The new Moorhead Bridge spans the Powder River in Southern Powder River County, in the photo above taken from an aircraft in May. Note the old footbridge crossing the river downstream of the main bridge.
Statewide voter turnout for the June 7, 2022 primary election was 39.2%, with 291,511 voters casting ballots in the election, out of 743,666 registered voters in MT. In comparison to previous primaries, in the 2020 primary 54.8% of voters cast ballots, and in 2018 41.6% voted. In the 2020 general election 81.3% voted, and 71.5% in the November 2018 general election.
Locally the turnout was much higher than the state primary average, with 68.75% of voters turning out to vote, or 878 of 1,277 registered voters in Powder River County. This high turnout was likely due to the number of locally contested elections on the ballot; by contrast Rosebud County had a 36.0% turnout, 46.9% in Custer County, and 62.8% of Carter County voters turned out.
Roughly half of the voters in the county (433) voted by absentee ballot.
In the County Commissioner race, Lori Fortner won the race with 406 votes, for 49% of the 830 votes cast in the race. Floyd Huckins had 277, or 33% of the vote. Incumbent Donna Giacometto had 13%, or 107 votes, and Larry Clements had 5% of the vote, or 40 votes.
Devin Boman picked up 515 votes or 63% of the 815 cast for Powder River County Sheriff to win over incumbent Allen Drane, Jr., who had 300 votes, or 37%.
In the closest contested local race, Hattie Arithson defeated incumbent Patty Phillippi in the Treasurer/Assessor race, with Arithson receiving 453, or 55% of the vote to Phillippi's 369 or 45%.
As there are no challengers for those positions, the November election will not have any contested local contests on the ballot.
Other local election results include incumbent positions which were not challenged, including Catherine Landa, Justice of the Peace, with 706 votes. Phoebe Amsden received 673 votes for the Public Administrator position. Molly Lloyd received 726 votes for the County Superintendent of Schools. Jeff Noble received 560 votes for County Attorney, and Cynde Gatlin received 732 votes for Clerk and Recorder.
The commissioners are set to canvas the election later this week after we've gone to print, where results will officially be certified.
In Montana's 2nd House District, which is the Eastern district now that Montana gained a second house seat following the 2020 Census, Incumbent Matt Rosendale won 75% of the vote 73,140 votes against Republican challengers Kyle Austin (12%), James Boyette (6%), and Charles A. Walkingchild (6%).
In the Democratic primary for that position, Penny Ronning won with 58% of the vote, or 21,887 votes over Mark Sweeney (who passed away of heart attack prior to the election but was kept on the ballot) with 22% of the vote, and Skylar Williams with 18% of the vote.
In the Libertarian race for the 2nd House seat, Sam Rankin garnered 43% of the vote, or 947 votes to take the nomination. Samuel Thomas had 25% and Roger Roots 24%.
Locally, Rosendale snagged 83% of the Republican votes, or 613 out of 737 votes. Austin received 68 votes, Walkingchild 30, and Boyette 26.
Penny Ronning received 7 of the Democrat votes, Sweeney 5, and Williams 2. On the Libertarian ticket, Roger Roots received 2 votes and Sam Rankin 1.
In the Supreme Court race for Justice #1 currently held by Jim Rice, Rice won 76%, or 441 votes votes to Bill D'Alton's 138 votes. Statewide Rice received 76%, or 187,878 of the 246,573 votes cast in MT.
In the race for the second Supreme Court position, currently held by Ingrid Gustafson, James Brown received 63%, or 397 votes locally. Gustafson received 152 votes and Michael F. McMahon received 84. Statewide, Gustafson had 125,531 or 48% of the vote, Brown 94,905 for 36%, and McMahon 40,608 for 16%.
Other state races voted on locally included incumbent Kenneth Bogner's State Senate position for District 19. Bogner received 313 Republican votes in the portions of the county covered by his position. Bogner, running unopposed, picked up 4,620 votes in total.
In State House District 37, incumbent Jerry Schillinger received 279 votes in the Republican ticket. Schillinger is running unopposed, and picked up 3,045 votes across the district.
In State House District 41, Paul Green garnered 285 votes on the Republican ticket, while Rynalea Whiteman Pena gained 12 votes on the Democratic ticket. Pena is the current incumbent in that position. Across the district Green picked up 698 votes, and Pena 298 votes.
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