The Ballot Brief
Lewis and Clark County, Montana

Public Service Commission District 5

2 candidates are tracked for Public Service Commission District 5 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Annie Bukacek and Kevin Hamm. Candidate information follows official Lewis and Clark County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

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.

What this office does

Public service commissioner. The public service commission regulates investor-owned electric, gas, water and, in some states, telephone utilities. Commissioners approve or deny rate increases, rule on power plant and pipeline proposals and set service standards. Their decisions reach every utility bill in the state.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Annie Bukacek, is on the ballot.

Montana › Lewis and Clark County › Public Service Commission District 5

Annie Bukacek

Republican Incumbent

Top priorities
  • 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.

Biography

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.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Kevin Hamm

Democratic

Top priorities
  • 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.

Biography

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.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
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Voting info and more

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Public Service Commission District 5 in 2026?

2 candidates are tracked for Public Service Commission District 5 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Annie Bukacek and Kevin Hamm. Candidate information follows official Lewis and Clark County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Public Service Commission District 5 election in Montana?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Montana are on the Montana election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Lewis and Clark County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Lewis and Clark County and state election office filings, last verified September 25, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Montana election office, or see the full Lewis and Clark County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Lewis and Clark County ballot

15 tracked races in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Montana Senate District 9Montana Senate District 41Montana Senate District 42See all 15 Lewis and Clark County races
Candidate profiles
Annie Bukacek, full profileKevin Hamm, full profileOfficial Montana election office