State Representative District 86 in Montana State House District 86, Montana

2026 Primary Election

• Kenneth E Allen — Candidate for State Representative in MT

  Kenneth E. Allen is a Republican candidate seeking election to the Montana House of Representatives for District 86. He is running in the primary election scheduled for June 2, 2026. In the Republican primary, he will compete against fellow Republican Wayne Rusk. There is no incumbent currently holding this seat, making it an open contest. Information regarding his professional background or specific policy positions is not available through the provided search results, as he has not yet completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

• Wayne Rusk — Business owner and tradesman in MT

  Wayne Rusk is a Republican politician from Montana. His professional background includes experience as a business owner and a tradesman specializing in custom walk-in showers. He served as a member of the Montana House of Representatives for District 88 from January 2023 to January 2025, during which he was a primary sponsor of legislation to revise alcohol laws and served on the Human Services and Judiciary committees. He previously won the Republican primary for House District 88 in 2022. More recently, Rusk ran for the Montana Senate District 44 in the 2024 Republican primary but was not successful. He is now a candidate for State Representative in the 2026 primary election.

• Archie Thomas — Candidate for State Representative in MT

  Archie Thomas is a Democratic candidate seeking election to the Montana House of Representatives, representing District 86. He is slated to appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on June 2, 2026. Thomas is not an incumbent for this position and is actively campaigning for the seat. His online presence suggests he has published articles, indicating a potential background as a writer. He is engaged in political discussions, with social media posts from a local Democratic group hinting at his concerns regarding external spending, or 'dark money,' in local elections.