Election year underway in Butte-Silver Bow as candidate filing opens for 2026

This isn’t a heavy local election year in Butte-Silver Bow like it is in some Montana counties, but voters will decide several local races, and some candidates hit the courthouse Tuesday as the filing season opened.

Justice Court Judge Ben Pezdark was the first to file at the Clerk and Recorder’s Office four years ago and he was first in the door at 8 a.m. Tuesday. The filing period closes at 5 p.m. on March 4.

“I think it’s important to come in and do what you’re supposed to do and get going,” said Pezdark, who served in the post from 2013 to 2016 and was elected again in 2018 and 2022. “I love what I do and it’s important that I’m doing it.”

Butte-Silver Bow Commissioners Michele Shea and Josh O’Neill came in right after Pezdark, and Butch Gerbrandt and Eric Mankins filed early Tuesday morning as well.

Some Montana counties have county-wide races this year for sheriff, county attorney, treasurer and other offices, but in Butte-Silver Bow, those posts, chief executive and several others are on the ballot in presidential election years.

The same is true in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, the only other consolidated city-county in Montana.

But Butte has two Justice Court judges — one chosen in mid-term election years like the one Pezdark is in, and one in presidential election years. Jimm Kilmer is the county’s other justice of the peace and he’ll be up for re-election in 2028.

Six of Butte-Silver Bow’s 12 council seats are on the ballot this year, with the other six decided next in 2028. Full council terms are four years but they can be shorter if someone resigned his or her seat before their full term was up.

The council seats on this year’s ballot and their current commissioner are District 1 (John Morgan), District 2 (Michele Shea), District 7 (Josh O’Neill), District 9 (Eric Mankins), District 10 (Butch Gerbrandt) and District 11 (Tommy Walker).

Gerbrandt was just appointed to the District 10 seat in January to replace longtime Commissioner Bill Andersen, who stepped down in late December because he no longer lived in the Uptown district.

Gerbrandt will serve through at least the November election and if he wins then, he’ll get a full, four-year term. He told commissioners during a public interview last month that if appointed, he’d run for a full term later this year.

“I decided when I put in for the temporary position that I might as well be committed for the whole gamut,” said Gerbrandt, a retired engineering professor at Montana Tech. “I think I can help in my district and I’m looking forward to it.”

At the state level, it will be another two years before governor, attorney general, state school superintendent and several other posts are on the ballot again.

But all 100 seats in the Montana House of Representatives are on the ballot this year and voters will decide half of Montana’s 50 Senate seats.

First-day legislative filings in Butte-Silver Bow and surrounding counties included:

• Republican Rep. Ken Walsh of Twin Bridges filed for re-election in House District 69. Republican Trevor Walter of Sheridan also filed, so there will be GOP primary in June for that seat.

• Scott DeMarois, D-Anaconda, filed for re-election in House District 71.

• Democrat Patrick Sullivan of Clancy filed in House District 75. The seat is currently held by Republican Mark Reinschmidt of Whitehall, who was appointed in July 2025 to replace Republican Marta Bertoglio, who resigned to become Montana Commerce director.

• Rep. Jennifer Lynch, D-Butte, filed for re-election in House District 73.

• Republican Trish Schreiber of Avon filed in House District 76, a seat currently held by Anaconda Republican John Fitzpatrick.

• Rep. Donavon Hawk, D-Butte, filed for re-election in House District 72.

• Rep. Marc Lee, D-Butte, filed for re-election in House District 74.

Back in Butte-Silver Bow, Shea, O’Neill and Mankins were all first elected to the Council of Commissioners in 2018 and were unopposed and re-elected in 2022.

O’Neill said he wants to serve another term and is excited about the opportunity, so he wanted to file early on the first day.

“I think the are some things in motion (before the council) that are good,” he said. “Nothing’s perfect but I feel like we’re doing some good stuff and I’m just not ready to be done. I’m ready to keep fighting to help out our beautiful town.”

Shea said the biggest issue the council faces now “is whether or not we want to locate a data center in our community.”

“There’s a lot of information out there that we have to parse through, that we have to analyze,” she said. “There are a lot of different points of view and it all has to be taken into consideration so we can do what is best for Butte-Silver Bow.”

Gerbrandt said he has enjoyed his time on council so far and was just appointed by Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher to serve on the Butte-Silver Bow Library Board, too.

“I have a lot to learn, especially procedures for the Council of Commissioners meetings, but I’ve learned more about my district, too,” he said.