Derek Skees, the tea party approved former Republican state legislator who represented Whitefish in the 2011 Legislature, announced yesterday that he’s running for the Montana Public Service Commission in district 5 (map), where incumbent Bill Gallagher is losing his fight with cancer and will not run for re-election. Ryan Murray of the Daily InterLake has the details.
Helena Democrat Galen Hollenbaugh also announced he’s running for the PSC-5 seat.
Skees should be considered the favorite. Democrat Ken Toole won the seat in 2006 by 190 votes over a weak opponent, Republican Mike Taylor. Toole’s victory in 2006 was an anomaly. He rode the Democratic wave that carried Tester to victory, facing a Republican opponent who was far from top tier (far from second tier, too), yet barely won.
Mike Taylor-R | Ken Toole-D | |
---|---|---|
Flathead | 18,886 | 13,685 |
Glacier | 1,423 | 2,849 |
Lake | 5,708 | 5,277 |
Lewis and Clark | 10,853 | 15,945 |
Pondera | 1,389 | 1,129 |
Teton | 1,689 | 1,253 |
Total | 39,948 | 40,138 |
Toole lost to Gallagher by 11,812 votes in the Democratic debacle of 2010. Gallagher improved on Taylor’s 2006 tally, but Toole received 9,490 votes less than in 2006.
Bill Gallagher-R | Ken Toole-D | |
---|---|---|
Flathead | 20,222 | 10,346 |
Glacier | 1,015 | 1,597 |
Lake | 5,775 | 4,324 |
Lewis and Clark | 12,500 | 12,625 |
Pondera | 1,277 | 773 |
Teton | 1,671 | 983 |
Total | 42,460 | 30,648 |
In 2012, as a candidate for state auditor, Skees received 88 more votes in PSC-5 than did incumbent auditor Monica Lindeen, who won the election with a solid majority.
Derek Skees-R | Monica Lindeen-D | |
---|---|---|
Flathead | 25,432 | 16,227 |
Glacier | 1,120 | 3,216 |
Lake | 5,872 | 6,842 |
Lewis and Clark | 13,236 | 19,169 |
Pondera | 1,220 | 1,424 |
Teton | 1,635 | 1,549 |
Total | 48,515 | 48,427 |
This is why Skees is running for the PSC. He beat Lindeen in PSC-5 during a Presidential year, the best circumstance for Democrats. He has good reason to think he would benefit from the older, whiter, and lower turnout in a midterm election. Skees is too tainted with tea to win statewide, but in right leaning PSC-5, that taint wins votes.