Surprising names at the Polls

(UNDATED)—WHEN YOU GO TO THE POLLS TOMORROW (TUESDAY) FOR THE MONTANA PRIMARY, OR IF YOU’RE FILLING IN YOUR BALLOT AT HOME, YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF LOOKING AT CERTAIN RACES WITH A LOT OF UNFAMILIAR NAMES.

            FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE DEMOCRATIC RACE FOR U-S REPRESENTATIVE THERE ARE SEVEN CANDIDATES WITHOUT A LOT OF NAME RECOGNITION HERE IN OUR AREA.   

            THE MOST WELL KNOWN COULD BE KIM GILLAN, A SENATOR AND FORMER MT. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER  FROM BILLINGS.   THERE’S SAM RANKIN FROM BILLINGS, DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS A MODERATE DEMOCRAT WHO SAYS HE’S FOCUSED ON ENDING THE CYCLE OF CORRUPT FINANCIAL INFLUENCE IN CONGRESS.

            DIANE SMITH, AN ATTORNEY AND ENTREPRENEUR FROM WHITEFISH.     DAVE STROHMAIER, ROBERT STUTZ, JASON WARD, AND FRANKE WILMER.

            THE REPUBLICAN GOV. CANDIDATES HAVE HAD MORE EXPOSURE BUT DO YOU KNOW THESE 7 CANDIDATES…..RICK HILL, BOB FANNING, NEIL LIVINGSTONE, JIM LYNCH, KEN MILLER, JIM O’HARA, AND COREY STAPLETON.

            HOW ABOUT THE 2 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR GOV……MANY PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL STEVE BULLOCK BUT WHAT ABOUT THE 2^ND CANDIDATE……HEATHER MARGOLIS.     AND SPEAKING OF ATTORNEY GENERAL…..TIM FOX AND JIM SCHOCKLEY, A STATE LEGISLATOR, ARE BOTH ON THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY TICKET.

            THERE ARE ALSO TWO CANDIDATES ON THE DEMOCRATIC BALLOT FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL.   PAM BUCY AND JESSE LASLOVICH.    LASLOVICH IS BETTER KNOWN FROM BEING A YOUNG DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATOR WITH STRONG CHRISTIAN VIEWS.

            THERE ARE TWO CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN HOUSE DISTRICT 15 THAT MAY NOT BE WELL KNOWN EAST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT, BUT ALL OF PONDERA COUNTY WILL VOTE ON THEM.    THE CANDIDATES ARE FORRESTINA “FROSTY” CALF BOSS RIBS AND JASON RICHARD SMITH.

            RUNNING FOR U-S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE REPUBLICAN TICKET, STEVE DAINES IS FARILY WELL KNOWN BUT ERIC BROSTEN AND VINCENT MELKUS ARE RELATIVE NEWCOMERS.

            IN TETON COUNTY THEY HAVE THREE COMMISSION CANDIDATES BUT NO RACES.   RON OSTBERG OF FAIRFIELD,  IS THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE.   DAVID KLETTE OF DUTTON, THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AND NOT ON THE PRIMARY BALLOT, BUT HE WILL BE IN NOVEMBER, ARNIE GETTEL, THE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FROM POWER.

            FOR PRESIDENT ON THE DEMOCRATIC BALLOT THERE IS BARACK OBAMA OR NO PREFERENCE BUT ON THE REPUBLICAN BALLOT THERE ARE FOUR NAMES INCLUDING, MITT ROMNEY, NEWT GINGRICH, RON PAUL AND RICK SANTORUM.

            AND THEN THERE ARE SOME LOCAL ISSUES LIKE THE ONGOING PONDERA COUNTY RURAL FIRE DISTRICT LEVY WHICH RAISES ABOUT 20-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR FOR 10 YEARS.  IT’S NOT A NEW LEVY.   

            THERE IS ALSO A PONDERA REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY CONTINUING LEVY AND A PONDERA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBARIES LEVY.

            THERE ARE OTHER LOCAL RACES FOR COMMISSIONER AND THE 9^TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT JUDGE AS WELL AS THE SUPREME COURT.   THESE WERE JUST SOME THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU A LITTLE BIT,

UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN PAYING EXTRA CLOSE ATTENTION.

            POLLS OPEN AT 7 AM IN PRECINCTS WITH MORE THAN 400 VOTERS AND NOON WITH LESS THAN 400 VOTERS.