MISSOULA — The polls have closed for the Tuesday, November 7, 2023, election and the results for races across Western Montana are being tallied.
Missoula
The race everyone in Missoula is watching is for mayor as for the first time since 2006 — when the late John Engen started his tenure — a new person will become the leader of Missoula.
Montana natives Andrea Davis and Mike Nugent are on the ballot. Davis is the executive director of Homeward and has 22 years of experience in the housing sector. Mike Nugent is no stranger to the Missoula City Council. He represents Ward 4 and has a career in real estate.
KPAX projects that based on the latest numbers Davis has been elected mayor.
Missoula’s leadership is not only changing because of the race for mayor but also because there are several Missoula City Council seats up for election.
A seat in Ward 1 will have a new representative no matter who wins this race. Both Gwen Nicholson and Eric Melson are running for their first time in office. Nicholson has a background in journalism and activism while Melson has worked in Helena as a lobbyist.
Missoula's Ward 2 has two races for this election cycle.
Sierra Farmer is looking to secure another term on the Missoula City Council with Timmothy Garrison as her challenger in the two-year term race.
Voters are also deciding who will represent them in a four-year term. Incumbent Mirtha Becerra says she'd like to continue the work she's been doing since 2018. Her challenger, Rebecca Dawson, is running with city taxes in mind, saying she would like to ease the tax burdens on residents.
The Ward 3 race sees Sam Kulla looking to take incumbent Gwen Jones' seat. Jones grew up in the ward she represents and also served as president of the council when Mayor Engen died. Kulla is also a longtime Missoula resident who graduated from the University of Montana.
Moving over to Ward 4 — which is in the area of Southgate Mall — Alan Ault is challenging Amber Sherrill for her seat. Ault says he wants to address Missoula's housing and tax problem, which Sherrill also listed among her top priorities.
Two new candidates are looking to represent Missoula's Ward 5 — Robert C. Campbell and Lynn-Wood Fields.
Sandra Vasecka is looking to keep her seat in Ward 6 by fending off challenger Sean Patrick McCoy. McCoy is touting his background in the military, firefighting, and farming while Vasecka is hoping to continue her momentum with a second term.
There are also a pair of bond requests being decided for the DeSmet School District in Missoula County. Question number one is to allow DeSmet to acquire just over four acres of land for $280,000. The land is owned by the county and is next to the school.
Voters have to pass the first question in order for question two to happen. The second request is for $1.3 million to build a track and field on the land acquired if voters approve question one.
Flathead County
Three different wards in Kalispell are on the November 7 ballot. Almost all of the candidates mentioned the Flathead's growing population as an issue they plan to address if elected.
Incumbent Kari Gabriel, who joined the Kalispell City Council in 2004, is facing Wes Walker to retain her seat in Ward 1.
In the Ward 2 race, Sam Nunnally is also hoping to keep his seat on the Kalispell City Council, where he has served since January 2020. He's being challenged by Gabriel Dillon, who says he's worked in journalism and tech.
Ryan Hunter hopes to keep the Ward 3 seat which he's held since January 2020 as well. He's being challenged by Kevin Aurich.
Voters are also deciding who out of the seven candidates will fill three seats on the Whitefish City Council.
The three incumbents are Rebecca Norton, Steven Qunell, and Frank Sweeney. But Nathan Dugan, James M. Ramlow, Nancy Schuber, and Kent Taylor are also looking to join Whitefish leadership.
Whitefish voters are also considering whether to extend the city's resort tax for the next 20 years. The 3% tax helps pay for services such as street maintenance, community housing initiatives, and Whitefish trail improvements, among other things.
Four candidates are vying for three positions on the Columbia Falls City Council. Three current members — Darin Fish, Kelly Hamilton, and John Piper — are looking to keep their seats. They are challenged by Kathryn Price.
The Marion School District is asking voters to approve an $8.2 million bond for building upgrades. That includes classrooms and getting the school up to safety code.
Lake County
There are three candidates but only two seats for St. Ignatius City Council. Janis Heffern, Steve McCollum, and Rikki Menz-Merchant are all looking to represent Mission.
Voters are also deciding whether or not to approve a $27,000 rural fire levy in St. Ignatius. The levy would support fire district operations for the next seven years.
Ravalli County
Two people are looking to lead the town of Darby and its approximately 800 residents.
They are current mayor Nancy McKinney and council member Tammie Jones, who represents Ward 2.
Bill De Spain is looking to keep his seat on the Darby Town Council. He's being challenged by Ashley Gibson. This race is for a four-year term for the at-large seat.
