Lake County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
16 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 9 Lake County races, led by the Public Service Commission District 5 contest.
Judges
District Court Judge, 20th Judicial District, Department 1Nonpartisan race · Molly Owen
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Molly Owen is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for District Court Judge, 20th Judicial District, Department 1.
Molly Owen Nonpartisan Incumbent
Molly Owen serves as the Department 1 District Judge of Montana's 20th Judicial District, covering Lake and Sanders counties, per Lake County. No campaign website was found as of September 21, 2026.
Molly Owen is the sitting judge and no one filed against the seat, so the November 3, 2026 ballot asks voters in the 20th Judicial District (Lake, Sanders) to approve or reject keeping the judge, under Article VII, Section 8 of the Montana Constitution. Montana judicial races are nonpartisan. Listed from the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list.
Full race pageDistrict Court Judge, 20th Judicial District, Department 2 (unexpired term)Nonpartisan race · John A. Mercer
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
John A. Mercer is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for District Court Judge, 20th Judicial District, Department 2 (unexpired term).
John A. Mercer Nonpartisan Incumbent
John A. Mercer serves as the Department 2 District Judge of Montana's 20th Judicial District, covering Lake and Sanders counties, running for the unexpired term, per Lake County. No campaign website was found as of September 21, 2026.
John A. Mercer is the sitting judge and no one filed against the seat, so the November 3, 2026 ballot asks voters in the 20th Judicial District (Lake, Sanders) to approve or reject keeping the judge, under Article VII, Section 8 of the Montana Constitution. Montana judicial races are nonpartisan. Listed from the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list.
Full race pageDistricts and boards
Public Service Commission District 5Annie Bukacek (R) · Kevin Hamm (D)
Annie Bukacek (Republican) and Kevin Hamm (Democratic) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Public Service Commission District 5.
Annie Bukacek Republican Incumbent
- On new data centers, wants to ensure existing residential and small business customers are not saddled with any share of a data center's energy costs
- On the proposed NorthWestern and Black Hills utility merger, supports the Commission's standard process of collecting public comment and building as complete an evidentiary record as possible before deciding
- Notes the Commission is one of Montana's smallest state agencies and has suggested additional funding could support hiring more industry experienced examiners
Per the Montana Free Press candidate questionnaire.
About Annie Bukacek
Annie Bukacek, of Kalispell, is a physician with more than forty years of experience who operates a small medical practice and holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, per the Flathead Beacon. She has served as the District 5 Public Service Commissioner since 2022 and previously served on the Flathead City-County Board of Health, per the same source and the Commission's own website.
Kevin Hamm Democratic
- Opposes the Commission's recent decision to raise NorthWestern Energy's residential base rates and to shift more risk for the utility's energy buying decisions onto ratepayers, and wants a commission that prioritizes families over utility profits
- Wants the state to build out wind, solar, and storage capacity as part of Montana's electricity generation future
Per the campaign site.
About Kevin Hamm
Kevin Hamm is a small business owner and community organizer who has called Montana home since childhood, per his campaign site. He has served on community boards including the Queen City Ballet and Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, and founded the Happiness and Joy Foundation, a nonprofit that has directed the Montana Pride celebration for more than a decade. He founded Studio 19 in 2010, which manages live video production for Frontier Conference athletics and streaming for Carroll College, and later launched Auxilyum Technologies, an information technology support company for small businesses, per the same source.
Republican incumbent Annie Bukacek faces Democrat Kevin Hamm for the Public Service Commission District 5 seat, per the Montana Secretary of State's certified candidate list. This district covers only part of the county; the seat appears only on ballots inside the district.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Lake County is split across 6 Montana Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressMontana Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 6, 8
Montana Senate District 6Patrick Fitzpatrick (D) · Mark Noland (R)
Patrick Fitzpatrick Democratic
Patrick worked as a registered nurse in Montana before serving 25 years as a Navy officer, including as commanding officer of a major Navy hospital with a budget of more than 100 million dollars, per the Flathead Beacon. He is running for Montana Senate District 6. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Mark Noland Republican Incumbent
Mark is a sixth-session Montana lawmaker from Bigfork who has served in the state House and Senate since 2015 and now represents Senate District 6, per Montana Free Press. He chairs the Senate Business, Labor, and Economic Affairs Committee, per Montana Free Press. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Patrick Fitzpatrick (Democratic), Mark Noland (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Montana Senate District 6. Mark Noland is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's list. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list.
Full race pageMontana Senate District 8Christopher Paul Buckles (R) · Tyson T. Running Wolf (D)
Christopher Paul Buckles Republican
Christopher founded Big Sky Life Support HCBS in 2015, a home and community based service company he later converted to nonprofit status, and works as a healthcare provider on the state's Medicaid waiver program, per a Montana Free Press candidate questionnaire he completed for a prior legislative campaign. He holds a double major in Healthcare Administration and Sociology, per the questionnaire. No campaign website or questionnaire response for the 2026 race was found as of September 17, 2026.
Tyson T. Running Wolf Democratic
Tyson is a member of the Blackfeet Nation from Browning who cofounded and serves as CEO of the nonprofit Blackfeet Eco Knowledge, owns a construction company and previously worked as a professional outdoor outfitter, per the Flathead Beacon. He served on the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council from 2014 to 2018 and has represented Montana House District 16 since 2019, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Management from the University of Montana, per the Flathead Beacon. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Christopher Paul Buckles (Republican), Tyson T. Running Wolf (Democratic) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Montana Senate District 8. The state's list marks no incumbent for this seat. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list.
Full race pageMontana House: 4 districtsDistricts 12, 13, 15, 91
Montana House District 12Cindy L. Bruckner (D) · Tracy A. Sharp (R)
Cindy L. Bruckner Democratic
Cindy L. Bruckner is the Democratic nominee for Montana House District 12 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Tracy A. Sharp Republican Incumbent
- Requiring warrants for government surveillance of Montana residents
- Reducing and eventually eliminating property taxes
- Protecting Second Amendment gun rights
Per the campaign site.
About Tracy A. Sharp
Tracy holds an engineering degree from Purdue University and served as a commissioned B-1 bomber pilot across five combat zones, earning a Bronze Star in Iraq, per the campaign site. Tracy later held NATO staff positions and helped establish U.S. Africa Command, and now chairs the Lake County Republican Central Committee, per the campaign site.
Cindy L. Bruckner (Democratic), Tracy A. Sharp (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Montana House District 12. Tracy A. Sharp is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's list. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list.
Full race pageMontana House District 13Dalton Bradford (D) · Finley Warden (R)
Dalton Bradford Democratic
Dalton is from Polson and works with his grandfather on a farm, per a guest column in the Lake County Leader. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Finley Warden Republican
- Cutting taxes
- Reducing government spending
- Restoring funding to the state school trust
Per the campaign site.
About Finley Warden
Finley is a sixth generation Montanan with family roots in Polson dating to the 1960s, per the campaign site. Finley has spent the past four years working in Republican politics across Western Montana and served as a citizen advocate on the Montana Republican Party platform and state law over the last two legislative sessions, per the campaign site.
Dalton Bradford (Democratic), Finley Warden (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Montana House District 13. The state's list marks no incumbent for this seat. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list.
Full race pageMontana House District 15Thedis B. Crowe (D) · Ralph Foster (R)
Thedis B. Crowe Democratic Incumbent
Thedis grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation and has family on the Flathead Indian Reservation, per Char-Koosta News. She holds a Master of Arts in Native American Studies and a degree in Land Resource Sciences from Montana State University, earned in 2003, and retired after a 33 year career in federal service, including 14 years as Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent of the Blackfeet Agency and 19 years with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, per Char-Koosta News. She is now a full time rancher. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Ralph Foster Republican
Ralph ran for House District 15 in 2024 and is running again in 2026, per KULR8 election results. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Thedis B. Crowe (Democratic), Ralph Foster (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Montana House District 15. Thedis B. Crowe is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's list. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list.
Full race pageMontana House District 91Shelly Fyant (D) · Charles Headley (R)
Shelly Fyant Democratic Incumbent
- Protecting Montana's environment
- Health care and food security for Montana's changing demographics
- Safe learning environments for students
Per the campaign site.
About Shelly Fyant
Shelly is a former chairwoman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and has experience drafting and sponsoring bipartisan legislation, per the campaign site.
Charles Headley Republican
Charles Headley is the Republican nominee for Montana House District 91 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Shelly Fyant (Democratic), Charles Headley (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Montana House District 91. Shelly Fyant is the sitting member, per the Secretary of State's list. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Montana party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary (plurality, no runoffs); the field is the Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list, where Nominated marks each party's nominee. Independent candidates qualify by petition. Unopposed candidates still appear on the ballot. All 100 state House seats and half of the 50 state Senate seats are up, along with two Public Service Commission districts, a Supreme Court seat and county offices.
Who is on the ballot in Lake County, Montana on November 3, 2026?
Lake County sample ballot 2026: see where the public service commission, montana senate and montana house candidates stand on the environment and roads. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Montana?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Montana are listed on the Montana election hub. Montana election hub →
How do I see my exact Lake County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →