OFFICIALLY START THEIR CAMPAIGNS
FOR COUNTY OFFICES AROUND
MONTANAM-T-N'S JONATHON AMBARIAN
LOOKS AT THE FIRST FILINGS IN
LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY.
AT EIGHT A-M THURSDAY, THE
LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY ELECTIONS
OFFICE STARTED ACCEPTING
CANDIDATES FOR SIX COUNTY
POSITIONS. FIRST IN LINE WAS
SHERIFF LEO DUTTON, FILING FOR
REELECTION AS A DEMOCRAT. CG:
LEO DUTTON, LEWIS CLARK COUNTY
SHERIFF IT'S A
HONOR TO HAVE THIS JOB, IT'S A
PRIVILEGE.
AS I GO INTO THIS, I HAVE A GOOD
TEAM.
I HOPE THAT I'VE
EARNED THE TRUST OF THE
PUBLIC. DUTTON SAYS HE WILL
CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON EXPANDING
THE COUNTY
DETENTION CENTER AND FINDING A
NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR HIS
DEPARTMENT. ONE BIG
CHANGE THIS YEAR IS THAT DUTTON
WILL BE RUNNING FOR THE NEWLY
COMBINED OFFICE OF SHERIFF AND
CORONER. THE COUNTY COMMISSION
VOTED TO CONSOLIDATE THE
SERVICE, THAT WE'LL USE
EXISTING STAFF.
I HOPE THAT YOU SEE LESS WAIT
TIMES, BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY
TWO THAT COULD RESPOND.
NOW YOU'LL HAVE MORE
STAFF. TWO OTHER INCUMBENTS
ALSO FILED IN THE FIRST
MINUTES... COUNTY ATTORNEY LEO
GALLAGHER, A DEMOCRAT, WHO HAS
BEEN IN OFFICE SINCE
2001... AND JUSTICE OF THE
PEACE MIKE SWINGLEY, RUNNING FOR
HIS THIRD TERM. CG: MIKE
SWINGLEY, LEWIS CLARK COUNTY
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE I
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS JOB.
I THINK IT'S A
VERY CHALLENGING AND IT'S A VERY
STRESSFUL POSITION, IT GETS
BUSIER ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S A
GOOD FIT
FOR ME AND I CONSIDER IT A
PRIVILEGE TO BE SITTING ON THAT
BENCH. CG: JONATHON
AMBARIAN THREE OTHER COUNTY
OFFICES ARE ALSO OPEN FOR
ELECTION, INCLUDING ONE SEAT ON
THE COUNTY COMMISSION. COMMISSI
ONER ANDY HUNTHAUSEN, SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENT
KATRINA CHANEY AND TREASURER,
CLERK AND RECORDER PAULETTE
DEHART SAY THEY PLAN TO
FILE FOR REELECTION IN THE
COMING DAYS. ELECTION
OFFICIALS EXPECT THE INITIAL
RUSH OF CANDIDATES TO
SLOW DOWN OVER THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS. CG: AUDREY MCCUE, LEWIS
CLARK COUNTY ELECTIONS
SUPERVISOR USUALLY WE SEE A
LOT OF PEOPLE FILE THE FIRST DAY
AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE FILE
TOWARD
THE END OF CANDIDATE
FILING. ANYONE WHO WANTS TO
RUN FOR COUNTY OFFICE HAS UNTIL
MARCH
12-TH TO FILE. JONATHON
AMBARIAN, M-T-N NEWS,
HELENA. ###
[( DCARLSON )]MONTANA'S 2018
ELECTION SEASON OFFICIALLY
