Republican Christopher Paul Buckles and Democrat Tyson Running Wolf battle for the Senate District 8 seat this November.

Tyson Running Wolf 

Running Wolf did not respond to the Lake County Leader’s election questionnaire. 

According to Montana Free Press 2025 Capitol Tracker reporting, Running Wolf is a fourth-session Democrat from Browning and serves as the House District 16 Representative. 

Christopher Paul Buckles

Buckles is 55 years old and was born in Exeter, Calif. He is an associate tribal member of the Fort Peck Tribes and currently lives in St. Ignatius. 

He earned a double major in sociology and healthcare administration and graduated magna cum laude. He completed more than 2,000 hours of mental health training, qualifying him to become a provider for Montana’s Severely Debilitating Mental Illness Medicaid waiver program. 

He’s been a provider since 2015 and has built his professional life around helping people with serious mental health challenges lead more stable, productive lives. 

Buckles said his connection to Senate District 8 is both personal and professional because he cares deeply about its communities and people. 

When asked what voters should know about him, he explained that he isn’t a career politician. Instead, he’s spent his professional life working directly with people and addressing real-world challenges facing families, people with disabilities and rural communities. 

“I have seen firsthand how government programs affect people — not just on paper, but in their everyday lives. I believe that experience matters,” he stated. “I am running because I think government should work for the people it serves while respecting individual freedom, personal responsibility, and local communities.” 

He added that he believes election officials should listen before legislating and be willing to work through difficult problems rather than simply follow “political talking points.” 

His top three priorities if elected are expanding economic opportunity, improving health care and developing Montana’s industrial hemp industry.

He wants to create opportunities for Montana farmers and businesses to cultivate industrial hemp for biofuels, fabrics, food products, and other value-added uses. He believes Montana should lead in developing markets that allow our agricultural producers to diversify and keep more economic activity in our communities.

Secondly, he wants to improve access to rural health care and mental health services while making Medicaid more effective. Finally, he wants to address property tax pressures and “promote responsible economic development that protects Montana’s land, water, resources and individual freedoms.”

When asked what changes he would support to address property tax increases, he stated the Legislature should continue seeking ways to make property taxes more predictable and affordable, particularly for those being priced out. 

He added that the relationship among state revenue, local government spending and school funding should be examined so that reducing one tax burden does not simply shift it elsewhere. 

“I support responsible government spending and greater accountability while protecting the ability of local communities to provide essential services,” he stated.

To address the Leader’s question about how the Legislature can improve health care in rural communities, he explained that it can remove barriers that make it harder for rural communities to recruit and retain staff. 

When asked which area the state is spending too much money on, he stated that Montana should continually examine administrative spending and programs that duplicate services or don’t deliver measurable results. 

“Government should be accountable for every taxpayer dollar, just as families and businesses have to be accountable for theirs,” he stated. 

Regarding where the state should spend more, he believes Montana needs to invest more strategically in areas that affect people’s lives, such as mental health, rural health care, workforce development and infrastructure. 

He added that his experience as a provider has shown him that early intervention and community-based services make a tremendous difference. 

Regarding the Leader’s questions about what changes, if any, the Legislature should make to fund public schools, Buckles explained that Montana should continue moving toward a school funding system that recognizes differences among communities. 

He supports reviewing the funding formula to ensure that growing and rural districts receive adequate resources while “maintaining accountability” for how that money is spent. 

“In Senate District 8, schools serve rural communities and significant Native American populations, so funding should recognize transportation, special education, workforce needs and the importance of Indian Education for All,” he stated. “Every child deserves access to a quality education regardless of ZIP code.” 

When asked what the Legislature should do to address affordable housing, he stated that it should focus on increasing the supply of attainable housing rather than trying to “control prices through policies.” He added that Montana can help reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers, thereby encouraging communities to approve appropriate housing developments. 

“We need to encourage responsible development while making sure Montana remains a place where working people can afford to live, work, raise families and build a future.”