Forums to focus on court, state Legislature

Two big slices of politics will be served Sept. 8 in Great Falls during separate candidate forums featuring hopefuls in the running for an open Supreme Court seat and various spots on the state Legislature.

The state Supreme Court candidate forum sponsored by the Great Falls Tribune and the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will be 6-7:30 p.m. at West Elementary School, 1205 1st Ave. N.W. The Health Votes Montana state legislative candidate forum will be 6-8 p.m. at Heritage Hall at Great Falls College Montana State University, 2100 16th Ave. S.

The forums, which the public may attend, were put together independently with each group not knowing what the other was doing, organizers said.

State Supreme Court candidates Kristen Juras and Dirk Sandefur will be at the West Elementary School event. The race for Supreme Court Seat 3 is nonpartisan and both candidates come from Great Falls. Juras is a professor at the University of Montana Law School in Missoula and Sandefur is a state district judge. They are running for the 8-year seat being vacated by Patricia Cotter, who decided not to seek a second term.

The legislative forum is sponsored by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, AARP Montana and Montana Primary Care Association. All of Great Falls’ candidates for state Legislature were invited to participate in the nonpartisan event in which they can outline positions on issues related to disease prevention and access to affordable health care.

The election is Nov. 8.

Kristin Page-Nei, government relations director of American Cancer Society Action Network in Missoula, said the Great Falls event is part of five community forums. She said she could not release a complete list of candidates but said there will be participants from both districts in House District 26, HD 25, HD 20 and HD 19.

House seats are two-year terms and Senate seats are four years.