Election Day is Tuesday for the 2026 Primary

Anaconda and the rest of Montana will head to the polls on Tuesday, June 2 for the 2026 Primary Election, although for most voters in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County the only technical primaries will be for the federal races as parties choose their nominees for the U.S. Senate and Montana's 1st Congressional District. 

The race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Steve Daines attracted the most candidates, with five Democrats, three Republicans and two Libertarians seeking their respective parties' nomination. They are: Democrats Alani Bankhead, Michael Black Wolf, Michael Hummert, Christopher Kehoe and Reilly Neill; Libertarians Kyle Austin and Tom Jandron; and Republicans Kurt Alme, Lee Calhoun and Charles Walking Child. 

The 1st Congressional District, which includes ADLC, saw nine candidates: four Democrats, Russell Cleveland, Sam Forstag, Matt Rains and Ryan Busse; Libertarian Nick Sheedy; and four Republicans, Ray Curtis, Aaron Flint, Christi Jacobsen and Al "Doc" Olszewski.

Flint's campaign was the only one to contact the Anaconda Leader for an interview; for that, see the continuation of this story on Page 3. Also, the Montana Free Press (MTFP) has published an election guide for the 2026 Primary that includes the races for both federal offices; it's available online at https://projects.montanafreepress.org/election-guide-2026.

Beyond the congressional candidates, few voters in ADLC wll be asked to narrow down races in the primary as only one Republican and one Democrat filed for House District 71, which encompasses most of ADLC. Both the Democratic incumbent Scott DeMarois and Republican challenger Suzzann Nordwick will advance to the general election in November. So, too, will both candidates for Montana Supreme Court Justice, Dan Wilson and Amy Eddy. And none of the county offices up for election this year – Justice of the Peace and Commission Districts 4 and 5 – are not on the primary ballot as only four candidates filed for the three offices: incumbent Justice of the Peace Kenneth Walund is running unopposed, as is Brian Riley for Commission District 4. Incumbent Commissioner for District 5, Ed Beaudette, will face challenger Jared Otto in November. 

The main items on the ballot for ADLC voters therefore are the levies for the Smelter City Senior Citizens Center and ADLC Head Start (see https://www.anacondaleader.com/content/voters-receive-ballots-main-focus...) and the ADLC Charter Amendment that would change how Commission vacancies are filled (see https://www.anacondaleader.com/content/taking-look-adlc-charter-amendmen...).

However, voters in House District 76, which includes the northwestern corner of ADLC near Georgetown Lake, will have a couple of choices to make if they vote on the Republican primary ballot. One of those is for Public Service Commission (PSC) District 5, where incumbent Republican Annie Bukacek faces two challengers, Joe Dooling and David Sanders. The MTFP Election Guide includes coverage of the PSC district races. 

The other race is the hotly contested one for HD 76 between two Republicans, incumbent John Fitzpatrick of Anaconda and challenger Trish Schreiber of Helmville. Fitzpatrick was one of 19 Republican incumbents that has been targeted by the Montana GOP Executive Board in a statewide intra-party conflict (see MTFP for the story at https://montanafreepress.org/2026/04/16/why-some-republican-legislative-...).

As to the voting process itself, ADLC has two polling places: the Anaconda School District Administration Building, 1410 W. Park Ave., which is for voters in precincts 1-71, 2-71, 3-71, 5-71 and 5-76, and the Opportunity Community Club at 3 N. Hauser St. for voters in precinct 4-71. If you do not know your precinct, contact the county election office at (406) 563-4063.

If you received an absentee ballot but have not yet cast it, you will need to cast it either at the county election office located in the Clerk and Recorder's Office on the second floor of the ADLC Courthouse, or at either of the polling places listed above. And absentee voters must remember to write their birth year on the signature envelope. Both the election office and the two polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Also, if you have not yet registered to vote you still may do so at the county election office up through 8 p.m. on Election Day. 

For election resources, visit the Montana Secretary of State's elections and voter services website at https://sosmt.gov/elections.

An interview with Aaron Flint, Republican candidate for the 1st Congressional District

Aaron Flint, one of four candidates for the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District, made a campaign stop at the Firefly Cafe in Anaconda on Saturday, May 16 and the Leader was invited to interview him. 

Asked how he would represent ADLC voters if elected to Congress, Flint stated that he is keeping the team for retiring U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke's in place "to take care of rural counties' needs," particularly with support of law enforcement and infrastructure funding "especially in counties with a high percentage of federal land."

"Zinke's office did a great job leveraging appropriations" and "getting law enforcement agencies to partner together" by merging their needs into one appropriations request.

"There are partisan flashpoints in the news day after day, but things that affect rural counties go across party lines," he said. "We have to make Montana affordable again."

Areas he said he would focus on to do so include support for mining, manufacturing and forestry jobs, trades and trade eduction, including Job Corps. 

That, and "showing up and listening to folks." 

"I enjoyed hosting a radio program in the Butte and Anaconda area for several years," Flint said. "I've gotten to meet so many of the people I've talked with on the radio, and enjoy talking with them about the issues."