June 5th primary election victories are headlined by the success of MCV-endorsed candidates and conservation champions from county commission to U.S. Senate

BILLINGS, MT – Get ready for the US Senate Race! Senator Jon Tester will face off against current State Auditor, Matt Rosendale, who defeated three opponents, in the republican primary. Rosendale whose five sessions in the Montana Legislature earned him a score of six percent on Montana Conservation Voters’ (MCV) legislative scorecard, where he consistently voted against public access to public lands, Montana made clean energy, and keeping our streams and rivers clean. On the flip-side, Montana’s senior U.S. Senator, Jon Tester, continues to stand up for clean water, championed Montana’s public lands and protecting the Yellowstone Gateway, and has been a consistent voice for Montanans as the only working farmer in the U.S. Senate.

“When candidates who champion Montana’s best features: its beautiful outdoor heritage, world class streams and rivers, and public lands win; we all do. In this primary election we saw that Montana voters value what makes Montana such a special place to call home,” said MCV’s Political Director, Shelbi Dantic.

MCV endorsed five candidates in Tuesday’s primary with four winning. Both MCV-endorsed local initiatives to protect water and open spaces were also successful.

• Missoula County Commission Candidate Josh Slotnick ousted 18 year incumbent Jean Curtiss, making it the third of three conservation champions elected to the Missoula County Commission. MCV invested heavily in this race in an effort to protect Missoula’s agricultural heritage and open spaces and helped put Slotnick over the top.
• Flathead voters resoundingly voted to protect their water, lakes, and fish from the proposed water bottling plant along Flathead River near Creston by passing the Egan Slough Initiative.
• Gallatin County’s Open Lands levy also passed overwhelmingly. Gallatin, Montana’s fastest growing county made the commitment to renew their investment in the open space program to protect open lands, clean water, agriculture, and outdoor heritage.
• Janet Ellis won the nomination for SD 41 in Helena. Janet has been a strong, effective voice for conservation and environmental protection for the last 30 years, working for Montana Audubon. Janet is considered one of the most effective policy advocates for our clean water, fish and wildlife in the legislature.
• Jade Bahr won the primary for HD 50 in Billings. Jade was born in Crow Agency and is an enrolled Northern Cheyenne native. Jade works supporting adults with disabilities in Billings and campaigned on protecting our public lands for recreation for all of us.

Kim Dudik moves forward in HD 94 in Missoula. Kim is a three-term incumbent and won her re-election touting her endorsement of MCV and her record with a 97 percent lifetime voting record on MCV’s scorecard.

MCV is a statewide non-partisan membership organization that is dedicated to fighting for Montana’s air, water, open spaces, wildlife, and public health. MCV provides voter participation services to over 72,000 Montanans. Visit www.mtvoters.org for more details.