GREAT FALLS — Casey Schreiner, a longtime Great Falls resident and state legislator, is throwing his hat in the ring to fill the vacancy on the Cascade County Commission left by Jane Weber, who will retire in January after 10 years on the job.
Schreiner, a Democrat, is the outgoing minority leader in the Montana House of Representatives, and has represented House District 26 since 2013. Schreiner most recently ran unsuccessfully alongside Mike Cooney to be his lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket for the governorship.
Before politics, Schreiner worked in the Montana Department of Labor as the director of work-based learning, and as a middle school teacher.
Schreiner said as a result of the pandemic, Cascade County will continue to face financial challenges, which he’ll prioritize if elected. He said he’ll focus on allocating coronavirus relief money and helping local businesses.
“Number one priority is making sure that the county leverages those funds that we’re ablet o get and advocates for those funds as much as possible,” he said. “And then number two … to help grow this economy in Great Falls.”
Democratic candidates hoping to fill the vacancy must submit their names to the Cascade County Democratic Central Committee by Friday, December 18. From there, the party will recommend candidates to the other commissioners, Joe Briggs and James Larson, who must come to an agreement on one of them.
The commissioner who eventually fills Weber’s seat will have to run again in 2022 for a traditional six-year term.
