Clash of the Titans: Hi-Line state Senate race gets statewide attention

In a fight for control of the state Senate, both sides of the aisle are keeping a close watch on a local Senate race for the seat in a massive new district that could be a key seat in determining who controls that lawmaking body.

All of the local legislative races are contested, but one race is garnering the most attention.

Rep. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, a rising star in the state GOP, is taking on four-decade veteran public official Sen. Greg Jergeson, D-Havre, in Senate District 14, which stretches from the Canadian border in Liberty and western Hill counties through Chouteau County and takes up the northeastern edge of Cascade County.

“Obviously, that is a top-of-the-ticket race right there … ,” Montana Republican Party Executive Director Bowen Greenwood said. “It is certainly the (state) race that most of the people in politics are looking at most closely, the clash of the titans, if you will.”

Lauren Caldwell, director of the Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, made similar comments, saying the party wants to keep Jergeson in the Legislature to advocate for this region.

She added that keeping Jergeson in the Senate is part of the party’s goal in gaining seats in Helena in an attempt to take the majority.

“It’s a very critical race for the Legislature overall,” she added.

Clash of the titans

The two facing off in the Nov. 4 general election in the district are high-profile Montana candidates at the moment.

Hansen was one of the candidates who led a first-ever Republican sweep of contested legislative elections in traditionally blue Hill and Blaine counties, while Jergeson has served as a Democratic elected official in most of the last 40 years.

Historically union-heavy Hill and Blaine counties typically elected Democrats in most local and state elections, although Republicans — including Havre’s Republican Sen. Stan Stephens, later governor of Montana — did win elections. That Democrat-heavy preference was turned on its ear in 2010.

That year, Republican Rep. Wendy Warburton won her second term in office, Havre Republican Rowlie Hutton defeated former Democratic Speaker of the House Bob Bergren of Havre, who left the House due to term limits, for an open Senate seat, and Hansen won her first term as a state representative.

In a tumultuous changeover, Hutton announced his resignation during his first session of the Legislature — he and his wife, Suzette, moved to Nebraska following the session — and the Hill and Blaine county Republican central committees appointed a replacement.

In the next election, Democrats won back that seat with Jergeson returning to the Legislature after being out for a decade, but Hansen and Warburton won their races.

Warburton is not running for re-election this year.

Hansen, in her second term as a state legislator, was the chair of the House Education Committee last year. While in that seat, she was a champion of the Republican push for educational choice. This included co-sponsoring a bill to change charter schools in Montana and introducing a bill to set up savings accounts with money that would have gone to public schools to educate a student for parents to use to pay for alternate education for that child. The public schools would still have received funding in the year the child left, although that child would not have counted for funding in future years

Meanwhile, Jergeson returned to the Legislature after a 10-year hiatus with his victory in 2012. First elected in 1974, he lost an election in 1982 but returned to the Senate in 1987 and served until he was forced to leave due to term limits after 2002, including serving as Senate majority leader in 1993-94.

After leaving the Senate, he ran for the Public Service Commission and served two terms there, including six years as chair of the commission, until term limits ended his tenure there after 2010.

He said in 2012 he decided to again run for the Senate — under the state law, he was eligible to run again — because he wanted to try to reduce the partisanship he saw in the Legislature in the previous session.

After he won, former Rep. John Musgrove, D-Havre, said Jergeson was going to be both a third-time freshman senator and dean of the Senate.

A closely watched race

People list several reasons why the race is being watched so closely, including both parties aiming for the seat in attempts to keep their majority for the Republicans and to gain a majority, or at least narrow the gap, for the Democrats.

Hill County Republican Central Committee Chair Andrew Brekke said the race certainly seems to be getting the most attention for this region, as well as the most money in contributions.

“I would say it’s the premiere race in our area,” he said.

Hansen said the focus may be because it is a fairly unique race two sitting legislators running for an open seat. She passed up her chance to run for a third term in the House — in a different area after redistricting. The new district basically comprises Havre, while her previous district included part of Havre and western Hill County.

The primary showed that incumbents are still tending to win their races, she said. That included challenges against local incumbents including Hansen, who defeated Carl Mattson of Chester in June.

“I've also been told this is being considered a marquis race … ,” Hansen said. “This Senate District 14 race features two incumbents in a new district that neither of us has held all of before. I don't know what conventional wisdom would say about that twist, and I don't think others around the state know exactly what to make of it either.

“It is also a seat that has flipped parties a few times in the past 10 years, so it is considered a swing seat,” she added.

Hill County Democratic Party Chair Brenda Skornogoski said SD 14 is a key race for several reasons, including its potential impact on funding public education.

“It is critical as to whether Democrats have control of the Senate,” she said. “It’s also really critical in terms of education, after the bill that Kris Hansen proposed in the last session. The harm that such a bill passing (could do), especially to the rural schools — it could damage Havre as well, but especially rural schools on the Hi-line, and Geraldine and Fort Benton … .”

Jergeson said the close watch may be because SD 14 is one of the few Senate districts reapportionment didn’t weigh heavily favoring one party or the other. SD 14 is more of a tossup, fairly evenly mixing Republican and Democratic voters, he said.

“That’s one of the primary reasons that people are watching it,” he said.

But, he added, people watching the race doesn’t change the results in the end, which is why he likes local politics.

“It almost doesn’t matter what the people outside think, watching it … ,” he said. “This race is really up to the people locally, it’s not up to the people watching.”

Praise for both candidates

Both parties on the state and local level praised the candidates and said they believe their candidates can win.

“We absolutely love Kris and can’t wait to see her in the Senate, so this race is a big deal to us,” Bowen Greenwood said.

He added that it’s the ideas that matter in a race, and Hansen’s support of “more jobs and less government resonates with the people all over the state of Montana, and, in particular, in Kris’s Senate district.

“In addition to the ideas, Kris is such a winning personality, just an outstanding individual and a great public servant,” he said.

Caldwell said Jergeson’s years of service proves his ability.

“Greg has been an incredible legislator and candidate for (the region) for many years,” she said.

She said his work across the aisle also is crucial for the victory. The Republican Party has become polarized in recent years, she said, with some moderates willing to to compromise but others standing on extreme positions with no willingness to agree.

“Unfortunately, Kris Hansen represents that extreme wing,” Caldwell said.

The candidates themselves said why they thought they would be the best candidate.

Hansen said she really enjoys being a legislator, including researching every issue.

“I enjoy digging into the details of the law to find answers for people who have bumped up against obstacles,” she said.

For example, she said, a trucker recently asked her what could be done to resolve conflicts between motorized vehicles and bicycles — he was driving on U.S. Highway 2, came up on a long string of cyclists and had trouble passing them.

“So that question gave me the opportunity to look into the law on bicycles and highways in Montana,” Hansen said. “I take that approach to Helena. I want to find out where the problem lies and what can be done about it, whether it is a simple issue or a complex one.”

Jergeson said his years in office make him the best candidate.

“Basically, my experience, the service I have provided for the people of north-central Montana,” he said. “I think, altogether, I am in sync with the voters of my district.”

He said he also believes he was successful in helping bring together moderates in both parties to pass legislation, as was his goal in returning to the Senate. He cited his work in helping build a coalition to pass the educational funding bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Llew Jones of Conrad, a bill supported by Montana school districts and education assocations.

Hansen voted against that bill.

Jegeson also cited that issue as a reason for his being the best candidate, as well as his advocacy for agriculture, transportation, funding Montana State University-Northern and the push to expand Medicaid.

But he focused on K-12 education funding, saying Jones’ bill was a good start to improve funding but it would be an ongoing battle..

He said he would be opposed to taking funds from public schools in experiments to fund alternate or private education.

"That is a major defining issue between the competition and me," Jergeson said.

Greg Jergeson, Democratic candidate for Senate District 17

• Born in Havre, 1950

• Graduated from Chinook High School. 1969

• Graduated from the University of Montana, 1974, bachelor’s degree in political science

• Served in Montana Senate 1975-1982, 1987-2002, 2013-2014

• Served on Montana Board of Investments 1981-1985

• Assistant minority leader 1979-1980

• Member of Blaine County Planning Board 1983-2003

• Chaired Senate Agriculture

• Chaired Finance Committees 1991-1995

• Majority leader, chair Rules Committee 1993-1994

• Chaired Legislative Audit Committee 1999-2001

• Served on Public Service Commission 2003-2010

• Chaired PSC 2004-2010

• Serves on: Senate Taxation; Rules; Public Health, Welfare and Safety, and Energy and Telecommunications committees; interim Revenue and Transportation and Legislative Audit committees

• Previously served on: Senate Agriculture; Finance and Claims; Highways committees; Appropriations subcommittees on Education, Natural Resources; Legislative Finance Committee

• Employment: Private consultant; Fundraising and grant writing; Grants and business linkage director Montana State University-Northern Foundation; farmed and ranched in Blaine County

• Organizations: Member, Montana State University Northern Foundation; Member, North-Central Montana Land and Mineral Owners Association, 1987-present; Member, North-Central Montana Stockgrowers Association, 1987-present; Member, Montana Farmers Union, 1975-present; Member, Fraternal Order of Eagles #689, 1974-present; Member, Chinook Lions Swim Team; Member, Chinook Men's Bowling League

Kris Hansen, Havre, Republican candidate for Montana Senate District 14

• Born in Peoria, Illinois, 1969

• Graduated from Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School, 1988

• College: Bachelor’s degrees in political science, public administration, Augustana College, 1992

• Juris Doctorate, The John Marshall Law School, 2002

• Military: Montana Army National Guard, 2004-2011, Judge Advocate; Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2007-08

• Served in House of Representatives 2011-2014

• 2013 chair of House Education Committee;

• Serves on: Education, Taxation committees, interim Education and Local Government, Legislative Council

• Previously served on: House Judiciary, Local Government and Rules committees

• Employment: Private practice attorney; Deputy Hill County Attorney; law clerk Montana Supreme Court, federal court; employee of the Central Intelligence Agency; Montana Army National Guard Judge Advocate; Task Force 49 Aviation Brigade legal assistance attorney in Iraq

• Organizations: Not available

Sources: Project Vote Smart, https://votesmart.org; Montana Legislature, http://leg.mt.gov/

2014 endorsements:

Hansen: National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund

Jergeson: Montana Public Employees Association, Montana Education Association-Montana Federation of Teachers, Montana Conservation Voters

Ratings on positions:

• National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund

Hansen: 93 percent

Jergeson: no rating available

• Montana School Business Officials, MEA-MFT, Montana Rural Education Association, Montana Quality Education Coalition, Montana School Boards Association, School Administrators of Montana

Hansen: Zero percent

Jergeson: 100 percent

• Montana Contractors Association:

Hansen: 83 percent

Jergeson: 60 percent

•United Property Owners of Montana:

Hansen: 100 percent

Jergeson: 84 percent

• Montana Human Rights Network:

Hansen: 6 percent

Jergeson: 100 percent

• Montana Family Foundation:

Hansen: 100 percent

Jergeson: 13 percent

•Montana Education Association-Montana Federation of Teachers:

Hansen: Zero percent

Jergeson: 100 percent

•Montana Conservation Voters:

Hansen: Zero percent

Jergeson: 73 percent

•Montana Chamber of Commerce:

Hansen: 100 percent

Jergeson: 39 percent

•National Rifle Association

Hansen: 75 percent

Jergeson: 17 percent

Source: Project Vote Smart