A sprint to the 2026 primaries: Here are 5 early storylines from Montana's election season

Montana’s 2026 election season officially kicked off Tuesday when the two-week window opened for candidates to file for office. Candidates made the trip to the Capitol to take photos in front of the secretary of state’s office and submit their paperwork.

It’s a celebratory occasion as well as the start of the months-long sprint that is campaigning.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 200 people had filed to run for public office, and others are certain to enter into the mix between now and the March 4 deadline.

The Montana State News Bureau cruised the Capitol halls on Tuesday, and has spent time looking into the candidates that have filed thus far. Here are some key storylines to keep an eye on:

1. Heated legislative GOP primaries have already taken shape, pitting more moderate candidates against hardliners in districts all over the state

Following a public fracture of the Republican party during the 2025 Legislature, a slate of GOP primaries — stretching from the Bitterroot Valley to the Hi-Line and as far east as Plentywood and Savage — will ask voters to decide whether collaborating with Democrats is a political poison pill.

While filing opened this week, many of these hotly contested primaries have been raging for months with campaign mailers, robocalls and radio ads already circulating.

Conrad Rep. Llew Jones, a moderate Republican who steered property tax measures and budget legislation through both chambers last session, is at the eye of the GOP storm. He is running for the state Senate and is being primaried from the right by Wolf Creek Rep. Zack Wirth.

Other key matchups include Rep. David Bedey and Rep. Kathy Love, both from Hamilton, looking to occupy an open Senate seat, and Rep. John Fitzpatrick from Deer Lodge running for another term against challenger Trish Schreiber.

2. Property taxes and partisan judges – two hallmark issues of the last legislative session – look likely to play a key role in campaigns this cycle

Although preliminary state data shows around 80% of homeowners saw their property tax bills decrease after the 2025 Legislature made changes to the tax code, multiple candidates this week said they were dissatisfied with the measure and would want to retool it if elected.

Much of the criticism was voiced by Republican challengers running to the right of incumbent GOP legislators who say the solution isn’t to shift the tax burden to higher-value homes or large corporations, as the package did.

Another theme that came up in candidate conversations was whether to make Montana’s judicial races partisan. Currently, judicial candidates can’t comment on issues that they may have to rule on later and can’t accept or broadcast endorsements from any political party

Half a dozen proposals that would have changed that rule all failed last session, but multiple people said in interviews they want there to be more information available about judicial candidates and their political views and would take another stab at passing such measures if elected.

The race for the lone open seat on the state Supreme Court will feature two district judges from the same courthouse in Flathead County: Judge Dan Wilson and Judge Amy Eddy. Wilson filed on Friday, and Eddy said she planned to by that afternoon.

Earlier this month, Wilson was the keynote speaker at the Montana Republican Winter Kickoff event that serves as the party’s premier campaign launch. He repeatedly referred to his campaign as nonpartisan.

3. Four Democrats are vying for the chance to unseat Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke in the U.S. Western House District

The Democratic candidate that will face two-term incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke in the general election will have to first emerge from a crowded primary.

Only one has run for public office before. That’s Ryan Busse, a Flathead Valley resident and former firearms executive, who in 2024 challenged Gov. Greg Gianforte but lost by a wide margin. His early pitch this campaign cycle has been that he knows what it takes to run a campaign and has name recognition with a stronghold of Democratic voters.

Rookies Russell Cleveland, a veteran based out of St. Regis, Matt Raines, a rancher and Army veteran who lives outside the district in Simms, and Sam Forstag, a U.S. Forest Service smokejumper from Missoula, are also gunning for Zinke’s seat.

The district has been exclusively held by Zinke since its creation ahead of the 2022 election, despite being home to liberal population centers such as Bozeman and Missoula.

Zinke had not filed as of Friday afternoon, but said previously he would run.

4. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines remains the strong favorite in the race for his Senate seat, especially with no news about a potential run from former UM president Seth Bodnar

Sen. Steve Daines, a two-term Republican incumbent with close ties to the White House, was the first candidate to officially file Tuesday, submitting his paperwork online only minutes after the window opened. Political analysts consider the district solidly Republican.

The race could be shaken up by Bodnar, who may throw his hat into the ring as an independent.

The Montana State News Bureau first reported that he was considering entering the race, buoyed by support from former Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester. Bodnar stepped down from the top university post last month, but has not confirmed whether he plans to run.

There are five Democrats who have said they plan to challenge Daines, but only one had filed by Friday: Michael Hummert from Helena. Kyle Austin, a former congressional candidate and libertarian, had also filed. Trey Gregory, a Republican political newcomer, announced his bid last month but also had not filed by week’s end.

5. Montana Sen. Wendy McKamey, one of the nine Republican senators who allied with Democrats during the 2025 Legislature, won’t seek re-election after a stroke last year

Cascade County’s Senate District 12 is open following McKamey’s announcement earlier this week that she won’t be running for re-election. McKamey was a key member of the bipartisan voting bloc in the 2025 Legislature that angered conservative members of the Republican party and teed up this year’s fiery primary season.

“I really did think I was going to be doing it this time, and I am not going to because of obvious reasons,” McKamey said over the phone. “It’s difficult to conquer.”

That leaves Randy Pinocci, a Montana Public Service Commissioner who calls himself the “RINO hunter” to face off against Republican Rep. George Nikolakakos, a moderate who has the support of McKamey.

The Montana primary is June 2.