Teske wants to continue service to Lincoln Co.

While two mid-term election races are drawing plenty of attention in Montana and the U.S., one local race includes two Lincoln County natives vying for the Lincoln County Commission District 1 seat.

Incumbent Brent Teske bested Stu Crismore by 140 votes in the June primary, but Crismore declared his intention to run as a write-in candidate.

Teske was appointed to replace Mark Peck on the board last year after Peck’s resignation. Teske previously served as Libby’s mayor and before that on city council.

The winner in November will then serve out the remaining four years of Peck’s original term.

The Western News met with both commissioner candidates as they make their respective cases to voters for the seat.

Teske is the married father of six children and 10 grandchildren and is no stranger to public service, having served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1985 before being honorably discharged in 1990.

It continued with time in the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy and employment in the detention center. Teske was also a patrol sergeant on the Libby City Police force. He has also worked as the county’s Emergency Management Agency Director.

But Teske didn’t initially see himself in politics.

“If you would’ve asked me eight or nine years ago, I would have said ‘No, not at all,’” Teske said.

Things changed when Teske, who is a member of American Legion Post 97, and some friends began talking about a Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Riverfront Park.

“We ran into some pushback from the city and that resulted in frustration,” Teske said. “Some fellow vets wanted me to run for city council in 2013 and I was elected. It was a controversial time in the city, the mayor had resigned in 2016 and I became mayor for five years.”

But Teske also has experience in the business sector. He worked in the family business - Kootenai Karpets - as a floor covering installer. He’s worked in weed control with Moose River and in the Middle East as a field mentor for the Afghan National Police.

“I’m proud of my service in the military and my time running EMA taught me a lot about county operations and the oversight of operations,” Teske said.

He doesn’t believe local politics should be about politics.

“As a commissioner or a council member, you are not the sole decision maker. You are working with others, trying to make the best decisions,” Teske said. “I’ve really enjoyed working with Jerry (Bennett). He’s a wealth of information and education. Josh (Letcher) brings a great deal of business experience and I’m really looking forward to working with Jim (Hammons).”

Teske is generally encouraged with the direction of Libby and the county, but knows there is much work to be done.

“In terms of the asbestos, there’s still lot of local pain in terms of how it went down and the management of it, but it’s been 20-plus years and hopefully we’re wrapping that up,” he said. “In terms of forest health and management, I’m pleased we’ve become a partner with the Forest Service in the Wildland Urban Interface because it’s important to be part of the process. We’re also a local intervenor in the Ripley Project.”

Teske said while he thinks there is a lot of local potential for industry here, "We’ll see because we’ve been burned before,” he said. “Logging holds the potential for more jobs and an increase in the tax base.”

Teske, who is or has served on several boards, including Lincoln County Veterans Memorial Foundation, Libby Asbestos Superfund Oversight Committee, the Igniters Car Club and several others, wants people to know he’s open to conversations.

“It’s important that people know they can come and talk to me and generate more understanding,” he said.