Suzzann Nordwick
Active candidates for Public Service Commission (Seat 3)
Republicans
Democrat
Nordwick, 61 as of Election Day, describes herself as the “only Trump Republican” running for the District 3 seat.
Nordwick, a longtime Walkerville resident, is a metallurgical engineer who has made several unsuccessful bids for the Montana Legislature in the past decade. She is president of the Montana Federation of Republican Women and serves on the Butte Natural Resources Damage Restoration Council.
Nordwick said her engineering and project management work for companies like DuPont, Sunshine Mining and Refining Company, and the Center for Advanced Material Processing has readied her for technical aspects of the commission’s work, such as calculating the operational costs of complex systems.
Nordwick argues the commission should protect good-paying jobs and take a “Montana first” approach to energy policy that prioritizes traditional energy sources. She calls for greater transparency in the PSC’s rate-setting process and said that commissioners should prioritize the needs of their constituents, not special interests.
“I think Montanans should elect candidates who are well-rounded professional experts and not career politicians,” Nordwick told MTFP. “I have the knowledge to keep our trains on the tracks, our lights on and our Montana homes heated throughout the winter.”
This biography is based on Nordwick’s response to MTFP’s questionnaire, Nordwick’s campaign website and information on prior elections from Ballotpedia.
ON THE ISSUES
Answers here were solicited from candidates via a written questionnaire conducted by MTFP in April 2024. Responses were limited to 1,000 characters and edited lightly for punctuation and spelling. Candidates were asked to focus on the positives their service would bring the state instead of making rhetorical attacks on their opponents. Responses have not been exhaustively fact-checked.
I possess likely the best attributes for serving on Montana’s Public Service Commission, and that is why I’m running to serve. From day one of my first professional job, I have been responsible for regulatory compliance. I also have significant experience understanding complex technological systems.
As an engineer, I served as a principal investigator and manager in research and development projects funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). My mission was to gather scientific evidence, analyze data and judge the feasibility of specific technologies related to energy and the environment. This background proves that I have the quality of mind, integrity, commitment, experience, and knowledge to make an excellent public service commissioner for Montana. The PSC is more technical than other elected offices, so expertise matters. I think Montanans should elect candidates who are well-rounded professional experts and not career politicians.
I attended the April 8 hearing where the commission accepted oral public comments on whether Montana’s PSC needs to consider the effects of greenhouse gas emissions when approving power plants and gas lines. Some good points were made by both sides.
I fully support the PSC’s decision to embrace determining its appropriate role here. However, it would be inappropriate for me, as a candidate to this quasi-judicial body, to publicly take a position. In doing so, I could be challenged as prejudice and get removed from the actual or future related cases. As a commissioner, I will make decisions on this and any other matter only after full, diligent consideration of all the evidence and facts. Please know that my focus will be on the long-term well-being of Montana residents.
To manage customer affordability, grid access policies in Montana should ensure that all completive forms of energy are treated equally. Montana residents and small businesses will benefit as all cost-effective energy sources are developed and deployed on a level playing field. But the base load supply must be kept sufficient to sustain through prolonged Montana winter conditions.
To ensure Montana’s grid reliability, the procurement and production of essential grid components should be advocated for and sourced from Montana when practical, including the mining of copper and the harvesting of lumber.
Ideally, Montana should be resource independent and strive to be a net energy exporter. This will bring down our energy costs significantly and at the same time position our Montana economy in a healthier place. With my head for details and a heart for the consumer, I will insist that the corporations always put the wellbeing of ratepayers ahead of groups representing special interests.
As a public service commissioner, I will insist that companies provide the lowest prices with the utmost service reliability and customer care. Ideally, completive free market principles would work. Reality is the job of the Public Service Commission. When on the PSC, I will not engage in corporate protectionism, and instead I will insist that companies pay fully for their bad business decisions. Those costs should never be passed on to the consumer. The PSC should regulate monopolies as though they are operating in a free market economy. The PSC’s role is to protect the ratepayer. It is not to save a monopoly from itself through avoidance of accountability. Regulation must approximate a competitive environment, rewarding good business decisions, while providing incentive for appropriate business discipline.
As your PSC commissioner, I'll be committed to instituting more transparency into the rate-setting process and insisting on a Montana First mentality, while working towards Montana energy independence and future energy solutions.
Montanans want to more fully understand how utility rates are calculated. As part of an open government process, through public outreach I plan to develop and give educational presentations detailing the steps of rate decisions. Transparency brings accountability to governmental processes.
I want to see Montana strive for energy independence and have energy solutions planned into the future. I support the development and advancement of all cost-effective energy resources and energy storage technologies. By promoting Montana First regulatory policies, the PSC will best ensure Montana has a strong economy, which correlates to constant, reliable, affordable utilities, as well as a safe and healthy environment in which to continue our Montana way of life.
MTFP COVERAGE OF Nordwick
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Election outcomes
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| JEFF WELBORN | 13,291 | |
| SUZZANN NORDWICK | 13,047 | |
| ROB ELWOOD | 7,345 |
COMMON VOTING QUESTIONS
When are Montana’s 2024 elections?
Voters will pick which candidates advance to the November general election in the June primary, which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4. Voters will pick the candidates who will ultimately fill each office on the ballot in the November election, which is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Who runs Montana’s elections?
Montana elections are administered at the county level. The process is overseen by county clerks and election administrators, who help to train and monitor the volunteer election judges that staff the polls. Ballots are typically processed and counted at central county locations, with the results reported to the Montana secretary of state’s office via a statewide software system called ElectMT.
Once polls close, the secretary of state’s office provides results through its website. The state-level office also provides guidance to local election administrators to ensure compliance with state election laws. Additionally, enforcing compliance with some laws governing political campaigns, particularly those involving campaign finance, falls to a separate office known as the Commissioner of Political Practices.
Do I need to be registered in order to vote?
Yes. If you’re unsure about your registration status, you can check it through the Montana secretary of state's My Voter Page. You can register to vote by stopping by your county election office any time during regular business hours to pick up an application. After you’ve filled it out, you’ll need to get it back to your county election office by mail or in person (the latter option is strongly recommended close to Election Day to ensure your application is received in time). If you do present your application in person, you’ll have to provide a photo ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you happen to be applying for a Montana driver’s license or identification card before the election, you can register to vote at the same time.
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
Yes. The state Legislature has sought to enact an earlier registration deadline, but under a March 2024 ruling by the Montana Supreme Court, same-day voter registration remains legal in Montana. Residents can register to vote or update their voter registration at their county’s election office prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Does Montana have voter ID requirements?
Yes, you will be required to present identification when voting at the polls. However, under the Montana Supreme Court’s March ruling, changes made to those requirements by the 2021 Legislature remain blocked. The current forms of identification voters can use at the polls are a current Montana driver’s license, state-issued photo ID, tribal or military photo ID, a U.S. passport or a student ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, you can use a utility bill, a bank statement, a voter confirmation card or any other government document that shows your name and address.
Are there situations where I wouldn't be eligible to vote?
According to state law, you can't vote if you'll be under age 18 on Election Day, are not a U.S. citizen, or have lived in Montana less than 30 days. Convicted felons who are currently incarcerated in a penal facility and people whom judges have ruled to be of unsound mind are also ineligible to vote. Otherwise, you're good to go.
Can I vote online?
No, that’s not an option in Montana.
Can I vote by mail?
Yes, you can sign up as an absentee voter by checking a box on your voter registration form. If you’re already registered to vote, you can fill out a separate form and submit it to your county election office.
If you’re registered as an absentee voter, a ballot should be mailed to you a few weeks in advance of each election day. You can make sure your address is current via the My Voter page. County election officials are slated to mail ballots to voters for the June 2024 primary election May 10.
You can return ballots by mail, or drop them off in person at your county’s election office. Either way, the election office must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to count it.
How do I vote in person?
If you plan to vote at the polls, just be sure you know where your polling location is and head there between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. You'll need to provide a photo ID and sign the precinct register, at which point you’ll get your ballot and be directed to a voting booth. If you have any technical questions or run into any problems, the election judges at your polling place should be able to help you.
I have a friend or family member who isn't able to drop off his or her mail-in ballot. Can I do it for them?
Yes, you can. The Montana Legislature did make some changes to ballot collection laws in 2021 related to paid ballot collection, those changes have also been blocked by the Montana Supreme Court.
Who should I vote for?
That’s your call, not ours. We hope the information we present on this guide is helpful as you make that decision for yourself, though.
About this project
This guide was produced by the Montana Free Press newsroom with production and web development by Eric Dietrich, editing by Brad Tyer and Nick Ehli and contributions from Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Mara Silvers, Alex Sakariassen, Amanda Eggert and Stephanie Farmer. Questionnaire responses for legislatiive candidates were collected with help from the Montana League of Women Voters, through the league's Vote 411 program. Contact Eric Dietrich with questions, corrections or suggestions at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.
Montana Free Press is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reader-supported news organization serving Montana. MTFP's donor base includes supporters from across Montana's political spectrum, including some Montanans who are candidates in this year's election. MTFP's major donors are listed here and a current list of other supporters is available here. MTFP's news judgments are made entirely independently from donor involvement.
This material is available for republication by other media outlets under Montana Free Press' standard distribution terms.