I grew up in eastern Montana in Roosevelt County
For many years we elected mostly Democrats such as the late Stanley Nees and Former Representative, Senator, and Governor, Ted Schwinden from our county seat, Wolf Point.
Stanley Nees was Roosevelt County state senator from 1957 to 1975. He was a fiscal conservative Democrat. Sadly, Nees was murdered in 1981 by a neighbor’s son in Poplar.
Schwinden was also a fiscal conservative.
Here and there we elected a Republican, though they would be considered Democrats today.
How sad I have to admit that now we elect someone like Austin Knutson from Culbertson. A Democrat would be hard pressed to get elected dog catcher now.
The county is split up now. The Indian vote is in a weird district along the Missouri River next to the reservation so Democrat Frank Smith of Poplar will be elected.
It’s the same story for counties of Sheridan and Richland – no Democrat can get elected to the state legislature
The Democratic Party of Montana has just ignored this rural area. Of course Bullock didn't help with his veto of the infrastructure bill in 2013. That area will vote for Gianforte no matter what Gianforte’s beliefs are.
I have lived now in this area for 17 years. Here in Lake County during the last election 7 people filed for sheriff, all on the Republican ticket. No Democrats filed at all.
If you look at Lake County on Facebook they still have up their 2012 stuff. I have attended their labor day picnic I would guess average age was 55-60.
I was there 2.years ago when Bullock’s State Indian Affairs official, Jason Smith, was present. He is from here so it’s a bit easier for him.
No other Native American was present in Polson on Flathead Reservation. Angela Mclean was the speaker. She was great but had little Party support.
I have been on the Lake County Democrats’ email list for a couple years but never get any emails.
In my heart I would love to be a Democrat but don't feel wanted in a party that in Montana that is driven by social issues that may be important in their own right but exclude so many Montana-driven issues.
We realized that some time ago but the Democratic Party started to move away from rural Montana values into more national social issues which, though important, left rural Montana issues to go by the wayside. This has allowed the Republicans to move in.
So now we have an out of control Republican Party and a Democratic Party in Montana that seems to be fine being in constant second place.
Keep up the good work!