14 June 2022 — 0752 mdt

Provisional ballots flip Flathead county commish election,
but not the Public Service Commission District 5 election

By James Conner

Flathead County Commission GOP primary. Republican Pam Holmquist will serve a third term on the Flathead county commission. After the provisional ballots were counted yesterday, she had 7,526 votes, 42 more than Jack Fallon’s 7,484. Fallon told the Daily InterLake he would ask for a recount, but expressed doubts that a recount would reverse the election’s outcome. After he gives the matter additional thought, he may forgo a recount and concede. But right now, he’s keeping his options open. That’s reasonable.

Public Service Commission District 5. After the provisional ballots in Flathead, Lake, Lewis and Clark, and Teton Counties were counted, Ann Bukacek’s winning margin over Derek Skees increased from 74 to 87 votes. That’s technically within recount range, but the probability that a recount would succeed is perishingly small. I think Skees will forgo a recount.

Bukacek now squares off against Flathead Memo endorsed Democrat John Repke.

Is this loss the end of the political road for Derek Skees? Probably not. His options for 2024 include the state senate and the Flathead county commission. And in 2026, he could take his third shot at the PSC. But to win, he will need to improve his campaigning and fundraising skills.

Ranked choice voting. Two out of three Flathead Republican primary voters did not want Pam Holmquist to serve a third term, but in a four-person election a 35 percent plurality was enough to win the election.

A 31 percent plurality was enough to win the four-person GOP PSC-5 primary.

Ranked choice voting prevents winning with less than a majority of the vote.