Cascade County commissioner plans write-in campaign for November ballot

After losing a Republican primary in June, Cascade County Commissioner Rae Grulkowski will enter the general election as a write-in candidate to retain her seat.

Grulkowski confirmed her intention on Friday with Montana Free Press. She made the announcement during a meeting of the Great Falls Pachyderm Club on Thursday.

Grulkowski lost the June 4 primary by 14 points to fellow Republican Eric Hinebauch, a business owner, former Great Falls city commissioner and chair of the Cascade County Republican Central Committee.

She said at the time that having a primary opponent showed how “screwed up” the local Republican Party had become.

Voters elected Grulkowski to the District 3 seat on the board of commissioners in 2022.

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Since then, she has been a lone dissenting vote on high-profile commission moves, including the removal of election duties and print shop oversight from Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant.

Hinebauch, who will be on the fall ballot as the Republican candidate for the county commissioner seat, is viewed as a more establishment option while Grulkowski has supporters from a more deeply conservative wing of the party.

The Democratic candidate is Don Ryan, a former Cascade County commissioner, state senator and school board member.

Grulkowski must submit a declaration of intent for her write-in candidacy by September 3, per state rules.

That hasn’t been filed as of Friday morning, according to Cascade County Elections Administrator Terry Thompson.