How Go the Montana Legislative Races?

Lake Elmo State Park

I put another 65 doors under my belt last night.
 
I don’t have much choice – I’ve raised $340 and my primary opponent has raised $12,800.
 
She’s scared to shit about running against Susan Cundiffe in the general, or at least the establishment types backing her are.
 
So I get out and do the ground campaign, knocking on doors.

​Had one last night where the guy right away said: “which party?”
 
“Democrat.”
 
“Goodbye!”
 
And the door slammed in my face.
 
So that’s why politicians raise so much money – they’re scared to shit of actual voter interaction. Seeing Ted Cruz’s escapade this week, I don’t blame ‘em.
 
I don’t pity them, either, as I made clear to Daniel Zolnikov who’s running in a ‘tight’ primary against John Bedford for HD 45.
 

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Zolnikov has raised $5,000 more than his opponent for the primary and then another $2,000 on top of it.
 
Won’t stop him from begging for money, however. I doubt he’s as eager to go knock on doors.
 
Maybe he’s out each night doing that, however…I dunno.
 
I’m sure he’ll win either way, I will tell you that. And I think when it comes down to it he’ll do the right thing and vote for infrastructure…no matter what the bill looks like.
 
Or is that not the idea?
 
I mean, Bullock said no in ’13 and then the GOP did the same in ’15...right?
 
So, is it Bullock’s turn to say no to infrastructure in ’17 or has the game somehow changed?

​I'm sorry, I'm confused.
 
Maybe the game has changed. After all, most of our politicians are scared shit-less of going to the rural areas where infrastructure was turned down.
 
Besides that, many of the MT House holdouts on the GOP side have dropped out, giving up their incumbent status to…I dunno, do something.
 
Zolnikov is not one, and he’s fighting. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the guy have a key role, either, and perhaps even more than that if Gianforte is elected.
 
By the way – did you see that Gianforte press conference on the Capitol steps today?
 
I’m still not sure if there’s any concrete infrastructure plan from either one of our gubernatorial candidates, even though the 2017 legislature is shaping up to be about that and nothing else.
 
Damn shame all the poor and working families will be ignored again.
 

 
Besides Zolnikov’s race and my own, what else do we have?
 
I went through the recent C-5 campaign finance reports for many of the races that I find interesting.
 
Here’s what it looks like:
 

• Republican Don “K” has raised $17,000 against Keith Regier’s $8,000 for SD 3. The assumption is that Don K will work with Democrats. I personally think we have this idea that this man will somehow have more power than a freshman legislator usually does. Why is that?

 

• Democrat Joshua Manning has “unofficially” dropped out of the race for SD 40 against fellow Democrat Hal Jacobson, I’ve been told. Manning has raised $3,500 to Jacobson’s $13,000. Wow, am I the only one that thinks throwing in the towel after raising $3,500 is really dumb? Maybe that’s not a lot of money to some people.

 

• For Jennifer Fielder’s SD 7 we have a total of 5 candidates, including that public-land-hater that’s currently in office. We need to get rid of that woman. Not a single person in that race has raised any money…or at least they didn’t file a C-5 saying they did. That is unacceptable. Again, we need to get rid of that woman.

 

• I was damn saddened to see that De-Reg Fred Thomas is likely going to get reelected this year, as Democrat Lee Tickell has only raised $453 to run against him for SD 44. It’s a real embarrassment that Thomas, the man that’s very much responsible for our high energy bills, is still serving in Helena. That’s a huge failing on the part of the Montana Democratic Party and all of us that claim to be responsible citizens of the state. Fred Thomas proved to be a scourge upon our land twenty years ago and yet we continue to let him ruin lives by letting him get his jollies off by fondling the levers of power. My God, let’s get rid of him once and for all.

 

• Let’s take a peek at a statewide race. Jesse Laslovich currently has $151,000 in the bank compared to the $21,000 that Matt Rosendale has. Both are running for State Auditor though Rosendale started more recently. I had a good talk about my race with one of Laslovich’s cousins while out knocking on doors in Missoula last night. Lots of good info. 

 
So that’s just a quick look at things.

Want to help in an easy way?

​Try and write a letter to a newspaper before June 7.
 
C'mon, it ain't real tough. Writing 200 words is pretty easy, actually.
 
If you’re reading this site you must be a little pissed at things, right? So I encourage you to let it all out in a good support/denunciation letter.
 
It’s a free and easy way for you to contribute to Democracy. Please give it a try.