Big Sky Times

This is probably not the race governor candidates envisioned when putting out feelers for the job months ago. 

The size and length of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the virus to the forefront of state and national issues, along with the resulting economy. When looking at how they want to govern the state, Republican and Democratic candidates are having to put the coronavirus in the middle of the equation.

The Republicans are hopeful of riding President Donald Trump’s coattails and breaking a 16-year lock the Democratic Party has held onto governor’s office. 

“I think it's a Republican year; I think with the president on the ballot box, we’re going to have really good turnout,” Don Kaltschmidt, Montana Republican Party chairman told MTN News. “If we have the House, the Senate and a Republican governor, we’re going to be able to move further with the Trump economy.”

The Republican Primary features three candidates, Attorney General Tim Fox, Congressman Greg Gianforte, and state senator Al Olszewski. 

All three see challenges looming for the state’s economy and upcoming budgets as revenue has fallen off with the shutdown. They also see health implications with Fox and Gianforte voicing support for the state’s Medicaid expansion with Olszewski wanting to replace and repeal the program, the Missoulian reported. 

Fox said there will be tough decisions and voiced support for mental health services in the state as they have become more visible with the strain the virus has placed on residents.

Gianforte has a business background and sees that playing a role in the state’s economic revival. He would freeze spending and despite a desire to lower taxes sees it as problematic given the loss of revenue in the state. 

“I’m an optimist and I think there are ways to grow the state revenue without raising taxes,” he told the Missoulian. 

Olszewski told the Missoulian the state can’t cut government again and will need to determine what it finds as essential. He also voiced support of opening the coal trust fund to aid the budget. 

All three addressed the issue of the coronavirus closing the state down once again with the Missoulian. Fox said he would like to apply lessons learned from the state’s reopening and apply them should it be necessary to slow the state down once again because of the coronavirus. Gianforte said there should be more local input and reopen as needed with not all counties having to follow Bozeman’s lead and open as needed.

Olszewski said it was important to weigh health concerns with constitutional rights and he felt the state could’ve opened up quicker than it did. 

On the Democrat side of the ledger, Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney is running against businesswoman Whitney Williams. Cooney is touting his political experience while Williams defers to her accomplishments as a businesswoman and applying the same energy to government.