Former Belgrade mayor seeks House seat

Several candidates for local legislative seats have formally entered their races, while other individuals have indicated they will or might.

HD-67

Russell “Russ” C. Nelson filed as a Republican for House District 67. He retired in 2024 as senior vice president of First Security Bank and served as Belgrade’s mayor for 22 years.

Jedediah Hinkle filed as a Republican for House District 67. He is the incumbent. Hinkle also has served one term in the state Senate. He grew up in Philipsburg and owns a taxidermy business. He has lived in Gallatin County for at least 23 years.

Carl Anderson indicated he may run for House District 67 as a Democrat, having filed a Statement of Candidate with the Office of the Commissioner of Political Practices. He ran unsuccessfully against Hinkle in 2024. He is the Bozeman-Billings regional director of MontPIRG, an MSU-affiliated, student-led advocacy group centered around civic leadership and state and local policymaking.

House District 67 includes most of Belgrade and nearby areas including the airport.

HD-68

Caleb Hinkle filed as a Republican for House District 68. He is the incumbent. Hinkle served in the House beginning in 2021. He has helped out with Republican campaigns across the state and was a legislative staff member for multiple sessions. He served six years in the Montana Army National Guard.

Jennifer Carlson hadn’t formally filed for House District 68 as of Wednesday morning but has announced a campaign for that seat as a Republican and has filed a Statement of Candidate with the Office of the Commissioner of Political Practices. She is a previous majority whip and former chair of the state House Human Services Committee, having been a House member from 2021 to just before the 2025 session began. Carlson has a biomedical science degree from MSU.

House District 68 includes Logan, Churchill, and other areas bounding Belgrade to the south and west, and a small part of Belgrade.

HD-77

Jane Gillette filed as a Republican for House District 77. She is the incumbent. Gillette is a health care and scientific consultant and dentist. She runs Sprout Oral Health Care. She previously worked for Community Health Partners and owned Mint Dental Studio.

House District 77 includes portions of Broadwater and Gallatin Counties, including Willow Creek, Three Forks, Manhattan, Amsterdam, and elsewhere.

SD-34

Shelley Vance filed as a Republican for Senate District 34. She is the incumbent. She worked in the Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder Office for 25 years. She served as clerk and recorder/surveyor for 18 years and retired in 2006. She served as legislative staff alongside her husband while he was in the House and Senate from 2009 to 2022.

Randy Chamberlin filed as a Republican for Senate District 34. He is the CEO of Montana Steel Industries. He ran unsuccessfully for an area senate seat in 2022 before redistricting.

Senate District 34 includes Belgrade, Churchill, Amsterdam, Logan, and unincorporated areas to the south of Logan, Amsterdam, and Churchill. It also includes the areas between Belgrade and Churchill and a small area west of Belgrade south of the interstate.

HD-65

Brian Close has filed as a Democrat for House District 65. He is the incumbent. Close is a tax attorney and was chairman of Gallatin Valley Urban Transportation District. He has served on several city boards and the city study commission.

House District 65 includes an area south and east of Belgrade and parts of Bozeman.

SD-33

As of Wednesday morning, no one had filed for Senate District 33, nor had they filed a Statement of Candidate with the Office of the Commissioner of Political Practices for that seat. The incumbent in that seat is Sen. Christopher Pope, a Democrat.

Senate District 33 includes an area north of Belgrade, including Springhill, stretching all the way to the county line. It also includes an area north of the interstate between Belgrade and Manhattan and areas bordering Manhattan to the east and north.

The deadline to file one’s Declaration for Nomination and Oath of Candidacy closes at 5 p.m. March 4, according to the election calendar at https://sosmt.gov/.

This is a developing story, and more will be reported.