Races develop for legislature seat, justice of peace

Two new candidates have filed in the 2010 election, bringing more contested races into the primary. Cathy Chinske Huston of Havre has filed in the nonpartisan race for Hill County Justice of the Peace, and Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation retiree David Lindseth has filed as a Democrat in the legislative race for the seat in House District 32. Hill County Deputy Clerk of Court Audrey Barger previously filed as a candidate in the justice of the peace race. She will face Huston in the primary, although as the top two vote-getters in the primary advance, both candidates are guaranteed at this point to Go on to the general election. Lindseth will face incumbent Democrat Tony Belcourt, D-Box Elder, and Harlem Democrat J.P. "Chunker" Walker in the primary for the House race. The filings bring contested races to three on the county level, with the administrator position the last office with no candidate who has filed as of this morning. The county commissioner seat and Hill County attorney position are the other contested races. The positions of clerk and recorder, sheriff and coroner, superintendent of schools and the office of treasurer and assessor each have one candidate as of this morning, with Democrats filing as candidates in each of those elections. Huston, a Havre native and graduate of St. Jude Thaddeus School and Havre High School, said her experience in law enforcement would help her as justice of the peace. "I have a strong desire to serve the residents of Hill County as justice of the peace," she said. "I have experience on both the prosecution side and the defense side, and I believe I have a clear picture of what lies in the middle. "My experience in the justice system uniquely qualifies me to serve as your justice of the peace," Huston added. Huston entered the world of law enforcement as a reserve Havre police officer at age 19. She received an associate degree in law enforcement from Dawson Community College, served as a dispatcher and police officer for the City of Havre, worked with juvenile probation and the Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force, and for the last three years has worked as an investigator for the State Office of Public Defender. Lindseth said this morning that, while he has no experience in elected office, he wants to take a closer look at where and how money appropriated by the state used, with his focus on Indian health care and health care in general, education, and pushing to widen U.S. Highway 2 to four lanes across the state. "Just the basics," he said. He said his experience — a Vietnam veteran, Lindseth has retired from the National Guard, and with the highway department and the teamsters — would give him a good background and perspective as a legislator. "I'm retired and live up here in Rocky Boy, and I want to get into politics and see where this money that's appropriated goes," he said.