Ravalli County officials Monday named the replacement for a Hamilton representative who abruptly resigned from the Legislature.
Ravalli County Commissioners Monday unanimously appointed Republican Terry Nelson to replace former state Rep. Ron Marshall in House District 87.
Nelson is a surveyor by trade and former Ravalli County Republican Central Committee Chair.
He made an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2016 and touted his lengthy activism within local and state-level Republican politics.
"I’m able to get along with all sides of the party," Nelson said. "Right now, if you pick up a paper, you’ll find that we have some concerns going on about different factions, but I’m friends with an awful lot of them.”
Nelson acknowledged he’s facing a steep learning curve, starting his legislative career in the middle of the 2025 legislative session. But he expressed confidence to, as he put it, "hit the ground running."
Ron Marshall resigned last week after a bill advanced through the statehouse that would create a registry for and ban some vape products that contain nicotine. Marshall owns two vape shops. He expressed frustration that leaders of his caucus supported the measure, while also saying lobbyists have undue influence in policy making.
