Municipal elections underway today
A voter takes a sticker after voting in the primary election at the trade center at Flathead County Fairgrounds on Tuesday. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
It’s municipal election day in Flathead County.
Kalispell is the only one of the county’s three incorporated cities to conduct a poll election. Kalispell voters go to the polls from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Trade Center at the Flathead County Fairgrounds
Columbia Falls and Whitefish are mail-ballot elections. Those who haven’t yet mailed their ballots may drop them off at the City Hall in both Whitefish and Columbia Falls until 8 p.m., or bring ballots by 8 p.m. to the Flathead County Election Office in the South Campus Building, 40 11th St. W., Suite 230, in Kalispell.
In Kalispell, incumbent Mayor Mark Johnson is being challenged by Ward 4 council member Sid Daoud.
Incumbent Sandra L. Carlson is running unopposed to retain her Ward 1 seat in Kalispell. In Ward 2, incumbent Chad Graham will be challenged by Gabe Dillon.
Former Kalispell council member Rod Kuntz, who lost to Ryan Hunter in the 2019 election, faces a Ward 3 challenge from Jessica Dahlman.
In Ward 4, Jed Fisher and Angela Kennedy are running for the seat now held by Tim Kluessner, who did not file for reelection.
Kalispell Municipal Judge Lori Adams is unopposed.
Whitefish council incumbents Ben Davis and Andy Feury face challenges from Phil Boland, Vincent Deli’Omo, Judy Hessellund, Giuseppe Caltabiano, Kristen Riter and Terry K. Petersen.
Whitefish Municipal Judge William Hileman Jr. was running unopposed for another term, but recently passed away.
Whitefish voters also are being asked to decide whether to extend the city’s 3% resort tax to 2045.
Columbia Falls has no contested races; all City Council incumbents are seeking another term. They include Michael Shepard, Jenny Lovering and Paula Robinson. Longtime Mayor Don Barnhart is running for reelection and has write-in opposition from John Rallis and Chris Sellmann.