Primary election

The primary election Tuesday is quite interesting.

Voters will opt to vote Democratic or Republican and as such will see different ballots. On the Democratic ballot there are five candidates for U.S. Senator vying for the opportunity to challenge incumbent Republican Conrad Burns. Paul Richards, Jon Tester, Robert Candee, Kenneth Marcure and John Morrison will be on the ballot. Tester, the senate majority leader this past legislative session, and Morrison, the state auditor, are best known among the bunch. On the Republican ballot, Burns is joined by Daniel Lloyd Neste Huffman, Bigfork legislator Bob Keenan and perennial candidate for something, Bob Kelleher.

The next interesting race is for county commissioner where Eureka Democrat Marianne Roose is seeking another term. She is unopposed on the Democratic ballot but Ginny Emerson and Rick Maedje, state representative from House District 2, are vying on the Republican ballot. It will be interesting to see how Maedje's arrest last week for a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, a misdemeanor, affects his chances.

There are two Republicans and two Democrats on the respective ballots for the House District 2 seat. On the GOP side, Chas Vincent of Libby is running against Leslie Hollopeter Galassi of Fortine. On the Democratic ballot, Ken Utter and Ray Jacobs, both of the Eureka area, are seeking a place on the fall ballot.

Sheriff Daryl Anderson, seeking his third term, is unchallenged on the Democratic ballot. But there are two candidates vying for the right to face him in the fall election. Libby Police Chief Clay Coker is facing longtime probation officer Rick Morrow on the Republican ballot.

Check out the candidates and don't believe rumor. Question anyone saying anything negative about any candidate and find out for yourself. A little effort won't hurt you. It's not like those purple fingers that could get you killed coming away from the polls in Iraq. — Roger Morris