Pondera County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
9 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 5 Pondera County races, led by the Public Service Commission District 5 contest.
Districts 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
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.
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
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.
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.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Pondera County is split across 4 Montana Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressMontana Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 8, 9
Montana Senate District 8Christopher Paul Buckles (R) · Tyson T. Running Wolf (D)
Christopher Paul Buckles
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
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 Senate District 9Noy Holland (D) · Llew Jones (R)
Noy Holland
Noy Holland is the Democratic nominee for Montana Senate District 9 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Montana Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Llew Jones
Top priorities
- Says he votes with the interests of his district in mind
- Supports economic development and stable job growth
- Supports education funding and policy
Per the campaign site.
About Llew Jones
Llew is a partner in Frontline Ag Solutions, a John Deere dealership, along with Courtesy Ford and Pure Bliss Cycles, per the campaign site. His family has farmed and ranched across Teton, Pondera and Toole counties since 1896, per the campaign site. He has served over a decade as state representative for House District 18 and currently chairs the House Appropriations Committee, per the campaign site.
Noy Holland (Democratic), Llew Jones (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Montana Senate District 9. 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: 2 districtsDistricts 15, 18
Montana House District 15Thedis B. Crowe (D) · Ralph Foster (R)
Thedis B. Crowe
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
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 18Bruce "Butch" Gillespie (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Bruce "Butch" Gillespie
Bruce, who goes by Butch, is a fourth session Republican state senator from Ethridge who represents Senate District 9, covering Shelby, Conrad, Choteau, Wolf Creek and Lincoln, and is term limited from that seat, per the Montana Free Press Capitol Tracker. He has sponsored legislation on farmers markets, livestock boards, veterinary medicine and hail insurance. No campaign website was found as of September 17, 2026.
Bruce "Butch" Gillespie (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Montana House District 18; unopposed candidates still appear on Montana ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. 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 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 Pondera County, Montana on November 3, 2026?
Pondera 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 Pondera 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 →
Montana statewide racesEvery Montana race on this county's ballot.