GREAT FALLS, Mont. — MTN continues to preview of the 2026 general election with a look at two candidates seeking to represent Montana House District 20.
Watch our full story below:
It features a man who made a name for himself on the Great Falls airwaves against an incumbent with a passion for education.
House District 20 includes Lincoln Elementary School as well as hundreds of households.
Education and affordability are at the top of the list of the candidates in contention.
The district runs south of the Missouri River from 15th Street to Third Avenue North, then east to 20th Street, where it continues to Ninth Avenue South, then heads east for the most part to 38th Street before heading north back to the river.
Republican incumbent Melissa Nikolakakos is seeking a second term.
Watch our full interview with Melissa Nikolakakos:
The veteran, mother of four and wife of fellow lawmaker George Nikolakakos, grew up in Livingston.
She has a degree in early childhood education, serves as a substitute teacher in the Centerville Schools and is heavily involved in PTA activities. Education is at the center of her campaign.
“Our world is changing quickly, and we don't know what the jobs are going to be like in 10 years from now. So critical thinking skills are a deep necessity. And I think some of the things that we really need to try to focus more into our schools and, and I know there's a lot of good training happening out there. We just need to get it down into the classroom,” Nikolakakos said.
The democratic challenger is Steve Keller.
Watch our full interview with Steve Keller:
He grew up in the small Northeastern Washington town of Ione. But he’s well known for his career as a broadcaster, which includes about 40 years behind the mic in Great Falls.
He says creating good-paying jobs and providing quality childcare are among his top priorities if elected. But he’s also concerned about affordability.
“The people that I've talked to since I've started this campaign are scared about not being able to afford to live in their own house, because when we had that 15% at times, markup for our taxes for homeowners, that actually brought some people to sell their homes,” Keller said.
Ballots for the Nov. 3 election were mailed out Oct. 9. You can click here to find your voter information.
