Berget files for commissioner on last day

Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget was a last-day filer Monday for the June 3 Primary Election.

“I really thought about this,” Berget said Monday. “It’s not going to be an easy fix, and whoever gets in there is going to have their work cut out for them.”

In addition to Berget, Russell Bache and Mark Peck have filed for Libby commissioner.

Joining Berget as a last-day filer was Frank Fahland, a man who listed a Libby post office box as his return address. Fahland will run against Jay Sheffield and Stormy Langston for justice of the peace. Lincoln County commissioners want to reduce the number of justices to just one from the current two positions.

The race for county clerk and recorder has not changed in recent weeks. Incumbent Tammy Lauer will run against her deputy clerk Robin Benson.

A race drawing a lot of attention is for Lincoln County Sheriff. Incumbent Roby Bowe will run against  his detective, Duane Rhodes, while William Clark filed last Monday, March 3, for sheriff. Clark previously was a board chairman for the Cabinet View Fire Service Area.

The rest of the field — for coroner, county attorney, treasurer and conservation supervisors — are uncontested races. Nancy Trotter Higgins seeks to retain her post as treasurer, as does Bernie Cassidy for county attorney and Steve Schnackenberg as coroner. Wayne Maahs and Mark Romey will run unopposed for the conservation officers.

In the race for Montana Senate, Republican Chas Vincent will defend his seat against Terence Gill, a Democrat, from Eureka.

House District 2 Rep. Mike Cuffe has Democrat Steven Benson running against him.

Rep. Gerald Bennett of District 1 will face a challenge from Democrat Donald Coats.

Most precinct committee positions have been filled. Those positions where candidates have not filed will be filled as the party committees convene.

Republicans precinct committee members to file include Gregg Johnson, Aubyn Curtiss, Matthew Charlton, John L. Stoken, Jennifer Curtiss, Mark Cratty, Trotter Higgins, Ron Higgins, John Rios, Donna Rios, Rhoda Cargill, Charles Woods and Charlotte Woods. There still are vacancies in Precincts 2 and 8.  Three candidates — Cratty, Trotter Higgins and Higgins — have filed for Precinct 7, necessitating a run-off in the primary.

In the Democrats’ race, Marianne Roose and Eileen Carney have filed for two of four precinct committee posts.

The primary is Tuesday, June 3, and the General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.