Joint commissioners meeting to pick HD 80 representative moved to Helena

By: Blair Miller - December 29, 2022 2:49 pm

The Montana Capitol in Helena, Montana (Photo by Eric Seidle for the Daily Montanan).

The meeting at which commissioners from Lewis and Clark and Powell counties will pick a new representative for House District 80 next Tuesday will be held in Helena instead of Deer Lodge, a county official said Wednesday.

Commissioners will now meet at 2 p.m. Jan. 3 at the City-County Building, 316 N. Park Avenue, in Helena instead of the originally announced meeting at the Powell County Courthouse in Deer Lodge.

The two counties’ Republican central committees earlier this week picked three candidates — Hailey Oestreicher, Zachary Wirth and Nathan Nachtsheim — out of six they considered to send to the joint meeting of county commissioners for consideration.

The commissioners will pick one of the finalists to fill the House District 80 seat vacated by Republican Becky Beard earlier this month when she was appointed to fill the Senate District 40 seat vacated by Sen. Terry Gauthier.

The meeting is available for public participation on Zoom (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83687975676?pwd=OEtRUFJVaWlhSTZTbkllbUNyYjlXQT09) and live streamed on the Lewis and Clark County Commissioners’ website.

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Blair Miller

Blair Miller is a reporter based in Helena who primarily covers government, climate and courts. He's been a journalist for more than 12 years, previously based in Denver, Albuquerque and mid-Missouri.