Knudsen wins contested race, Christofferson, Dunbar, and Lang retain offices following primary

Statewide in Montana, nearly 55-percent of registered voters turned out for last Tuesday's Federal Primary Mail-in Ballot Election, an all-time record for a primary election in the Treasure State, and in Phillips County, nearly 70-percent of registered voters submitted ballots.

"The Federal Primary Election as a mail ballot election went well," Phillips County Clerk and Recorder Lynnel LaBrie said. "Of the 2,521 ballots issued to eligible voters in Phillips County, 1,739 ballots were returned. This is a 68.9% turnout."

The 2018 Primary was a Poll Election, so those results are calculated with the total number of Registered Voters, LaBrie added, and turnout that year in Phillips County was at just over 62-percent. (Total number of registered voters was 2,705 and total votes cast was 1,682.)

The only locally contested race concerning Phillips County was on the Republican ballot where incumbent Montana State Representative from District 33, Casey Knudsen of Malta, was challenged by Glasgow's Joyce Stone. Knudsen received 794 votes to Stone's 207. There was no Democrat running for election for the HD 33 position which Knudsen has served two terms in.

As for races directly effecting Phillips County with only one candidate running, Sen. Mike Lang (R) won the Senate District 17 nomination; Jonathan Windy Boy (D), won the State Rep District 32 nomination; G. Bruce Meyers (R), won the State Rep District 32 nomination; Phillips County Clerk of the District Court Tami Christofferson (R), won her uncontested race, and Phillips County Commissioner Richard Dunbar (R), also will serve another term (All these candidates are running unopposed in the November General Election.)

In Phillips County there was also three proposed levies and two of the three were approved. Both the Phillips County: County Road Levy and Phillips County Bridge Levy were approved (412 for and 388 against, and 819 for and 763 against, respectively) and the Phillips County General Levy was voted down with 975 against and 612 for (both precincts, 11N and 11S voted at least 60-percent against.)

For the United States Presidential Election, U. S. President Donald Trump received 1,379 votes in Phillips County while the Green Party received 1 vote and no preference received 55 votes received (statewide, President Trump 94-percent of the vote while the 6-percent voted "no preference.) On the Democratic Ballot, former Vice President Joe Biden received 185 out of the 242 total votes for that party with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and "no preference" collecting the rest.

In the United States Senate race, Republican incumbent Steve Daines received his party's nomination with 1,327 votes in Phillips County and nearly 88-percent of the vote statewide. For the Democrats, Mont. Governor Steve Bullock won in Phillips County (227 votes) and statewide (95-percent of the vote.)

In the Montana Governor's and Lt. Governor's primary, Rep. Greg Gianforte and received 72-percent of Phillips County Votes and 53-percent of the statewide vote for the Republicans (also winning Phillips County with 72-percent of the vote); The Democrats nominated Matt Cooney and Casey Schreiner received 55-percent of their parties vote (they also won Phillips County with 64-percent of the vote), and Green Party candidates Robert Barb and Joshua Thomas received a total of 710 votes statewide.