Both Bedey and Rep. Llew Jones of Conrad, key members of a group called the Solutions Caucus, fended off challengers. In Great Falls, Rep. Josh Kassmeier beat hard-right Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, vice chair of the state GOP, in the race for a Senate seat. Sheldon-Galloway’s husband and House Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Steve Galloway, appears to have narrowly lost his race to newcomer Melissa Nikolakakos.

House Freedom Caucus chair Sen. Theresa Manzella beat moderate Rep. Wayne Rusk in Ravalli County. Other candidates backed by the Freedom Caucus, Lukas Schubert in the Flathead and Kathy Love in the Bitterroot, prevailed over more moderate incumbents, Reps. Tony Brockman, of Evergreen, and Michele Binkley of Hamilton.

MTPR: GOP factions split wins and losses in legislative primaries