New redistricting affects campaign filing
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
LAKE COUNTY – Election 2014 will bring more than a new set of political candidates to choose from for Lake County voters. The next political cycle will be the first in which constituents vote in state house and senate districts that emerged from the decennial redistricting process and the first in which a new county system of labeling precincts is tested.
Lake County Election Administrator Kathie Newguard said her office is in the process of educating the public about the changes.
“We will be sending out new voter billfold cards to everyone who is a registered voter,” Newguard said.
The billfolds will let voters know which political entities they reside in since the boundary lines or names of the political entities may have changed.
“In the old districts, the precincts were just ‘Precinct 1,’ ‘Precinct 2,’ ‘Precinct 3,’” Newguard said. Precinct names in the old system did not give voters a hint as to where their polling place was located.
“Now the way we’ve done them is ‘Precinct Dayton 1,’ ‘Polson 1,’ ‘Polson 2,’ ‘Polson 3,’” Newguard said. “We did that so they know where they vote. Swan 1 and Swan 2 vote over in the Swan. Polson votes in Polson. Charlo votes in Charlo.”
The state’s redistricting of house and senate boundaries aren’t as straightforward. Lake County formerly was home to house districts 9, 11, 12, and 15 and senate districts 5, 6, and 8.
In the new map, House District 93 encompasses most of the Pablo, Ronan, and St. Ignatius areas that are west of Highway 93 and dips down to the border with Missoula County. Senate District 47 covers much of the same area. New House District 15 encompasses the eastern side of the same communities and stretches to the northwest, into the Flathead National Forest and Flathead, Glacier, and Ponderosa Counties. Senate District 8 includes the same Lake County communities as House District 15, but has a more extreme northwestern border that aligns with the Canadian international border. House District 12 includes Polson and other northern parts of the county. Senate District 6 includes House District 12’s area and extends upward into Flathead County. Bigfork and Swan Lake regions will be included in House District 10 and Senate District 5.
Senator Janna Taylor, of new Senate District 6, was the only holdover legislator for Lake County. Other legislators will have to file for re-election in their new districts. Although records of who had officially filed for state office were not available as of press time, campaign finance documents filed with the Commissioner of Political Practices give clear hints as to who is weighing a run.
Thus far, Eldena Bear Don’t Walk, a St. Ignatius Democrat, filed campaign finance documents for a 2014 run for House District 15. Polson’s Greg Hertz, a Republican, filed for House District 12. Mark Noland, a Bigfork Republican, filed for House District 10. Current Lake County Justice of the Peace Joey Jayne filed an exploratory campaign finance document for state office, but did not list the official position she was considering.
Newguard saw many official filings for county offices on Jan. 9. Dan Yonkin, Rick Schoening and Kim Leibenguth all filed in the Republican primary race for Lake County Sheriff. Incumbent Patti Duford Kugler, a Republican, filed for county treasurer/assessor. Democrat Paula Houle filed for clerk and recorder/surveyor. Stanley Bain tossed his hat into the ring for Chief Cliff Fire Department Board of Directors.
Candidates have until March 10 to file for state and county offices, before the June primary. Filing for fire and irrigation elections is open until Feb. 20. Filing for local school boards is open until March 27.
Newguard’s office has a map of the new districts for those interested in viewing them. Multiple maps of the new house and senate districts are online at: http://leg.mt.gov/css/Committees/interim/2011-2012/districting/adopted-plan.asp.
