By Denise Rivette
What are the Montana values that will guide your decision-making?
Along with my running mate, Raph Graybill, who’s a proven defender of Montana’s Constitution, I’m running to get your Montana back. I’ve always stood up for the things I love and believe in. I’m a former Republican. But when the Bush Administration threatened public land in Montana, I stood up to my own party to fight—successfully—to protect that land. I stood up to extremism in my own firearms industry. Now, as a moderate Democrat, I’m standing up to a Montana changing for the worse—a Montana that’s become unaffordable, less free, more divided and less accessible over the past three-and-a-half years. I’m deeply concerned about the dangerous direction of our state, and I believe now more than ever, Montanans need a governor who is one of them. I grew up spending long days working the land in rural America. I grew up understanding the value of a dollar, and of a hard day’s work. I believe in the Montana Constitution. I am a devoted family man. My wife Sara and I cherish dinners around the kitchen table with our boys, and I think we ought to make Montana better – not harder – for our kids and grandkids.
What skills, knowledge and experience do you possess that make you the better candidate?
I’ve spent most of my professional career as a successful businessman—as a top executive for a major firearms company (Kimber). But as recent events have shown us, business experience is hardly a sole qualification to serve as Montana’s governor. Stronger qualifications are my leadership, my straight-shooting, my lifelong love of the outdoors, and my history of standing up for what’s right for Montana. Unlike others, I’m not afraid of answering questions or meeting with the public. Unlike others, I believe the Montana way of life is worth protecting.
What are your top priorities to address during your term if you are elected?
Addressing the Affordability and Housing Crisis, and Lowering Property Taxes Montanans’ concerns over Governor Gianforte’s record property tax hikes on Montana homeowners is the biggest and loudest concern I hear everywhere I go. I hear it from lifelong Republicans, even elected Republican leaders, who wonder aloud why the Republicans they elected raised taxes on them while giving tax breaks to corporations. As Governor, I will demand the Legislature adjust the property tax rate whenever residential property values increase to prevent the burden falling squarely on homeowners, as Governors Bullock, Schweitzer, Martz and Racicot have done. I also support the wealthy and corporations paying their fair share. Billionaires and millionaires who buy up third or fourth homes here should be on the hook for ensuring that Montana’s community heroes—law enforcement officers, teachers and nurses—have an opportunity to live in safe, affordable homes in the communities they serve.
Robust Funding of Public Education and Addressing the Teacher Shortage
Our Constitution guarantees “equality of educational opportunity” to every Montanan, and this isn’t up for debate. I strongly support robust funding for all public schools (including boosting starting teacher salaries) in Montana with a tax system that doesn’t let the wealthy off the hook while ordinary homeowners get stuck paying higher tax bills. To address Montana’s unacceptable teacher shortage, I also support an initiative I call “Housing for Heroes” to guarantee affordable, safe housing for teachers, cops and nurses in the communities they serve. And unlike Governor Gianforte, I also oppose any effort to fund private or religious schools with precious public tax revenue.
Safeguarding Health Care
Folding more Montanans into Medicaid coverage was a bipartisan solution that has only improved the lives and livelihood of countless people. It has provided certainty and stability in our communities—for kids, seniors and Indigenous people. And it has saved all of us money in the long term. Allowing 133,000 Montanans to lose Medicaid coverage, including 36,000 children, is dangerous, cruel, costly and immoral.
Increasing access to public land, water and wildlife
As a lifelong outdoorsman, I strongly support the public land and water that all of us own. As governor, I will rely on that experience and drive to fully utilize programs such as Habitat Montana to strengthen public land ownership and access to those lands. I will empower and work with the Land Board to focus on conserving our natural resources with the aim of preserving them—and their economic viability—for future generations, not on making quick money or doing favors to out-of-state developers.
Rebuilding state agencies and departments
Some have been severely damaged by harmful ideologies, incompetent leaders and dangerous priorities over the past three-and-a-half years. This includes the Department of Human Health and Services, which has overseen the removal of nearly 133,000 Montanans (including 36,000 children) from life-saving Medicaid health care services. It includes restoring the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks back to the premier agency for protecting public land and managing public wildlife it once was (it has recently changed to prioritize wealthy landowners and out-of-staters). It includes improving low morale among the Montana Highway Patrol and the Montana Department of Corrections. It also includes improving the working relationships between the State and county/municipal governments, which has eroded significantly over the past three-and-a-half years. I will also restore the government-to-government relationships the State of Montana should have with Indigenous Nations.
Protecting freedoms
Protecting freedoms, especially a woman’s Constitutional right to make whatever private decisions are best for her health and her family and her future—including the right to abortion and the right to decide whether or when to have a family—without interference from any government or politician.
What actions will you take to address those priorities?
As Governor, I’ll make sure the People of Montana know what their governor is doing, and I’ll be accessible to them. The second step will be to make sure Montanans have a seat at the table as we get our Montana back—to keep our focus rooted in Montana values, Montana communities, and Montana people. Rather than pull in out-of-state “experts” to sit on “task forces” and muck things up with more red tape, I’ll hold the Legislature accountable to the people, so we don’t waste time and taxpayer dollars on made-up distractions. I’ll also take immediate action to rebuild the state agencies that have eroded over the past three-and-a-half years—especially the Departments of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Health and Human Services. And I’ll veto any clearly unconstitutional laws sent to me by the Legislature. It’s time to stop wasting huge piles of taxpayer money defending bill after bill that everyone knows are wrong.