The chairman of the Montana Democratic Party rules committee says that a vote that selected three candidates for former representative Dan Villa's seat should stand.

Some party members questioned allowing some Precinct 7 people to vote, but Jorge Quintana says county precinct maps do not divide the precinct between two House districts, as some had argued. He says the delegates correctly acted as representatives for everyone in the precinct and the vote should stand.

The three candidates selected include Kathy Swanson, "Red" Menehan of Anaconda, and Jim Jennar of Philipsburg.

(August 18, 2009)

An opinion is expected to be released Tuesday on whether a recent vote selecting three candidates for former representative Dan Villa's seat was in accordance with party rules and state law.

Last week, central Democratic committees from Granite and Deer Lodge counties met to interview and select three candidates for the seat. However, two committee members live in House District 85, but are allowed to represent a part of House District 86 known as Precinct 7. Allowing them to vote has been called into question.

The three candidates selected at last week's meeting were Kathy Swanson and "Red" Menehan of Anaconda, as well as Jim Jennar of Philipsburg. Villa recently resigned his seat to take a job as education policy advisor to Governor Brian Schweitzer.