Corey Stapleton was elected as Montana’s next Secretary of State. The Billings Republican faced Democrat Monica Lindeen for the open seat.
The former Billings legislator says he’s delighted and grateful for winning the statewide race. Stapleton says he was prepared for a tough contest because his opponent had name recognition as the current State Auditor.
As the incoming state elections official, Stapleton was watching and listening as returns were coming in from around the country and state overnight.
"My ears have been perking out all night long," says Stapleton. "We’ve had problems in Cascade County. We had problems in Flathead. Problems in Sanders and throughout the state. Little things."
He says they are fixable and he looks forward to talking with local elections officials to see if there’s room for improvement. Stapleton will take over the seat from Democrat Linda McCulloch who was prevented by term limits from seeking the office again.