Breaking news - Jergeson says he will run for Senate

Long-time Hi-Line legislator Greg Jergeson, forced out of the Senate due to term limits a decade ago, said tonight during the Democratic Pasma-Peck fundraising dinner in Havre he plans to run for the legislative body again.

Havre Daily News/Tim Leeds

Greg Jergeson of Chinook announces Friday during the Hill County Democrat fundraiser Pasma-Peck dinner that he will run for the state Senate in 2012.

"As of Monday I will be filing some papers with the commissioner of political practices¯ Jergeson said during the dinner.

Jergeson was elected to the Public Service Commission, where he served as chair, until he was forced out of that position last year, again due to term limits.

He now is again eligible to run for the Senate under the provisions of Montana's term limits laws, which say a person may not run if they already have held the office for eight years in any 16-year period.

Jergeson said he has been approached by several people to run for the Senate seat vacated by Sen. Rowlie Hutton, R-Havre, when he resigned in July.

"I don't know whether this is an assessment of the nature of this last (legislative) session of the legislature or an evaluation of the skills that maybe I developed over the years, or the energy I still have and the lack of The Hill and Blaine county commissioners meet Tuesday with the nominees to be appointed to take Hutton's place through 2012.