Brockman faces a Regier-backed challenger for House District 8

Feb. 15—A member of Northwest Montana's conservative political dynasty is seeking to oust incumbent Rep. Tony Brockman, throwing support behind a young, inexperienced challenger.

Republican voters of House District 8, which includes Evergreen and North Kalispell, will vote between two Republicans come June's primary election — Brockman and newcomer Lukas Schubert, who has earned the endorsement of Matt Regier, House speaker during the 2023 legislative session.

The 2023 session was Brockman's first in office and he represented the old House District 9, which consisted of Evergreen and northeast Kalispell. House District 8, newly redrawn, stretches from Helena Flats to just below U.S. 2.

It was a vote cast during the early days of the session that earned Brockman the opposition of Regier, who is the son of Sen. Keith Regier and brother of Rep. Amy Regier. The speaker, now running for a state Senate seat, cited Brockman's vote on the House rules package on Jan. 4, 2023 as a reason for supporting his competitor.

House Resolution 1 drew criticism from some conservative Republicans as it lowered the number of votes required to take a bill tabled in committee to the House floor, known as a "blast motion," from 60 to 55. Republicans, who held the supermajority in the Legislature, argued that it would aid House Democrats and centrist Republicans in bringing otherwise sidelined bills up for a vote.

Brockman was one of 25 Republicans to vote with all 32 Democrats on the rules package.

"I have 100% faith that Lukas Schubert will vote conservative ... and not with 100% of Democrats to change the rules," Regier said Wednesday.

HR 1 passed 57-42. Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, a Republican from Kalispell, also voted with Democrats on the resolution.

Sprunger has filed for re-election in House District 7, where she is currently running unopposed ahead of the primary.

"My take is that out of the gates, when you vote with 100% of Democrats to change the whole process in their favor that's tough for me to comprehend," Regier said of Brockman.

Brockman and Sprunger both earned a rebuke from fellow Flathead conservatives after casting their votes in favor of the rules package.

"Not only do the new rules reduce power of the Supermajority and the elected leadership, they have divided the Republican Party," Flathead Republicans, including Matt Regier, wrote in a letter last session asking Brockman and Sprunger to "stand with the ideals they ran on."

BEYOND THE rules package, Schubert has painted Brockman's voting record as "not particularly conservative" on his campaign website.

"I don't think that the incumbent is a bad guy, I don't think he's evil... but his votes just aren't good," Schubert told the Daily Inter Lake.

Yet, Brockman voted with the Republican majority 96% of the time during the last session, according to records kept by the Montana Free Press. By contrast, Regier voted along party lines just 90% of the time.

On average, Republican lawmakers voted with the party 91% of the time, according to the Montana Free Press.

"We're a diverse Republican Party with a lot of different ideas," Regier said this week regarding his voting record in 2023.

He pointed back to the House rules package vote as his main concern regarding his fellow Republican lawmaker.

Brockman said this week that he voted with his constituents in mind.

"I vote based on how my district wants me to vote and how my district wants me to represent their interests in Helena," Brockman said this week. "... I fundamentally believe that the power should rest in the hands of the people and that's why I voted the way I did."

"Speaker Regier wanted to consolidate power in his office and that I believe, per the Constitution, power should rest in the hands of the people," he added.

Outside of voting the party line, Schubert's platform includes cutting taxes — especially property taxes — addressing the high cost of living and taking on the state Judiciary, which he argues is far-left.

"We need someone in there who is going to get serious on all of these issues," said Schubert, a 2023 graduate of Glacier High School.

Schubert is currently attending classes at Flathead Valley Community College. Asked about his ties to the Evergreen area, Schubert cited his high school graduation and his work campaigning in Evergreen neighborhoods during previous elections.

Brockman, born, raised and still living in Evergreen, said that his sole job is to show up for his constituents and the people of Evergreen and North Kalispell. Whether he serves for two years or eight years, he said, he wants his community to know that their concerns matter and that they can communicate with their representatives.

Last session, 16 of the 25 bills Brockman carried were signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte. His efforts included securing funds for the construction of sidewalks for Evergreen students. *

There is one other announced candidate in House District 8. Beth Sibert, a Kalispell therapist, has filed as a Democrat.

Candidate filing closes on March 11. The primary election will be held June 4, 2024.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.

* This paragraph was edited for clarity.