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Voter Information for Candidates Who Will Be Running for Office in the November 3rd Election

Author: Audrey Plymale Candidate for Broadwater County Clerk of District Court

Nancy Marks, MT43 News Reporter

Voters must submit their completed mail-in ballots by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 3, at the Broadwater County Clerk and Recorder’s office in the courthouse, 515 Broadway, Townsend, MT. Mail-in ballots will be sent out beginning October 9. Voters who choose to vote in person, depending on where they reside, will vote in Winston, Toston, or the Broadwater County Library and Community Room in Townsend.

These candidates will be at a public forum at the Community Room, Wednesday, September 16, beginning at 6:30 p.m. to answer questions about their candidacies. The public is invited to visit with the candidates following the forum.

Broadwater County Commissioner

Debi Randolph, 63, as incumbent county commissioner, was first elected in 2021 and has served on the three-member board six years. She divided her youth between Lexington, Kentucky and Sherwood, Oregon. She attended Portland State and Oregon State universities, majoring in agriculture education. She moved to Townsend in 2010. She has two sons and two granddaughters. She has served on the Montana Association of Counties Board, the Big Elk Divide Restoration Committee, Montana Forest Coalition Network, and Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority. She has testified before the legislature on property rights, passenger rail, and property taxes.

Tim Ravndal, 68, is an Anaconda, Montana, native. He lives in the county with his wife Chris and has three grown children. He graduated from Anaconda High School, went to Butte Vocational Technical College and trained in mechanics. He moved to Townsend in 1985. He worked as a contract logger with RY Timber for many years. He ran twice for Legislative District 68, once in 2013 and again in 2020. He also ran for Broadwater County Commissioner in 2002. In 2022, he established Broadwater County News, a local newspaper, when the Broadwater Reporter ceased publication. He closed publishing in 2023. He currently writes for the online news source Conservative News of Montana.com.

Broadwater County Sheriff-Coroner

Luis Espinoza, 43, came to the US when he was 9 years old. Born in Lima, Peru, Luis’s father served as a congressman in that country. The family immigrated to Miami, Florida, over a 7-year process in 1992. He is married to Melissa. He attended Miami schools, attended college in business administration, and moved to Montana in 2019. He joined the Florida Army National Guard, where he became a naturalized citizen. He holds the rank of Staff Sergeant with the Montana National Guard. He has worked at the Gallatin County Detention Center in Bozeman and as a deputy in Broadus, Montana. He also worked as a school resource officer for the Hillsborough County Public School system in Tampa, Florida.

Mark Wood, 60, is married to Liz and has one grown daughter. He and his wife operated Wood’s Family Grill in Townsend. He grew up in Maryland, graduated from high school, and with time as a fireman, he began his 36-year career in law enforcement with over 1,200 hours of training with Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. He was appointed interim Sheriff by Broadwater County Commissioners when Sheriff Nick Rauser resigned March 24. Wood signed on the department as a part-time deputy in 2016. He moved through the ranks and was appointed undersheriff in December 2024. He holds several Montana Law Enforcement Academy certificates, including peace officer basic, intermediate, advanced, and supervisor. He is a certified Coroner.

BROADWATER COUNTY TREASURER-SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

Symantha Deans, 55, is married to Trampas Deans and has grown children and 8 grandchildren. She graduated high school in West Albany, Oregon, and has an Applied Sciences associate’s degree from Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Nebraska. She has lived in Broadwater County 3 years and worked at the Treasurer’s office for 2 years. Prior to joining county government, she spent 7 years managing multiple Town Pump stores in the Gallatin Valley. Early in her work life, she advanced from X-Ray technician to serving as a radiology department manager at Gordon Regional Hospital in Gordon, Nebraska.

Leona Nelson, 53, graduated from Bonanza High School in Bonanza, Oregon in 1991. She has lived in Montana 30 years, having moved to Townsend in 2018. She worked in the medical field in the 1990’s and later worked for the Montana Motor Vehicle Division/Department of Justice in Deer Lodge for 5 years until that office closed. Nelson has worked in the Treasurer’s office since 2019 as the Motor Vehicle Title and Registration clerk. She is married to Kenneth Nelson. They have 5 children and 8 grandchildren.

Sheila Stenzel, 57, was born in Bozeman and graduated from Bozeman Senior High School in 1987. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Montana State University. She worked for Boeing, Inc. in Seattle after graduation. She is married to John and has 2 stepdaughters and 3 grandchildren. She served in the US Navy from 2000 to 2012 as an officer in the Civil Engineering Corps with the US Navy Seabees during construction in Iraq and South Korea. Stenzel has worked for the Montana Department of Revenue in Helena for 7 years, 5 of which as an appraiser whose job includes valuing properties for tax purposes.

UNCONTESTED OFFICE CANDIDATES

Broadwater County Clerk and Recorder, Elections Administrator, Surveyor

Angie Paulsen,47, was born and raised in Helena and graduated from Helena High School in 1997. Her daughter Savannah attends Broadwater High School, and her son Avery is in his third year at North Carolina State. Paulsen has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Montana, graduate coursework in public administration and public policy and a master’s degree and doctorate-level education in theology. She has served as county clerk and recorder, elections administrator, and surveyor for the past 5 years. Previously, she was a deputy at Montana Secretary of State’s office. Her professional memberships include Montana Association of Clerks and Recorders as second vice president of the organization.

Broadwater County Attorney

Kevin Bratcher, 33, a native Texan, was born and raised in the Austin, Texas area and moved with his partner to Montana in 2021, following the COVID pandemic. He has a degree in criminal justice and a law degree from the South Texas College of Law in Houston. He was hired right out of law school by the Montana State Auditor’s office in Helena. He and his partner lived a short time near Jefferson City but were able to buy a house in Townsend when he was appointed County Attorney in 2025, when Cory Swanson became Supreme Court Chief Justice. When Bratcher worked in the Auditor’s office, he prosecuted criminal fraud cases, drafted legislation and provided advice to the Insurance and Securities Division.

Broadwater County Justice of the Peace

Kirk Flynn, 47, running for his 4th term in office. Flynn is a 1998 BHS graduate. He graduated from Montana State University Billings in Mechanical Engineering Technology in 2002. A lifelong resident of Broadwater County, he worked for PFM Manufacturing in Townsend until 2014. He is married and has 3 children. His last 12 years in office have given him experience where he deals with both criminal and civil law. He gives initial appearances on most felony cases and has concurrent jurisdiction with the District Court on all misdemeanor charges. He also handles civil matters in Justice Court where claims are less than $15,000 or in Small Claims Court where claims are less than $7,000. He also presides over landlord/tenant cases involving real property and orders of protection.

Legislative House District #77

Jane Gillette, 55, is running for her third term as a Republican, having served in the Legislature since 2021. Born in Tacoma, Washington, Gillette moved to Montana in 2005 and served as a Captain in the US Air Force at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. She currently works as a researcher and healthcare consultant. She and her husband Chris live outside Three Forks and are parents of three grown children. Gillette has a master’s degree in public health from University of Montana and a doctorate in dental surgery from the University of Washington. Her bachelor’s degree is in biology from Pacific Lutheran University. She also has several advanced degrees in organizational leadership and value-based healthcare. Gillette received a lifetime recognition for leadership from the Montana Dental Association. The National Association of Mental Illness awarded her Legislator of the Year in 2023 and 2025. She has served or now serves on the House Judiciary and Health and Human Services and Legislative Audit committees. She is chair of Appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services.

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PhotoCredit: Photos Provided
Image 1 Caption: Debi Randolph Photos Provided
Image 2 Caption: Tim Ravndal Photos Provided
Image 3 Caption: Luis Espinoza Photos Provided
Image 4 Caption: Mark Wood Photos Provided
Image 5 Caption: Symantha Deans Photos Provided