Windy Boy files for Senate

Another local legislator has filed as a candidate for re-election, setting up a rematch of the 2008 election in Senate District 16.

Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, filed this morning.

Rep. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, filed Jan. 12, the first day filing was allowed.

Windy Boy, challenged Smith in 2008 when Smith was the incumbent in the district.

Windy Boy defeated Smith in the Democratic primary, then again in the general election after Smith filed as an independent.

Windy Boy gave up his opportunity to run for a fourth term as representative from House District 32, to run for the Senate in 2008.

The representative, who won the seat in 2008, Rep. Tony Belcourt, D-Box Elder, had not filed as a candidate as of this morning. Belcourt also had not returned calls asking if he planned to run this year.

Smith successfully ran as a representative in 2010 in House District 31 in Valley and Roosevelt counties, taking back his former position following his 2008 loss to Windy Boy.

Smith served in the House in the 1999, 2001 and 2003 sessions before successfully running for the Senate in 2004.

North-central Montana around Havre has, otherwise, remained fairly quiet. Incumbent Reps. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, Roy Hollandsworth, R-Brady, and Ryan Osmundson, R-Buffalo, have filed as candidates for re-election with no primary or general election opposition as yet.

Rep. Wendy Warburton, R-Havre, had not filed as a candidate as of this morning, and neither had any other candidates for her district.

A race that has both primary and general contests is in Senate District 17 in Hill and Blaine counties.

Sen. Craig Tilleman, R-Havre, who was appointed to replace Sen. Rowlie Hutton, R-Havre, after he resigned last year, faces Don Richman of Harlem in the Republican primary.

Former Senator and Public Service Comissioner Greg Jergeson of Chinook has filed as the sole Democratic candidate in that race as of this morning.