Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
While the focus this primary has been on the hotly contested Democratic presidential race, several state and local legislative races were also decided in primaries Tuesday. In local legislative races, unofficial results from the Montana Secretary of State’s Web site show Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Rocky Boy, narrowly beating incumbent Sen. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, 1.424 to 1,289, in the race for the Democratic nomination for Senate District 16. The district stretches from southern Hill County through southern Blaine and Phillips counties including the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Roosevelt County. The race for the state representative seat Windy Boy is leaving, House District 32 in southern Hill, Blaine and Phillips counties, is too close to call. Tony Belcourt of Box Elder is listed with a two-vote lead over Adrian Main of Harlem, 488 to 486. Jonathan Phillip Walker of Harlem received 290 votes. The number of votes will not be officially tallied until the canvas is done. Hill County canvas is scheduled for June 10. Windy Boy and the winner of the House District 32 primary are unopposed in the general election Nov. 4. In House District 29, including southeastern Chouteau County and parts of Fergus and Judith Basin counties, incumbent Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winifred, narrowly defeated Scott Seilstad of Denton, 827 to 807. In the Democratic primary, Dan Simpson of Lewistown defeated Steven Foy, also of Lewistown, 598 to 450 . In other state and national contested elections affecting north-central Montana, Bob Kelleher of Butte won the Republican primary to face incumbent U.S. Sen. Max Baucus this fall. Kelleher received 26,766, while Republicans Mike Lange of Billings received 16,963, Patty Lovaas of Missoula received 7,604, Anton Pearson of Billings received 4,217 and Shay Joshua Garnett, also of Billings, received 2,774. Baucus, running unopposed in his primary, received 16,3551 votes. In the race to face Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., John Driscoll of Helena won the Democratic primary with 70,206 votes. Jim Hunt, also of Helena, received 59,427 while Robert Candee of Richey received 12,476 votes. Rehberg, running unopposed in his primary, received 90,065 votes. In the race for state attorney general, Steve Bullock of Helena won the Democratic nomination with 63,333 votes. Mike Wheat of Bozeman received 54,477, while John Parker of Great Falls received 32,143. Bullock will face Tim Fox in the general election. Fox, of Clancy, defeated John Bruner of Butte in the Republican primary, 43,412 to 33,302. In the race for the state superintendent of public instruction, Denise Juneau of Helena won the Democratic nomination. Juneau received 53,727 votes, while Sam Kitzenberg of Glasgow received 29,907, Holly Raser of Missoula received 35,615 and Claudette Morton of Helena received 24,035. In the general election Juneau will face Elaine Solly Herman of Helena. Herman, running unopposed in the Republican primary, received 74,107 votes. In unopposed races on the state and legislative level, Perry Miller received 1,311 votes in the Democratic primary and Wendy Warburton received 474 votes in the Republican primary for House District 34. Incumbent Rep. Bob Bergren received 1,429 votes in the Democratic primary for House District 33, while Kyle Austin received 348 votes in the Republican primary for that district. In House District 28, in Liberty and northwestern Chouteau and northeastern Pondera counties, the candidates were unopposed in their primaries. Republican Roy Hollandsworth of Brady received 1,251 votes and Democrat Trudy Skari of Chester received 1,215. In unnopposed state races, Duane Grimes of Clancy received 74,698 votes in the Republican primary for state auditor, while Monica Lindeen of Billings received 142,857 in the Democratic primary. In the race for secretary of state, incumbent Brad Johnson received 81,256 in the Republican primary while Linda McCulloch received 150,084 in the Democratic primary.
