2nd term
as mayor
Jared Ritz
Havre Daily News
jritz@havredailynews.com
Bob Rice ended speculation about his political future by filing for a second term as mayor of Havre on Monday afternoon.
Rice had previously said he was undecided about whether to seek re-election but was receiving lots of calls from community members asking him to seek a second term.
"I've got a whole month to think about it," Rice said at the time. "I enjoy my
job and I'm still weighing all of my options. I get a lot of calls from people encouraging me to run."
Pam Hillery, a Democratic City Council member from Ward 1, also has filed to run for mayor this year. The filing deadline is Thursday.
Hillery could not be reached for comment today.
Rice was first elected in 2001, becoming the first Republican mayor in Havre since the mid-1970s. He defeated Democrat Mike Shortell, a former Havre police chief, in that general election.
Rice ran for the office unsuccessfully in 1997, filing on the last day when he heard that former Mayor Phyllis Leonard was running uncontested.
Rice declined to say what issues he would focus on if he is re-elected. He added, though, that voters can expect more of the same.
"I don't have any issues. I'm just running for re-election," he said. "I'm going to do the same job I did for the last four years."
The mayor's position pays $18,996 a year.
The primary election is Sept. 13 and the general election is Nov. 8.
