Republicans win in Public Service Commission races

Republican Montana Public Service Commissioner Annie Bukacek won re-election against Democrat Kevin Hamm and will serve four more years on the regulatory body.

“I have been known by many for decades as one who can be trusted to stand up for Montanans,” Bukacek said in a text message Thursday. “That includes keeping the lights and heat on at the best possible price.”

Bukacek, also a medical doctor based in Kalispell, represents district No. 5, which covers part of northwest Montana.

Bukacek won 53% of the vote and Hamm earned 47% of the vote with all precincts fully reporting.

In district No. 1, a large portion of eastern Montana, Republican Jeff Pattison won 65% of the vote against Democrat Angeline Cheek, who earned 35%.

Pattison works in agriculture, and in a statement on social media about his win, he said he’ll take lessons from farming and ranching to his role on the PSC.

“I’ve spent most of my life planting seeds, fixing fences, caring for livestock, and praying for rain,” Pattison said. “And I’ve learned that you don’t always control the harvest. But you are responsible for how faithfully you tend the field.”

He said that’s how he will approach his responsibility on the Public Service Commission.

The PSC regulates monopoly utilities, including NorthWestern Energy and Montana-Dakota Utilities.

It is made up of five commissioners elected by district, and this week’s election results mean it will remain an all-Republican commission.

The PSC has come under scrutiny in recent years as Montanans have seen increases in power bills and worry they’ll be forced to subsidize energy costs for data centers.

It is handling a significant caseload, including a case for how to address data centers and a multibillion-dollar merger proposal between NorthWestern and South Dakota-based Black Hills Corp.

The PSC also is facing a lawsuit filed by 17 groups demanding it “recognize its constitutional duty to consider climate change” in regulating utilities.