Elections Move Forward as Missoula County Fills Uncontested Races
With multiple special district elections canceled due to unopposed candidates, Missoula County moves forward with select races set for the May 6 ballot
By Staff Writer
Mar 15, 2025
MISSOULA, Mont. – The Missoula County commissioners voted on March 11 to cancel several upcoming special district and community council elections and elect unopposed candidates by acclamation. This decision follows the March 3 filing deadline for the 2025 special elections, where several positions had only one candidate file, while others remained vacant.
Elections Canceled, Candidates Elected
Per Montana law, when the number of candidates equals the number of available seats, the candidates are elected by acclamation, and no election is held for those positions. As a result, the following individuals have been elected to new three-year terms:
- Big Flat Irrigation District – Elizabeth Koch
- Bonner-Milltown Community Council – Kaaren Esbeck James, John Wilke
- Clinton Community Council – Kristine Handley, Bonnie Roberts
- Clinton Irrigation District – Shellie Nelson
- Clinton Rural Fire District – William D. Tripp, Tom Sielski
- East Missoula Community Council – Albert Ross Williams Jr., Jack Ballas
- East Missoula Rural Fire District – Theodore Dubuque
- Frenchtown Irrigation District – Dick Lucier
- Greenough-Potomac Rural Fire Service Area – Jennifer Iverson
- Lolo Community Council – Angela Previte, Patrick M. Moore
- Missoula Irrigation District (Division 2) – Robert Schieber, Jim Hemphill
- Missoula Rural Fire District – Dan Corti, Dick Mangan
- Seeley Lake Community Council – Gage Seeley, Thomas Browder
- Seeley Lake Rural Fire District – Jon C. Kimble
- Seeley-Swan Hospital District – Robert Dee Pollock
- Swan Valley Community Council – Theodore “Ted” Morgan, Axel Hazlerig
- Swan Valley Fire Service Area – Robert Thomas Burke
Remaining Vacancies and Application Process
Several positions remain unfilled, and the commissioners are seeking applicants to fill these vacancies. Open positions will become vacant on May 31, and residents who meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply. All board and council positions are volunteer roles.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and residents of Missoula County. Some positions have additional residency requirements. Interested individuals can submit applications electronically by emailing [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 11, at 3 p.m.
May 6 Special Election Still Scheduled
While several district elections have been canceled, a May 6 special election will still take place for certain school and special district positions, including levy-related measures with candidate filing information available on the County’s website.
County officials stated that the elections were canceled under Montana state statutes MCA 7-5-2101, MCA 85-7-1702(3), and MCA 13-1-304.
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If Missoula Republicans are serious about challenging Democrats hegemony in the County, they should not let races be uncontested and could throw their hat into the ring for the remaining vacancies.