Happy Monday! Today is March 10, 2014, which the Montana Secretary of State’s office declares is the “last day for candidates to file declarations for Primary Election.”
So if you’re planning on running, you have until 5:00 p.m. today to file. Get the info HERE.
About 59 people have filed since the first of March, and I imagine there will be several more today – maybe even a few surprises. Here’s the place to find the lists for those who filed.
Here are some of my observations so far:
With U.S. Senator John Walsh (D-Mont.) filing Saturday for U.S. Senate, there are three Democrats running for the seat. The other two candidates are Dirk Adams and John Bohlinger. Steve Daines is the only Republican running for U.S. Senate, but I expect a “sacrificial lamb” candidate to run as a Republican which will help Daines in several ways.
In the race for U.S. House, there are seven candidates (five Republicans and two Democrats). On the Democrat side, it’s the battle of the “Johns” with John Lewis and John Driscoll in the race. The Republicans have Elsie Arntzen, Matt Rosendale, Corey Stapleton, Drew Turiano, and Ryan Zinke.
In the race for Public Service Commissioner, District 5, there are three Republicans (Brad Johnson, Derek Skees, and John M. Campbell) who have filed. One Democrat has filed for the seat, Galen Hollenbaugh.
As for the state House and Senate races, there are 1,200,100,347 candidates who have filed for the state legislature. Just kiddin. There are about 53 candidates who have filed for state senate and 197 who have filed for state house.
There are five Libertarian candidates running for state house seats.
It’s too bad the state of Montana makes it so difficult to run as an independent candidate. Click HERE to see the hoops you have to jump through to get on the ballot in Montana as an Independent, Minor Party, and/or Indigent Candidate.
Speaking of candidates, Kim Jong Un of North Korea recently had an election. The Associated Press reported “With no one else on the ballot, state media reported Monday that supreme leader Kim Jong Un was not only elected to the highest legislative body in North Korea, he won with the unanimous approval of his district, which had 100 percent turnout.”
A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election. ~Bill Vaughan
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