Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher announced Wednesday that she will throw her hat in the race for Senate District 4, which encompasses all of the downtown area and stretches northeast.
Having served as mayor of Kalispell for 31/2 years, Fisher said her political ambitions, coupled with the recently redrawn district lines, helped prompt the decision to make a run for the state Senate.
“It has been a pleasure to serve this city but I have tapped out everything I aspire to do on this level,” she said. “The obvious choice is to run for Senate District 4 and represent the heart of Kalispell, which is my base. It’s who I am comfortable with and I think it will be good to continue that if my constituency will allow me.”
With the mayoral election still months away, Fisher announced in January that she would not run for a second term.
Fisher, a Republican, will vie for the seat currently held by Sen. Jon Sonju, also a Republican, who was elected in 2010. However, due to the new redistricting laps, the seat is essentially recreated.
According to Fisher, Sonju has stated publicly that he does not intend to seek reelection.
“That opened up the opportunity for me and made the most sense,” she said. “I think like-minded people should stick together and I feel that I am very like-minded with the people of Kalispell.”
Sonju did not immediately return a phone call Wednesday evening.
If elected, Fisher said she would work to continue fiscal constraints and maintain a budget surplus.
“We need to ensure that we can survive in tough times, and certainly Montana has undergone tough times, especially in the Flathead,” she said.
The third woman ever elected as mayor in Kalispell, she was a political unknown when she ran for office four years ago. Fisher said she would likely run her own campaign and depend “on the support of friends, family and neighbors.”
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