish Christian Academy, and I’ve previously served as a school board president, guiding budgets and making tough decisions for families. 

Leadership isn’t theory to me; it’s lived experience. We love Montana, and we’re invested in its future. House District 3 isn’t a steppingstone. It’s our home and community, which I would be honored to represent.  

What is the best approach to balance state budget needs with concerns about increasing tax rates?  

Montanans are feeling squeezed from the grocery store to their property tax bill. The state’s first responsibility is to live within its means, just like families and small businesses do every day. I support disciplined budgeting, restrained spending and meaningful property tax reform, including caps on unchecked valuation increases. We should reward work and investment, not punish it. 

You don’t fix a budget by taxing people out of their homes, as is happening to generational families in the Flathead. The government should tighten its belt before asking families to do the same. A strong economy, not higher taxes, is the path to long-term stability. 

What is your vision for how the state should manage public lands, wildlife and natural resources?  

Public lands are core to the fabric of Montana. They’re not partisan; they’re personal. I believe in responsible stewardship that protects access, preserves wildlife and ensures future generations can hunt, fish and enjoy the land as we do today. 

My family has faced wildfires firsthand, and the experience underscored the need for active forest management and smarter fire mitigation. Conservation and common sense must go hand in hand. 

We don’t inherit Montana; we borrow it from our kids. Access must be protected, not restricted. Good stewardship means using our resources wisely, not locking them away. 

Why are you the best Republican candidate to represent your district?  

I live here. I work here. I’m raising my family here. House District 3 is my sole priority. I’m not backed by party insiders or special interests. I’m accountable to the people of the North Valley. With 25 years of business leadership, I bring real problem-solving experience, not politics as usual. I’ve listened to voters across House District 3, and the message is clear: protect our way of life, lower taxes and keep the government in check. 

This campaign is about representing my neighbors. Montana values deserve Montana leadership. 

Name: Cathy Mitchell  

Age: Not disclosed 

Residence: Not disclosed 

Current Occupation:  Nurse practitioner  

Professional & Community Background: I am a nurse practitioner who provides primary care to underserved populations in the Flathead Valley.  

My husband’s military career required us to move every few years across the United States. During that time, I wore many hats, including operating room nurse, nurse educator, manager of an outpatient surgery center and pediatric neurology nurse practitioner. I also sit on the board for Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners United of Washington State.  

I am actively involved with the Flathead County Republican Party. I was the treasurer and am currently on the board of directors for Pachyderm. I am a member of Flathead County Republican Women. I volunteered to decorate for the Lincoln Reagan Trump Dinner for the Flathead Central Committee. In my spare time, I am a volunteer hunter educator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.   

What is the best approach to balance state budget needs with concerns about increasing tax rates?   

The best approach to a balanced state budget with concerns regarding increasing tax rates is government growth restraint, controlled spending and strategically eliminating state programs.    

Every dollar spent by the state comes either from taxes, federal payments and grants or state trust funds. The federal government is tightening its purse, which impacts state budgets. The state of Montana must tighten its purse.     

The property tax bill from the 2025 legislative session penalizes Montanans who lived the American dream by working hard and bought or inherited another piece of property or home in Montana. They do not deserve to carry the burden of other citizens’ taxes just because they have a strong work ethic or inherited a homestead. The next legislative session needs to correct this injustice and make a tiered tax system that is equitable to all Montanans and keeps Montanans in their homes!  

What is your vision for how the state should manage public lands, wildlife, and natural resources?   

The conservation movement grew out of the wasteful and inefficient use of natural resource claims by preservationists. The pendulum swung in the opposite direction under President Roosevelt to preserve natural resources, wildlife and habitat. Unfortunately, the pendulum swung too far, causing citizen organizations to deploy strategies to affirm the rights of individuals to their property, extraction, hunting and the pursuit of happiness under the Constitution, unencumbered by the government. Should conservation groups dictate rules and regulation at the detriment of Americans relying on foreign precious metals, natural gas, or oil? 

Conservation groups should advise. Private landowners should acknowledge the advice and proceed with the intent of efficient use of resources. Everyone should be responsible stewards toward the earth and its resources. We should work together and compromise, not be told what we cannot do on private property. It is an inalienable Montana constitutional right to possess and protect their property.  

Why are you the best Republican candidate to represent your district?   

I have been actively involved with the Republican Party. Matt Regier, the Montana Senate president during the 2025 legislative session, states, “Cathy Mitchell is a strong conservative who will fight for Montana values, protect our freedoms, and stand up for taxpayers. I am proud to endorse her.” 

The Mitchell family has been in the Flathead since the 1950s. Our family has led Montanans on wagon train trips, my father-in-law was a deputy sheriff, my mother-in-law sold bikes and sewing machines at Bikology and my sister-in-law taught in a one-room schoolhouse. My husband graduated from Flathead High School and Montana State University, flew jets in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Iraq war, retired with 20 years of service and was in the air during 9/11. We love to fish, hike, ski, ride horses and hunt. No one will better represent Montana values than Cathy Mitchell!