Christopher Paul Buckles
Christopher Paul Buckles (Republican) is a candidate for the Montana State Senate in District 8 (Flathead, Glacier, Lake and 1 other counties) in the November 3, 2026 general election. Christopher Paul Buckles served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 1988 to 1994. He earned a bachelor's degree from Ashford University in 2013. His career experience includes working as a healthcare administrator.
“My formal education includes a double major in Sociology and Healthcare Administration, and I graduated magna cum laude. In addition to my formal education, I have completed more than 2,000 hours of mental-health training, which qualified me to become a provider for the State of Montana.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey) “Since 2015, I have worked as a provider in Montana’s Severely Debilitating Mental Illness (SDMI) Medicaid waiver program. Through that work, I have spent more than a decade directly serving Montanans with serious mental-health challenges and working with the systems designed to help people live safely and independently in their communities.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey) “My education in sociology and healthcare administration, combined with more than a decade of hands-on experience in Montana’s behavioral-health system, has given me a unique understanding of both the people government programs are intended to serve and the systems through which those programs are delivered. I have seen firsthand where government programs can make a meaningful difference and where bureaucracy, inefficiency, or poor coordination can prevent resources from reaching the people who need them.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey)Tyson Running Wolf
Tyson Running Wolf (Democratic) is a candidate for the Montana State Senate in District 8 (Flathead, Glacier, Lake and 1 other counties) in the November 3, 2026 general election. Official legislative biography notes: Born 1974 in Browning; Browning High School graduate; B.S. in forest resource management, University of Montana; forest resource manager - fire management officer; Blackfeet tribal affiliation; four-year Tribal Council member for the Blackfeet Nation; served as secretary on the executive board for Blackfeet Nation; served in House since 2019; spouse’s name is Lona; five daughters, two sons; three grandchildren.
· Montana Legislature — 2025 Lawmakers of Montana (Copper Book) & Official Roster
Tribal Consultation & Higher Education: “We wanted to know what the final verdict was going to be after consulting with tribes and university students about what they felt they needed.”
(Montana Free Press)