MISSOULA, MT — The Missoula County Republican Central Committee (MCRCC) voted Tuesday evening to issue its first round of endorsements for the 2026 election cycle. The endorsements span state legislative races, a Public Service Commission seat, and two constitutional initiatives.

Legislative Candidates — Endorsed Unopposed in Primary

The committee voted to endorse all Republican candidates running unopposed in the primary, including:

• Trish Schreiber — House District 76
• Lyn Hellegaard — House District 89
• Jeff Stanek — House District 90
• Charles Headly — House District 91
• Roy Handley — House District 93
• Greg Woodward — House District 94
• Michael HagEstad — House District 97
• Bryan Muzzana — House District 98
• Ryan Darling — House District 99
• Brad Tschida — Senate District 49

Statewide Races

• David Sanders — Public Service Commission

“Do Not Retain” — Current Judges

The committee voted to recommend a “Do Not Retain” position on the current sitting judges appearing on the 2026 ballot.

Ballot Initiatives — Opposed

The committee voted to formally oppose two constitutional initiatives:

CI-132 — Enshrining “Non-Partisan” Judicial Elections in the Montana Constitution

The Missoula County Republican Central Committee opposes CI-132. Judicial elections in Montana are already conducted on a non-partisan basis — CI-132 would enshrine that arrangement permanently in the state constitution, stripping future Montanans of any ability to change it. The MCRCC believes that is the wrong direction. Voters have a right to know the political philosophy of the judges they elect to the bench. The notion that any individual — including a judge — is truly non-partisan is fiction. It is common and accepted practice, up to and including confirmation hearings for the U.S. Supreme Court, for judges to be questioned about their judicial and political philosophy. Locking the current system into the constitution would permanently deny Montana voters that transparency and make any future reform extraordinarily difficult to achieve. The MCRCC opposes any measure that trades accountability for the appearance of neutrality.

CI-194 — The Montana Plan

The Missoula County Republican Central Committee opposes CI-194. The committee views the so-called “Montana Plan” as an end-run around the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United — a thinly veiled attempt to silence political speech in Montana under the guise of campaign finance reform. The First Amendment protects political speech precisely because it is the speech most in need of protection. The MCRCC will oppose any effort to curtail it.

Federal Candidate Endorsements — Coming This Spring

Federal candidate endorsements will follow as the committee hosts a series of candidate speakers at upcoming monthly meetings. The current speaker lineup includes:

• April 14 | Dr. Al Olszewski — U.S. House, MT-01 (Social Meeting)
• April 28 | Christi Jacobsen — U.S. House, MT-01 (Business Meeting)
• May 12 | Charles Walking Child — U.S. Senate (Social Meeting)
• May 26 | Aaron Flint — U.S. House, MT-01 (Business Meeting)

All meetings are held at St. Anthony’s, 217 Tremont St, Missoula | 6:00 PM. The public is welcome to attend.

“These endorsements reflect the committee’s commitment to informed, accountable governance at every level,” said MCRCC Chairman Michael HagEstad. “We’re proud to support this slate of candidates and will continue issuing endorsements as we hear from federal candidates at our upcoming monthly meetings through May.”