This time I didn’t need to bother our overworked election officials to find out how many and which of our state senators and representatives will be unopposed on November’s ballot. I could go to nrapvf.org and find out . . . as well as learning the candidates NRA grades.
Unopposed for the State House are:
District 1 Steve Gunderson (R) District 2 Neil Durham (R)
District 6 Amy Regier (R) District 8 Terry Falk (R)
District 9 Tony Brockman (R) District 11 Tanner Smith (R)
District 14 Denley Loge (R) District 16 Tyson Running Wolf (D)
District 18 Llew Jones (R) District 19 Russel Miner (R)
District 27 Josh Kassmier (R) District 29 Douglas Flament (R)
District 32 Jonathan Windy Boy (D) District 34 Rhonda Knudsen (R)
District 35 Brandon Ler (R) District 36 Bob Phalen (R)
District 37 Jerry Schillinger (R) District 39 Gary Parry (R)
District 40 Greg Oblander (R) District 43 Kerri Seekins-Crowe (R)
District 45 Katie Zolnikov (R) District 53 Nelly Nicol (R)
District 54 Terry Moore (R) District 55 Lee Deming (R)
District 56 Sue Vinton (R) District 66 Eric Matthews (D)
District 71 Ken Walsh (R) District 75 Marta Bertoglio (R)
District 78 Gregory Frazer (R) District 80 Becky Beard (R)
District 81 Ron Marshall (R)
Thirty-one of Montana’s 100 state representatives have no opponent in the general election. Since legislative districts are apportioned according to population, this essentially translates to 31% of Montanans not having a choice on their state representative in November – because subsection 7 is ignored by their county election administrators.
In the State Senate, the following are unopposed:
District 1 Michael Cuffe (R) District 5 Mark Noland (R)
District 9 Bruce Gillespie (R) District 19 Kenneth Bogner (R)
District 20 Barry Usher (R) District 27 Dennis Lenz (R)
District 29 Forrest Mandeville (R)
Since state senate terms are 4 years, only 25 state senators are up for election this year. The 7 unopposed candidates translates to 28% of Montana voters not having a choice on their state senator in the upcoming election – because subsection 7 is ignored by county election administrators. At least the folks voting for a US Senator in Pennsylvania can choose between a pair of bad candidates – here in Lincoln County when the primary ballot is printed, choice vanishes. The problem here is not bad candidates – it’s that subsection 7 is being ignored and the voter’s last option for choice is taken away by unelected administrators. I would probably vote for Mike Cuffe and Neil Durham . . . but with the decision already locked in stone by Paula, why bother?
Trego's Mountain Ear 
Good for you, Mike.
Julia A. Follansbee
FOLLANSBEE & ASSOCIATES
61510 Cougar Trail
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: 541.318.5991
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