Montana Public Service Commission (via PSC Twitter account).
A couple of Montana Public Service Commission primary races were too close to call at press time, but familiar and more recent office-holding Republicans were leading.
In District No. 2, Sen. Brad Molnar stayed a couple of points ahead of Kirk Bushman in the the GOP battle between the two former Public Service Commissioners. Molnar had 51% of the vote and Bushman had 49% roughly three hours after the polls closed.
The winner will take on Democrat Susan Bilo of Bozeman in the general election. At press time, 100 of 132 precincts were partially reported, and none were fully reported.
In District No. 3, longtime Republican legislator Jeff Welborn of Dillon was staying ahead of leading challenger Suzzann Nordwick of Butte, but only by two points at 11:15 p.m.
Welborn, a small business owner, had 40% of the vote, Nordwick, an engineer, had 38%, and Harlowtown’s Rob Elwood, an analyst for a health care company, trailed at 22% in District No. 3.
The winner will face off against Leonard “Lenny” Williams of Butte, the lone Democrat in the primary.
At press time, 148 of 162 precincts were partially reported in District No. 3, and none were fully reported, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s election results.
Republicans currently control all five seats on the Public Service Commission, which oversees monopoly utilities in Montana. During roughly the last year, commissioners have approved controversial rate hikes for NorthWestern Energy and Montana-Dakota Utilities. Seats in three of five districts were up for grabs this year, and Democrats filed in two of the three.
In District No. 4, incumbent Republican Jennifer Fielder will keep her seat. An initial challenger in the Republican primary wasn’t approved for the ballot, and a Democrat didn’t file for candidacy.
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