Candidate filings: Laudon challenges Reksten for HD12 seat

Republican state Rep. Linda Reksten of House District 12 has a Democratic challenger this election cycle in Polson attorney Sterling Laudon.

Laudon works for the Public Defender Office in Lake County. He and Reksten are among the hundreds of people who declared their candidacies for state and county offices during the filing period that ended Monday night.

HD12 includes Polson and extends north to the county line.

Reksten, former superintendent for the Polson School District, defeated Democrat Gerry Browning in the 2020 election to decide who would replace Republican Greg Hertz of Polson, who gave up the position to run unopposed for the Senate District 6 seat he currently holds. Hertz’s term runs through 2025.

Montana’s 2022 primary election takes place June 7, and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 8.

HD93 incumbent Joe Read, a Republican from Ronan, also is seeking re-election, and he has a pair of challengers — Libertarian Devin Braaten of Polson and Democrat Shirley Azzopardi, also of Ronan. The district covers much of the area west of Highway 93 from Polson to Arlee.

HD15, which extends south from Browning and includes the Seeley-Swan corridor and the area east of Highway 93 from Pablo to St. Ignatius, has a particularly crowded field of candidates. Democratic incumbent Marvin Weatherwax Jr. of Browning faces a challenge from fellow Democrat Adrien Wagner of Heart Butte and Republicans Betsy Johnson of Ronan and Ralph Foster of St. Ignatius.

There’s also a contested race in Senate District 8, which covers the same area as HD15. Democratic incumbent Susan Weber of Browning will take on Republican challenger Rick Jennison of Ronan.

Like Hertz, Republican Dan Salomon of SD47 (south from Pablo to I-90) is serving a term that runs through 2025. House terms run for two years, while Senate terms are for four.

A complete list of Legislative candidates is available at the Secretary of State website, sosmt.gov.

There was no flurry of late action regarding filings for Lake County positions on the ballot. The only addition in the final week was that of Allen Branine for Lake County Conservation District. Branine has served the district since 2019. Three seats are on the ballot, and two others also have filed. They are Sigurd Jensen, who has served since 2001, and Susan Gardner, who has served the district since 1996.

Two Republican candidates have stepped up to vie for the Lake County Commission’s District 2 seat currently held by Commissioner Steve Stanley.

Stanley, a Republican, was appointed last year to replace Commissioner Dave Stipe. He has filed for re-election and will face challenges from Max Krantz and Roy Anderson, who both filed to run as Republicans.

There are three candidates to replace Lake County Justice of the Peace Randal Owens, who did not file for re-election. They are Polson City Judge Michael Larson, Polson City Commissioner Tony Isbell and retired Montana game warden Rick Schoening. Justice of the Peace is a nonpartisan position.

There also will be a contested race for sheriff in Lake County this year. Ronan Police Sgt. Corey White has filed to challenge incumbent Lake County Sheriff-Coroner Don Bell. Both candidates for sheriff are running as Republicans.

Current Chief Criminal Deputy County Attorney James Lapotka, a Republican, is running unopposed for county attorney. Lapotka would replace current County Attorney Steve Eschenbacher, who did not seek re-election.

Three other republican incumbents also have filed for re-election and will run unopposed: Clerk and Recorder Katie Harding; Superintendent of Schools Carolyn Hall; and Assessor/Treasurer Robin Vert-Rubel.

All the county positions on the ballot are four-year terms beginning in 2023, except the Lake County Commission seat, which is a six-year term.