Montana
Secretary of state sought to sway Cascade County election administrator vote
Maxine Speier With Montana news, I’m Maxine Speier. Last month, Cascade County commissioners capped a tumultuous year of election discord when they hired a new nonpartisan election administrator. But according to new reporting from online publication The Electric, Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen emailed commissioners before they made their choice and advised them against hiring two of the four candidates for the job.
Reporter for The Electric, Jenn Rowell, joined MTPR’s Austin Amestoy to share more about the email and the response from the county’s commissioners.
Austin Amestoy Jenn, thanks so much for being on today.
Jenn Rowell Yeah, of course. Thanks for having me.
Austin Amestoy So, Jenn, tell us a little bit more about this email that Secretary of State Jacobsen sent to Cascade County’s commissioners. That’s Jim Larson, Joe Briggs, and Rae Grulkowski. When did she send this email and what exactly did it say?
Jenn Rowell She sent an email to the county commissioners on February 14th. So the day before they were scheduled to meet and make a selection for their new hire, she asked them not to hire Rina Moore, who was the former clerk and recorder in the county or anyone from her administration, which was one other candidate for the job. And she said that doing so would undermine the will of the voters, among other reasons. But she did not specify what those reasons were.
Austin Amestoy Interesting. And I want to remind listeners here, catch them up on the background of this story. Rina Fontana Moore was the former Democratic election administrator in Cascade County, back when that job was still held by an elected official. She was narrowly defeated by a Republican in 2022, and now Secretary of State Jacobsen apparently advised Cascade County commissioners to not hire her for the new nonpartisan election administrator job. Jen, how did commissioners react to getting that email? I assume you checked in with them?
Jenn Rowell I did. I called Jim Larson and Joe Briggs. I had sent an email to Rae and Sandra and didn’t hear back from them, but Jim and Joe were both, they told me they were surprised. Jim Larson said shocked was the word he used, to get that email.
Austin Amestoy Yeah. Did they say if the Secretary of State’s email swayed their final decision at all?
Jenn Rowell Right. They I asked both of them that and they said that it did not impact their decision. They use, like a scoring matrix when they do their interviews. And Terry scored highest. They told me that it didn’t factor into their decision making.
Austin Amestoy And that’s, Terry Thompson, the new election administrator, the former head of the Great Falls Realtors Organization. Jenn, did you get a sense for how common it is for Jacobsen or really any secretary of state, for that matter, to weigh in on the hiring process for county election administrators?
Jenn Rowell I called a few people that kind of worked in that realm longer than I had, or covered politics, or had had this job before, and asked them if they’d ever heard of that. And everyone gave me the impression that that was not something that had happened before, or at least not that they had heard of. I also called Yellowstone County because they had in fall of 2020, their hired election administrator had resigned. So they also had to appoint a new or hire a new person. So I called and asked them if the Secretary of State had offered thoughts during that process, and they said no.
Austin Amestoy Once again, reporter for The Electric, Jenn Rowell sharing her reporting with us. Jenn, thank you so much.
Jenn Rowell Yeah, of course.
Update: In a statement, Secretary of State spokesperson Richie Melby said Jacobsen was “focused on working with Cascade County’s new election administrator” and did not clarify if Jacobsen sent the email in her official role as secretary of state.
Imagine a long expanse of pristine sand slipping into calm, lapping, crystal-clear waters. The occasional chunk of driftwood juts out as mountains cut an elegant outline in the distance. Forced to guess which state you’re in, you might draw a blank — the mountains are a bit of an anomaly. Yet such a place exists in Montana. It’s called Somers Beach State Park, an underrated gem sitting on the northwest shore of Flathead Lake. Its sandy shorelines and wide-open space provide plenty of room for swimming, birding, and a few trails.
The 106-acre beach rests along Flathead Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the U.S. The 200-square-mile blue gem has been lauded by visitors and sites like Lake.com as being the 10th-cleanest lake in the country, earning a spot on the list of U.S. lakes that are unbelievably clean and clear. The surroundings aren’t that bad either. Visitors who hit the beach often relish its view of the Swan Mountains stretching across the horizon. The park is still evolving: Montana acquired the property in 2021, opened the beach a year later, and has been building up its facilities and amenities ever since.
The key to visiting Somers Beach State Park is timing. Because its size changes with Flathead Lake’s water levels, many visitors have come away confused, underwhelmed, or plain old angry to find a rocky, windy stretch of shoreline. Fair enough, since Somers Beach’s sandy shores have a knack for disappearing in the summer. Instead, they emerge when Flathead Lake’s water dips between fall and spring, only to rise up with the temperatures.
Swim, hike, bird, and scope out the surroundings
For those looking to take a dip in Somers Beach’s waters, there comes a compromise. You can have warm waters — or you can have a sandy shore. You can’t have both. How much swimming you actually get done while there will depend on when you visit. During the summer, the shallow portion of the beach can stretch for several hundred yards, leaving you wading through waist-deep water for an interminably long time. “It’s fun because the lake isn’t as high and there’s quite a long stretch of beach to play in the water or just bask in the sun,” one local wrote in a Google review. “It’s a beautiful place to see Flathead Lake and the mountains.” Visiting outside the summer carries its own set of issues, as Flathead Lake’s water temperature tends to plummet. Bring hiking boots and binoculars instead.
As a relatively young state park, Somers Beach doesn’t have a formal trail system. All the better, as you then have a chance to just wander about. The nearby town of Somers contains plenty to see to the west, while to the east are wetlands and a grassy area north of the shore. Birders will have plenty to enjoy as well. The Flathead Lake Waterfowl Production Area east of the beach provides habitat for over 200 species of birds. (Authorities close off access to the area during nesting season, between March and July.) If you time your visit right, you can spend a day with sand between your toes. The drop in water level creates a half-mile expanse of sandy shoreline worthy of a peaceful stroll.
The logistics of visiting Somers Beach State Park
Flathead Lake’s proximity to Glacier National Park makes Somers Beach accessible by several modes of transportation. Glacier Park International Airport is only half an hour’s drive away. While the beach alone may not justify a long-haul flight, it pairs well with other destinations around the lake. That includes Yellow Bay State Park, a crowd-free paradise surrounded by cherry orchards. Together, they can fill an entire weekend with adventure.
Unfortunately, you can’t pitch a tent right on the beach; the state park is day-use only. Fortunately, finding a place to sleep nearby isn’t much of a hassle. A ring of accommodations orbits Flathead Lake, including luxury cabins costing several hundred dollars per night. The highly-rated Somers Bay Cabin Lodging is minutes away as well, with log cabins that have lake views, ranging in size from studios to two-bedroom units. Despite the rustic exterior, the interiors still have all the modern conveniences you’d expect, from Wi-Fi to heating.
The beach’s home alongside Flathead Lake makes it adjacent to several must-see areas, chief among them Flathead Valley. The unexpectedly up-and-coming wine region — yes, a wine region in Montana — with its excellent wineries and nearby orchards, provides an ideal bookend for a trip to Somers Beach. If you visit during the warmer months, be sure to bring bug spray to keep the mosquitoes at bay. If you plan on hauling a boatload of supplies with you — inflatables, coolers, or chairs — bring a wagon. The jaunt from the parking area to the beach can be longer than it looks.
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