State midterm election results favor Republicans; Democrat Dave Fern wins HD5 for fourth term
A voter places an "I Voted" sticker on her coat after casting her ballot at the Trade Center at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, Nov. 8. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The votes in the Montana midterm elections were tallied by last Thursday afternoon revealing that Republicans would maintain control.
In the U.S. House District 1 race, the new U.S. House seat representing northwest Montana, Whitefish Republican Ryan Zinke narrowly beat Missoula Democrat Monica Tranel and Libertarian John Lamb. Zinke tallied about 50% of the vote while Tranel had 46% and Lamb finished with 4%.
In the U.S. House District 2 race, incumbent Matt Rosendale easily defeated his opponents with 120,899 votes.
Whitefish Democrat incumbent Dave Fern won in the House District 5 race with 3,549 votes, about 60%, over Whitefish Republican Lyn Bennett who had 2,238 votes. This will be Fern’s fourth term.
Another Whitefish resident John Repke was running for the Public Service Commission (PSC) but was defeated by Kalispell’s Dr. Annie Bukacek (R) who tallied about 56% of the votes; Repke had 40,802 votes while Bukacek had 52,836. The PSC District 5 covers Flathead, Lewis and Clark, Teton and Lake counties.
In Flathead County, Republican Pam Holmquist maintained her seat as county commissioner for a third term against a write-in campaign from opponent Jack Fallon.
Flathead County also will add a 3% tax to recreational marijuana, but voters said no to adding the same 3% tax to medical marijuana.
Voters also rejected LR-131, an abortion-related referendum called the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. The vote was close with voters in opposition to the referendum having 53% of the vote. Advocates of LR-131 said it was meant to prevent the killing of infants while those against expressed it would force medical providers to take actions that would prevent palliative care for Montana families in hard situations.
More statewide election results are listed below:
Precincts fully reported 663 of 663 (100%)
US House 1st district
Ryan Zinke (R) 120,285
Monica Tranel (D) 112,271
John Lamb (L) 9,305
US House 2nd district
Matt Rosendale (R) 120,899
Penny Ronning (D) 42,905
Sam Rankin (L) 2,975
Gary Buchanan (I) 46,917
Supreme Court Justice 1
Bill D’Alton 87,081
Jim Rice 302,580
Supreme Court Justice 2
James Brown 197,892
Ingrid Gustafson 235,225
PSC 5
Ann Bukacek (R) 52,836
John Repke (D) 40,802
SD1
Michael Cuffe (R) 7,496
SD4
John Fuller (R) 5,033
Kyle Waterman (D) 3,083
SD5
Mark Noland (R) 7,837
HD1
Steve Gunderson (R) 3,203
HD2
Neil Duram (R) 4,289
HD3
Braxton Mitchell (R) 2,674
Andrea Getts (D) 1,912
HD4
Matt Regier (R) 4,144
Kimberly Pinter (D) 1,321
HD5
Lyn Bennett (R) 2,238
Dave Fern (D) 3,549
HD6
Amy Regier (R) 4,595
HD7
Courtenay Sprunger (R) 2,112
Angela Kennedy (D) 1,242
HD8
Terry Falk (R) 3,215
Sid Daoud (L) 1,215
HD9
Tony Brockamn (R) 3,091
HD10
Bob Keenan (R) 4,849
HD11
Tanner Smith (R) 4,215
HD12
Linda Reksten (R) 3,282
Sterling James Laudon (D) 2,024
HD13
Paul Fielder (R) 4,542
Colleen Hinds (D) 1,331
HD14
Denley Loge (R) 4,126
HD15
Ralph Foster (R) 1,253
Marvin Weatherwax Jr. (D) 1,243
Flathead County Commissioner
Pamela Holmquist (R) 28,266
Write-in 11,825
Flathead Clerk and Recorder
Debbie Pierson (R) 36,323
Flathead County Sheriff
Brian Heino (R) 38,083
Flathead County Attorney
Travis Ahner (R) 35,141
Flathead County Superintendent
Cal Ketchum (R) 35,397
Flathead County Treasurer
Adele Krantz (R) 36,886
Flathead Justice of Peace Eric Hummel another term?
Yes 34,019
No 4,022
Flathead Justice of Peace Paul Sullivan another term?
Yes 33,745
No 4,775
Judge Dan Wilson, District 11
Yes 32,758
No 6,151
Judge District 11, Dept 5
Danni Coffman 31,850
Flathead County local option non-medical marijuana tax
For 33,181
Against 12,562
Flathead County local option medical marijuana tax
For 22,364
Against 23,462
Constitutional Amendment 48
Yes 357,590 (82%)
No 76,822 (18%)
Legislative Referendum 131
Yes 209,218 (47%)
No 231,729 (53%)