(HELENA) Lewis and Clark County Commissioner Susan Good Geise has announced she doesn’t intend to run for reelection in 2020.
In a letter she released Friday, Geise, a Republican from Augusta, said she has been honored to serve on the commission, but that she is ready to return to her community.
“While I am leaving the door open just a sliver should the situation change unexpectedly, it is my hope to return to my home in Augusta, find ways to be useful in that great community and reintegrate there,” she said.
Geise said she is making the announcement now so people interested in running for the commission can take time to learn about the job and decide if it is right for them.
“I hope prospective candidates can learn about the work, visit our various departments, and get to know their future colleagues, Commissioners (Andy) Hunthausen and (Jim) McCormick,” she said.
She asked prospective candidates to attend public meetings, meet with county staff and ask questions.
But Geise said she doesn’t intend to be a “lame duck” over the next two years.
“The Commission’s goals for the next 24 months are challenging and ambitious, some long overdue,” she said. “I am fortunate to be part of that effort.”
Geise was appointed to the commission in 2013, after Commissioner Derek Brown resigned. She was elected to a full six-year term in 2014. She had a long background in politics, having served in the Montana House of Representatives and as the chair of the Montana Republican Party. She also worked as a policy advisor for the Montana Public Service Commission, a lobbyist, a teacher and a librarian for the Lewis and Clark Library’s Augusta branch.
Candidates can begin filing for Geise’s seat in January 2020. Any candidate will have to live in Lewis and Clark County’s 2nd Commission District, which includes much of central and northern Helena, parts of the Helena Valley and the area around Augusta. Maps of the district are available on the county’s website.
