Valley County Primary Roundup

Montana’s election primary was held last week on June 7. For the Democrats, Valley County voted 344-337 for Hillary Clinton, while Bernie Sanders won at the state level. On the Republican side of things, Donald J. Trump took landslide victories at the county and state levels, with 496 county residents opting either for one of Trump’s opponents or “no preference.”

For Montana governor, incumbent Steve Bullock took the Democratic nomination while Montana entrepreneur and political newcomer Greg Gianforte took the Republican vote.

Republican nominee for Montana’s solo seat in the U.S. House is incumbent Ryan Zinke, while the nomination by the Democrats was Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Denise Juneau.

Valley County can be confusing when it comes to the State House and Senate, so I will try my best to simplify it. The county is part of State Senate Districts 16 and 17, while also a part of House Districts 33 and 34. For Senate 16 Democrats in both Valley County and District-wide, Frank Smith took the nomination, while G. Bruce Meyers won the Republican side. In Senate 17, Douglas Adolphson took the Democratic vote unopposed and Wayne Stahl beat out Mike Lang in Valley 69-67; Lang won District-wide. In House 33, Mike Finley was alone in the Democratic vote, while Casey Knudsen won the Republican vote in Valley County and district-wide over Michael Burns. House 34 saw two single candidates on either side, with Evelyn Carlisle taking the Democrat nomination while Austin Knudsen won the Republican side of things.

Along with all of these primaries, a levy for construction, maintenance and improvements of public highways was on the ballot for rural residents of Valley County. The levy was defeated by voter 623-568.