Correction added Oct. 3

Dalton Bradford currently has five generations of his family living within Polson, but his family has lived in the area since before the creation of the Flathead Indian Reservation. 

Two political newbies, Democrat Dalton Bradford and Republican Finley Warden, will face off this November for Polson’s House District 13 seat. 

The primary was contentious, drawing widespread attention as Warden faced three-term incumbent Linda Reksten for a slot on the Republican ticket. However, Warden came out on top, winning 65% of the vote with 1,611 votes, while uncontested Democrat candidate Bradford received 910 votes. 

Dalton Bradford

Bradford is a fifth-generation Montanan who grew up in Polson. He’s a Polson graduate who played his fair share of sports and is still involved at Polson High School, helping coach cheerleading. 

He grew up in a single-mother household with his three younger siblings and said they learned early what hard work, responsibility and looking out for one another meant. Bradford went on to attend the University of Montana and earned a bachelor's degree in history. 

“That, kind of paired with my love for history, really gave me a deeper appreciation for how communities like ours can overcome, grow and adapt to challenges that we face year in and year out,” Bradford said. 

Bradford is now 30 years old, married and is professionally a property appraiser for the Montana Department of Revenue. (Editor’s note: Bradford participated in this interview as a candidate and his comments are his own and do not represent the Montana Department of Revenue.) 

He explained that his interest in running for office grew from watching his mom and other hard-working families work two jobs and barely sleep, all to make ends meet. 

“I definitely want to make sure that their voices are heard up in Helena, instead of just drowned out by all the big money,” Bradford said. 

His top priorities are fair and accountable property taxes, community partnerships, affordable housing, rural health care and affordability. He calls affordability the biggest issue facing the entire district, county and state. 

He works primarily as a residential and agricultural property appraiser from the south end of Polson to where the county line meets Missoula County, and on the job he’s heard people say day in and day out that they are getting priced out of their homes, and that it all comes down to property values and property taxes. He also works with many farmers and ranchers and hears about rising gas prices and fertilizer costs. 

“I genuinely feel like a lot of our problems stem back to affordability,” he said. 

Knowing the rising costs affecting agricultural producers, Bradford said he would “absolutely” find ways to talk with the Montana Department of Agriculture or even the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help find better avenues for them. 

“Families, seniors, ag producers, they’re all feeling the squeeze, and we need to find a way to curb that,” he said. 

In regard to property taxes, Bradford said the legislature should take a closer look at the tax formulas, such as capping the inflation adjustment at 3% for public schools. He said that 3% cap is not even close to keeping up with inflation. 

He added that property tax needs reform, “so that we have some actual level of transparency in government accountability.” Bradford said last session's changes also need reform, as those still don’t help the family with a cabin from the 1930s whose property value continues to increase. 

Bradford also believes there is a large disconnect between governments across the reservation, and he wants to bridge that gap. He said he wants everyone to collaborate with mutual respect, and that working in isolation causes missed economic opportunities. 

Bradford is a descendant of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and noted that he grew up attending tribal council meetings and is familiar with how tribal government works. During this campaign, he has also built relationships with various governments across the county. 

“I want more collaboration and more discussion,” he said. 

To address housing, Bradford said he supports more affordable housing so the area can provide housing for teachers and healthcare workers. 

   Dalton Bradford, Democratic candidate for House District 13

Finley Warden 

Warden is a sixth-generation Montanan whose grandparents came to Polson in the 1960s. According to previous Leader reporting, he grew up half in Polson and half in Missoula. 

Warden attended Sentinel High School in Missoula for two years before switching to an online high school program. He later attended Missoula College and Montana State University in Bozeman before transferring to Liberty University.  

Warden is now a senior studying political science online at Liberty, a private evangelical Christian university based in Lynchburg, Va.  

According to previous Leader reporting, Warden’s interest in politics came from witnessing firsthand “left-wing ideology” in the Missoula classroom. He said everything in his English and history classes from middle school to high school was anti-capitalism and the “oppressed narrative that the left preaches.”  

This led him to ask why this was in his classroom and to attend the educator conference organized by the Montana Federation of Public Employees. He attended the 2024 and 2025 conferences as a private citizen and reported on what he observed.  

He recorded audio clips of a librarian defending a book featuring romance between two boys and another clip of a teacher encouraging classroom discussion about censorship after a museum removed Sally Mann’s photographs.  

He said the clips give parents direct evidence to share about what’s happening in their children’s classrooms. 

Warden posted these clips from the conference on X, and they went viral. Multiple conservative groups shared it, and radio talk shows began covering it, according to a Montana Free Press article about Warden’s experience.  

“It's very disheartening what I uncovered,” Warden said.  

During college, Warden was heavily involved in Montana Young Republicans — a grassroots organization that seeks to foster the next generation of Republican leadership. Last legislative session, he also testified on multiple bills to expand school choice and “restrict left-wing ideology” in schools.  

He volunteered as a door-knocker during Senator Tim Sheehy’s campaign and volunteered for Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy group that advocates limited government spending, lower taxes and reduced regulation. 

If elected, Warden wants to contribute to the Republican majority in the state legislature. He wants to lower property taxes for businesses, farmers and ranchers and make Montana a flat-tax state. He also aims to remove Social Security taxation, which is only taxable in some cases.  

Warden supports school choice and public safety and opposes illegal immigration. He further backs removing housing burdens and regulations that are “roadblocks” the state has created for single-family homes and smaller-unit apartments.  

He is also concerned about government spending and Montana’s budget surplus, which he said should be returned to the people to reduce property taxes. 

“I'd say, for a 20-year-old, I still have a lot to learn, but for a 20-year-old, I'm pretty knowledgeable about how state government operates,” he said in an interview with the Leader in March. 

While Americans for Prosperity is endorsing Warden, he said he has had no contact with the organization and has only filled out their candidate survey. 

    Finley Warden, Republican candidate for House District 13.

Campaign trail continues 

The Leader reached out to both candidates with questions about their campaigning and whether any of their priorities have changed since their initial interviews with the Leader before the primary. 

Bradford explained that his priorities have not changed, but voters have helped shape how he approaches those issues and better understand where the greatest needs are.

When asked what he has learned from talking with voters, Bradford said he initially knew people were frustrated, but he didn’t fully appreciate how differently that frustration affects each household. 

“For one person it’s property taxes, for another it’s healthcare, their small business, their farm or ranch or whether their kids can afford to stay close to home,” he stated in an email. 

Throughout the campaign, he noted that managing his time has been the hardest part between his full-time job, family and coaching. But it has given him a much greater appreciation for the commitment running for office requires from a candidate, their family and their volunteers.

On the trail, meeting people has been the best part, with some of his favorite conversations coming from people who “probably” disagree with him politically.

“Once you get beyond party labels, you often find that people have much more in common than our politics suggest,” he stated. “I don’t take it lightly when someone trusts me enough to share what matters to them.”

When asked what people or organizations Bradford would consult most if elected, he stated, “First and foremost, the people of House District 13.” He added that he would also maintain regular communication with local governments, CSKT leadership, educators, healthcare providers, small business owners, law enforcement, first responders and community organizations.

“A good legislator should know when to listen to people who understand an issue better than they do,” he stated. 

Warden also stated the core values he campaigned on have not changed since the primary. 

“The cost of living is too high, and Lake County deserves a representative whose votes align with the values of our community,” Warden stated. “I know that message resonates because I've heard it directly from voters.” 

Warden stated that he knocked on nearly every door in the district during the primary election, and he’s doing that again for the general. He explained that those conversations have shaped his campaign and, more than anything, have been the most educational and rewarding experience he’s ever had. 

He’s hearing most about property tax increases as median home market values continue to increase in the county. 

“The cost of living is rising far faster than wages, and retirees and families are being forced out of their homes,” he said. “To fix it, we have to cut taxes on families, small businesses and farmers, and rein in out-of-control government growth so more of our tax dollars go back to the people of Lake County.” 

Warden added that he once again faces an opponent “who is radically out of step with our community,” and “claims to be a moderate,” but serves as a property tax appraiser, “working to uphold the very tax increases that are hurting our way of life.” 

He also stated Bradford is “touting” his endorsement from the Montana Federation of Public Employees teachers union, while Warden previously uncovered “socialist ideology” being encouraged at the MFPE teacher training. 

Warden also complained that signs with the message "86-47," which he said carry "a message that encourages the murder" of President Donald Trump appear in some yards that also have signs supporting Bradford. He added that it is public knowledge that these signs are there and Bradford has not taken them down. 

In response to Warden's comment, Bradford stated: "I unequivocally condemn all political violence and threats against any sitting or former President or any elected official." Bradford also stated he supports the First Amendment and that "86-47" is a "disputed phrase" that is commonly used politically to mean officially removing or voting out the 47th President. 

"A Dalton Bradford sign shows support for my candidacy. It does not mean I endorse every other sign or statement displayed on that property. I will represent everyone in House District 13 while defending Americans’ right to express their political views," he stated. 

When asked what people or organizations Warden would consult most if elected, he stated, “If there is something you want to work toward or achieve, I will be your voice and advocate.” He added that the people he will consult the most are the ones he’s meeting on their doorsteps, “my neighbors in House District 13.” 

“As your representative, I will always stand for common sense,” he said. “Boys are boys, girls are girls, socialism has no place in our classrooms and political violence has no place in our country.”