Republican candidates led both open Montana Public Service Commission races in standings reported at 10 a.m., though neither contest had been called.
Jeff Pattison held 65.4% of the vote to Angeline Cheek’s 34.6% in District 1, with an estimated 53% of ballots counted. In District 5, Annie Bukacek led Kevin Hamm by about 5.5 percentage points, receiving 52.8% to Hamm’s 47.2% with roughly 41% of votes counted.
What the Commission Regulates
The Montana Public Service Commission oversees monopoly utilities, including power companies and trash services. Its responsibilities can include decisions involving energy costs, power generation for data centers and related infrastructure.
NorthWestern has signed several agreements to provide power to data centers, adding data-center electricity needs to the issues that may come before the commission.
Cost-of-living and affordability concerns were important to Montana voters. An MTFP-Eagleton poll found that 80% of registered voters considered those concerns “very important.”
The Associated Press had not called the District 1 or District 5 race as of 10 a.m.