25 October 2016
The Blacktail Mountain ski hill likely will be
represented by Republicans Olszewski and Skees
House District 11 (map) and Senate District 6 (map) may be the most conservative legislative districts in the Flathead. HD-11 is home to the yacht club at Somers and the ski hill on Blacktail Mountain, as well as to some of the most expensive real estate in Montana. It’s also home to two legislative candidates whose last names include the ski sound, and who are not above using their highway signs to deliver a pun.
Republican Derek Skees, who represented old HD-4 in Whitefish during the 2011 legislative session, is running for HD-11, now represented by Al Olszewski, a very conservative surgeon. Olszewski is running for SD-6, which comprises HDs 11 and 12. Skees’ Democratic opponent is Eileen Bech; Olszewski’s is Polson insurance agent Rolf Harmsen, who is not running an active campaign (C-5 campaign finance report).