Primary candidates in final stretch

Property rights banter could dominate county commissioner race

By RICHARD HANNERS/Whitefish Pilot

Two primary races of special interest to Whitefish voters on June 3 will be for county commissioner and state Senate District 2.

In a county dominated by Republicans, the outcome of the Republican primary race for Flathead County commissioner could be telling.

Incumbent Gary Hall is battling former sheriff Jim Dupont in what is portrayed by some as a choice between a moderate and a property-rights conservative.

But allegations by Hall and his supporters that Dupont is allied with former county planning board chairman Russ Crowder and his pro-property rights watchdog group, American Dream Montana, haven't been substantiated.

Crowder has denied the allegation, although he says he agrees with many of Dupont's statements on protecting property rights from government planning.

Those are popular sentiments in the Flathead, and sharing a viewpoint on property rights doesn't prove an alliance exists.

Dupont has told the Pilot he has no alliance with Crowder. As an example of his differences with Crowder, Dupont said he has no major issues with the county's new growth policy because it addresses property rights. He said he was more concerned with how the county follows rules and regulations once they're in place.

On the other hand, Dupont said one of his reasons for running was his concern over property rights. He mentioned the "doughnut" issue in Whitefish as a good example.

The "doughnut" issue could be the paramount political issue for Whitefish voters, and it could cut both ways for Hall.

While Hall is credited with originally promoting Whitefish's planning and zoning authority over the two-mile area outside the city limits, he's the one who pushed hard for rescinding it over the advice of the county attorney's office.

Area voters who believe Whitefish should retain authority over the "doughnut" area in order to protect water quality and viewsheds, however, may not vote for either Hall or Dupont. They may look to Democrat Steve Qunell, who has no primary opponent. But that may not be an easy decision for those people either.

Currently the vice chairman of the Whitefish City-County Planning Board, Qunell says he opposed the Critical Areas Ordinance that so concerned Hall and "doughnut" residents.

Qunell says the ordinance created a bureaucratic nightmare, and imposing it on "doughnut" residents who can't vote for the city councilors who approved the measure was simply unfair. He calls for negotiations between the city and the county.

Issues in the Senate District 2 race are more diffuse. Sen. Dan Weinberg, D-Whitefish, opted not to run again for the district, which joins resort-town Whitefish and blue-collar Columbia Falls at the hip, and four candidates threw their hat in the ring.

Ryan Zinke, a native son and war hero who portrays himself as a "Teddy Roosevelt Republican," has expressed general opposition to how things are getting done in the Legislature.

He says he sought advice from several Republican leaders before filing, including former Gov. Marc Racicot, former Secretary of State Bob Brown and former Sen. Bob DePratu.

In the Republican primary, Zinke faces another Whitefish resident, Suzanne Brooks, a former teacher who swapped parties because of her stance on abortion.

Brooks, who also has a law degree, has tried to introduce legislation to make abortion illegal without success. She believes a seat in the state senate will help her achieve that goal.

Coram resident Gil Jordan announced his intention to run as a Democrat shortly after Weinberg said he wouldn't run again. The director of the Central School Museum in Kalispell and a former speech and debate coach at Whitefish High School, Jordan says he wants to hear what voters want and bring their concerns to the legislature.

Jordan shares with Zinke a desire to halt partisan bickering. Zinke says he offered Jordan use of his hammer when the two ran into each other while putting up political signs in Columbia Heights.

Brittany MacLean, another Whitefish resident, is running against Jordan. With a focus on social issues — education, health care and the economy — MacLean says she wants to move up from grassroots politicking to a more direct role in getting things done.