4 races to watch in Cascade County

Cascade County voters have a full midterm ballot with some well-known names, some new candidates and at least one legislative race that’s seen as a toss-up.

Here are a few key races to watch in and around Great Falls:

Senate District 11

This district encompasses much of the northern Riverview area of Great Falls, as well as Malmstrom Air Force Base. Republican Steve Galloway has a chance to return to the Montana Legislature after losing a close House primary in 2024. He served in the 2023 and 2021 legislatures.

Galloway is on the conservative side of the GOP spectrum and has shared social media posts critical of property tax reform measures passed by the Legislature in 2025. The bills, championed by moderate Republicans, have contributed to a schism in the party.

The Democratic candidate, Valynda Holland, boasts endorsements from labor groups and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana. Holland spoke at local government meetings in opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement and to tax breaks intended to incentivize Janicki Industries to locate in Great Falls.

While Galloway has outspent Holland, thanks in part to loans to himself, Democrats are looking toward independent voters who might defect from the party of Trump amid high gas prices, an overseas war and immigration crackdowns. 

In recent elections, this district has favored Republicans.

Senate District 10

This district, which covers the heart of Great Falls, may be the closest race in this year’s election and features two political newcomers.

“It’s definitely a seat that is competitive,” said Eric Hinebauch, chair of the Cascade County Republican Central Committee. “We really have to put in the work to hold that seat.”

Republican Jessica Dyrdahl has put “school choice” and housing affordability among her top issues. She supports parental rights “without government intrusion.” She drinks raw milk and is a veteran. She is up against Democrat Margaret Mitchell, another political newcomer who is an IT professional and, like Holland, boasts endorsements from labor and reproductive rights groups. She identified affordable healthcare, housing and “good-paying jobs” as top issues, but, like Dyrdahl, had few details on her campaign website about addressing those issues.

Within this Senate district are two House districts, each with one incumbent legislator from either party. How those voters coalesce behind one of the Senate candidates will determine this district’s future. Historically, those districts have seen the most swing between parties, Jeremy Trebas, who most recently held the SD10 seat, told Montana Free Press.

House District 20

This eastern Great Falls district features Republican incumbent Melissa Nikolakakos, who is seeking her second term in the House. She has pitched herself as a “common-sense conservative” who has put the homestead exemption, part of a package of property tax reforms, among her top accomplishments.

Recently, voicemail messages have popped up in the district in support of Nikolakakos from a group called Strong Montana. The group received funding from groups such as the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which represents pharmacy benefit managers, Airbnb Inc. and internet provider Charter Communications.

She is up against Steve Keller, whose voice might be his most recognizable quality after a long career as a local radio personality. Keller also has his eye on property taxes and has pitched a “fairness cap,” which he describes as a “citizen-led initiative to cap property tax assessments.” The idea is based on a California proposition passed in the ’70s.

Matt Pipinich, chair of the Cascade County Democratic Central Committee, told MTFP that Keller’s name recognition could make for a competitive race. And the district has an electorate with a wide spectrum of interests.

“I think something that a lot of candidates or potential candidates don’t understand is that’s one of the most [economically] diverse districts in our town,” Pipinich said.

Cascade County commissioner

This is the marquee race at the local government level, as the Cascade County Board of Commissioners will face major issues in the coming years. Those issues are largely budgetary but have real impacts on the services supported by that budget.

Republican Tom Lynch, a retired police officer, told MTFP in a recent interview that the budget includes “a lot of money being spent that shouldn’t be spent on things.” He honed in on programs that receive state or federal support but require local matching funds to operate, as well as the services of the City-County Health Department, which has seen budgetary challenges of its own.

The Democratic candidate, Barbara Bessette, is a former one-term state legislator and works as a tribal liaison for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. She has a history of work in substance abuse prevention and said that she would like to strengthen the City-County Health Department and public safety departments, which also contribute to that prevention work.

Read more from the county commissioner candidates in our recent Great Falls This Week newsletter.