House Speaker Matt Regier has Republican challenger for Senate seat

Jan. 25—Montana House Speaker Matt Regier will face off with Kalispell businessman Marquis Laude in a Republican primary campaign for the Flathead Valley's open Senate District 5 seat.

Regier represented Kalispell's House District 4 the last four sessions and has reached his term limit. Senate District 5 includes a portion of Kalispell west of Meridian Road, the West Valley area, Kila, Lakeside and Somers.

"I took on the radical left and the radical left is tearing apart our culture and society," Regier told the Inter Lake. "I'm not just promising to stand up against them. I have, and I will continue to do that."

Regier garnered national attention during the 2023 session when House Republicans barred transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, from the House floor after a protest in support of Zephyr interrupted legislative proceedings. He also led the Republican super-majority's effort to establish a 12-week abortion ban, which is currently held up in litigation along with three other anti-abortion bills signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte.

Laude is president and owner of Integrated Security Solutions in Kalispell. The company provides electronic and physical security systems for dams, military bases, and other government and commercial properties.

Laude said that he was approached by elected officials who encouraged him to run. After consideration, he decided that representing Kalispell would be an "honor."

"I have been a supporter of this community since 2000. I've been in law enforcement for over 40 years. I'm a successful business person," Laude said. "Knowing that, I believe that my experience and my knowledge will benefit the community and the citizens of Montana."

Regier listed property tax reduction and Medicaid expansion as the most pressing issues facing the 2025 Legislature. Laude highlighted the importance of public safety, law enforcement support and lowering property taxes.

THE SENATE District 5 campaign is one of many competitive races to take shape so far this election season amid Montana's new legislative district boundaries. Many of the races feature incumbents running for the same district, or a nearby district due to the change in boundaries.

Candidates have until March 11 at 5 p.m. to file for the 2024 election.

Senate District 2, which now encompasses the northeast part of the Flathead Valley, will see Whitefish Democrat Rep. Dave Fern take on Doug Adams, a Republican from Whitefish.

Fern represented Whitefish for four terms in the House and was termed out of the seat.

"My eight years are up in the House," Fern said. "But there are tried and true issues that won't go away."

Those issues include rectifying the impact of appraisals on property taxes, expanding workforce and affordable housing opportunities, and resolving issues around transportation infrastructure. Fern also pointed toward Medicaid expansion as a major topic to tackle come 2025.

Adams, the president at Landscape Perfections West in Whitefish, decided to run for the seat as he hopes that his interest in the political process would offer up good solutions for the community, he said. Adams currently sits on the ImagineIF Libraries board of trustees.

"I enjoy the political process, I enjoy being part of decision-making and would like to think that I have something to offer when it comes to coming up with solutions and want to do it in a way that would benefit the area where I live," he said.

Adams said he would minimize bureaucracy and address rising taxes, if elected.

State Sens. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka, Mark Noland, R-Bigfork and John Fuller, R-Kalispell, are all carrying over to the 2025 Legislative session as senator terms are four years, contrasting the House of Representatives two-year terms.

REP. NEIL Duram, R-Eureka, currently is the only candidate to file for House District 1 in far Northwest Montana. The upcoming session would be Duram's fourth and final time in the House if elected.

Tom Millett, from the Libby-Marion area, is the only candidate currently running for House District 2, marking his first run for the statehouse.

House District 3 has two candidates who have filed so far: Democrats Guthrie Quist and Debo Powers. The massive district includes Whitefish west of Baker Avenue and north of the viaduct, wraps north to Olney, and also enocompasses West Glacier and Essex.

Guthrie Quist — the son of former governor-hopeful and musician Rob Quist— lost to Sen. Keith Regier in the 2020 election for Senate District 3 by a margin of 11.8%. Keith Regier is termed out of his Senate seat.

"I think the Legislature has just gotten really into trying to regulate Montanan's private lives and that is really not representative of Montana's values," Quist said regarding his motivation for running.

Debo Powers, who did not respond for comment, represented HD-3 in the 2019 session.

House District 4 currently has two candidates, both political newcomers. The district includes Columbia Falls and Whitefish east of Baker Avenue and U.S. 93 South.

Lindsey Jordan, running as a Democrat, is a licensed clinical social worker.

"I think that for me, I just see nationwide that politics have become so polarizing, people are not friends anymore, they don't talk to each other because of their political beliefs," Jordan said. "We as a community care about each other and what's best for our state, not just Democrat or Republican."

Republican candidate Lyn Bennett is also running for the House District 4 seat.

Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, who served in his freshman session in 2023 as the youngest Montana state legislator, is currently the only candidate to file for House District 5. He currently represents HD-3.

Mitchell said he anticipates good results in his campaign in the new House District 5 that includes the Canyon and La Salle areas. He looks forward to working with other Republicans to expand upon financial literacy efforts, better support law enforcement and target mental health needs.

Rep. Amy Regier is running for reelection to House District 6. The district area includes North Kalispell to Montana 40, west toward Farm to Market Road. The 2025 session would be Amy Regier's third session in the House.

Rep. Courtenay Sprunger told the Inter Lake she planned to file for another term in Kalispell's House District 7.

Three candidates had filed for Evergreen's House District 8, including Republican Rep. Tony Brockman, who currently represents House District 9.

"I'm running for re-election to continue representing Evergreen and North Kalispell because my neighbors deserve a homegrown representative who'll focus on the district's most critical legislative work," Brockman said, naming community safety, job growth and property tax reduction as top issues.*

Running against Brockman are Republican Lukas Schubert, and Beth Sibert, a Democrat.

Schubert is a student at Flathead Valley Community College and a graduate of Glacier High School.

"I think, at this time in our nation, there are many issues that are facing the country, the state, the district and the country as well," Schubert said. "This is not the time to step back and let things continue to trend downhill... we need to take action now."

Sibert said she wants to address issues with the state's mental health capacity.

Two Republicans, Lee Huestis and Steven Kelly, had filed for House District 9, which now encompasses the Smith Lake and Foy's Lake areas, and Lakeside and Somers. Neither responded to requests for comment.

Rep. Terry Falk is running for House District 10, which includes a rural area along U.S. 2 west and north of Kalispell. The Republican represented HD-8 in the 2023 session.

Democrat Devin Marconi is also running for the HD-10 seat. He is a political science professor at Flathead Valley Community College. Marconi plans to run his campaign based on access and wants to be available to hear from constituents.

For more information about candidate filing, visit sosmt.gov/elections/filing/.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.

* This paragraph was edited to accurately state the legislative priorities.