Eight Montana legislative candidates disqualified from primary list

Eight candidates that filed to run for the Legislature — seven Democrats and one Republican — have been disqualified from the primary election for failing to complete required paperwork.

The disqualifications cleared the field of opponents in one election, leaving incumbent Republican Sen. Daniel Zolnikov the de facto winner. He joins 10 other candidates in becoming presumptive 2027 legislators.

“The free pass was an unexpected, but very happy surprise,” Zolnikov told the Daily Montanan.

Montana law requires candidates for office in Montana to file business disclosures and statements of candidacy with the Commissioner of Political Practices within days of filing for office.

On March 12, Commissioner Chris Gallus informed the Secretary of State of the candidates who were not in compliance, and the names have been marked as “removed” on the state’s list of primary candidates.

The disqualified candidates include Democrats Lyle Hedin (Senate District 22); Justin Kucera (Senate District 23); Wes Siler (Senate District 32); Patricia Anglin (House District 20); Abigail Thomas (House District 70); Craig Sundberg (House District 81); Rustin Bielski (House District 91); and Republican Shannon Woodward (House District 77).

The exit of the candidates doesn’t substantially change most of the legislative races, though it clears the primary fields in a few.

Siler had joined a contested three-way primary for a safe Democratic seat against two current state House members to “raise my hand and address our current moment in a small way.”

He told the Daily Montanan he’d decided he couldn’t “in good faith make a four-year commitment to the people of my state,” and his failure to file one of his disclosures was his way of dropping out of the race without having to make make a big announcement.

A longtime journalist who was public about losing a job with Outside Inc. over his decision to run for the Legislature, Siler said the calculus behind his desire to take a “pretty natural next step” in public service changed when it became clear that a foray into politics could be detrimental to his career opportunities.

He mentioned a program he participated with in California mentoring unhoused youth in the outdoors, which included taking them camping for the first time, and later on seeing one of those kids end up getting a job as a wildland firefighter.

“I think I’m just going to keep looking for something like that,” Siler said. “That level of giving back feels a lot better than dealing with my fellow humans in their worst form, which is what politicians are.”

None of the other disqualified candidates responded to calls or emails from the Daily Montanan in time for this story.