Election 2024

Grant, Robertson lead Messamer in Lovell council race

Voters in North Big Horn County on Tuesday gave some clear preferences in the area races for town council seats, though all filed candidates will advance to the general election in November.

In Lovell, a pair of challengers edged incumbent Ray Messamer for two town council seats up for election. Mike Grant received 222 votes and Gareth Robertson 213, unofficially, while Messamer received 196 votes. All three will advance to the general election. There were also 14 write-in votes cast.

In Frannie, Shang Clendenen received 21 votes in Big Horn County and five votes in Park County for a total of 26 votes, while Roger Ganoung received 23 votes in Big Horn County and 1 vote in Park County for a total of 24. Guy Desantis received 14 votes, 13 in Big Horn County and one in the Park County side of town. There were two write-in votes cast in Park County.

The other three town council contests in North Big Horn County had no contested races. In Byron, Toby Turnupseed received 77 votes, but there were also 67 write-in votes.

In Cowley, incumbents Dexter Woodis and Rob Johnson received 113 and 104 votes, respectively, and there were 86 write-in votes.

In Frannie, incumbent Nick Loftus garnered 23 votes and fellow incumbent Aspen Beall 18, with just one write-in vote cast.

With a low turnout in the primary, fortunes could change dramatically in the general election, when voters go to the polls to elect a president.

School board race developing in Lovell

Filing has been underway for school and hospital boards and other special districts for about two weeks now, and an active race has developed for the Lovell School Board.

District board positions are elected at the general election in November.

As of Tuesday, eight people have filed for four seats on the Lovell School Board: incumbents Dan Anderson, Stacy Bair, Deb Fink and Rebecca Moncur and challengers Lance Anderson, Kyle Leithead, Keith McIntosh and Tess Ennis Peterson.

There are also four seats up for election in Big Horn County School District No. 1, but as of Tuesday, only three candidates had filed for the school board. Wendy Fuller has filed for an at large seat on the board, Julie Michaels has filed for the designated Burlington seat on the board and Taliesha Beech has filed for the designated Byron seat.

As of Monday, incumbents Holly Michaels (at large), Jared Boardman (Deaver-Frannie), Don Hatch (Byron) and Craig Jones (Burlington) had yet to file.

There are three seats up for election on the North Big Horn Hospital District Board of Directors, and as of Monday, one person had filed for the board. Max Lewis of Cowley has filed for an at large seat on the board. The seats coming open are held by at large members David Winterholler and Ron Christensen and designated Lovell member Mary Matthews.

Other filings for special district boards on the north end of Big Horn County, as of Monday, are:

Shoshone Conservation District – incumbent rural representatives Brad Tippetts and Spencer Ellis.

Fire Protection District No. 1 – incumbent Bruce Jolley.

North Big Horn County Senior Citizens District Board – incumbents Edie Crosby, Annella Prosser and Lori Scheffler.

Prospective candidates have until the end of the business day on Monday, Aug. 26, to throw their hat in the ring.

School board candidates file with the Big Horn County Clerk’s office, and all others file with their respective district secretary.