If it takes only one man to change an election, Rick Blake appears to be that man in Whitefish.
Blake was a central talking point of this year’s Whitefish City Council race, inspiring a string of impassioned letters to the editor, as well as multiple inquiries to the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices office. Detractors denounce his tactics, supporters say he has taken one for the team and the winning candidates acknowledge his influence on the election’s outcome.
Leading up to November’s council election, Blake irked some Whitefish residents through what they called negative attacks on incumbent Councilman Frank Sweeney, prompting one candidate to distance himself from Blake and another to call him requesting a less combative tone. Sweeney went on the defense, as did his supporters, who wrote letters to the editor and accused Blake of spreading misinformation. But to be sure, Blake’s efforts had support in the community.
In total, Blake, a wealthy philanthropist who lives in the Big Mountain area, spent $13,266 of his personal money on the election, more than any other individual or group, including the candidates. Of the candidates, Sweeney spent the most in a losing effort.
Blake’s large expenditures prompted several calls to the Commissioner of Political Practices office, said Mary Baker, program supervisor for the agency. Baker said the callers had questions about campaign finance laws, but no wrongdoing has been found. Her office would only pursue an investigation if a formal complaint were filed.
By state law, individuals aren’t required to file financial reports with Baker’s office, as long as they are completely unaffiliated with a candidate or committee. If they purchase ads or send out mailers, so long as they clearly identify themselves, they can spend as much of their personal money as they please without filing a report, Baker said.
Blake gave no money directly to the candidates and spent only his own money without taking contributions. Although he wasn’t required to do so, Blake voluntarily offered the amount of his personal expenditures to the public. Otherwise, it’s difficult to track personal expenditures in campaigns.
At the request of citizens unsure about the political spending of both Blake and others who were active in Whitefish’s election, Baker’s office plans to hold a public informational meeting on Jan. 26 in Whitefish to explain the rules and regulations of campaigning. Several other residents purchased independent advertisements and sent out mailers during the election.
Much of Blake’s money funded a series of mailers and newspaper advertisements targeting Sweeney and calling on voters to support the other three candidates. He also spent money on videotaping council forums and phone surveys.
One of his mailers came with the messages: “Wrong for Whitefish” and “Defeat Frank Sweeney.” Another questioned Sweeney’s residency and included photos of Sweeney’s property and work offices in Dallas.
“Rick Blake used his considerable wealth,” Sweeney said last week, “to spread misinformation, innuendo and half-truths without once speaking to any significant issue facing Whitefish or what any of his chosen candidates stood for.”
The three candidates Blake favored – Chris Hyatt, Bill Kahle and Phil Mitchell – were voted into office, with Sweeney finishing last in the race for three open seats. And while it’s impossible to precisely gauge Blake’s impact on the election’s outcome, political observers and the candidates themselves say it’s substantial. Some believe it was the tipping point in Sweeney’s fall.
For his part, Kahle acknowledges the boost he received from Blake, even though he made repeated efforts to distance himself from him. While he warns against attributing “the entire gap or discrepancy to one person,” Kahle said Blake “clearly had an impact.”
“Sure, absolutely he helped me get elected,” Kahle said.
But Kahle said a perceived affiliation with Blake also hurt him at times. Kahle has never met Blake, nor has Mitchell. Hyatt is the only one who knows him.
“I’ve had people tell me, ‘I voted for you, I voted for Chris Hyatt, I voted for Phil Mitchell, but I hated what Rick Blake did – it almost made me not vote for you guys,’” Kahle said.
Last week, Blake sat down for an interview with the Beacon and answered a list of written questions regarding his interest in Whitefish politics. As a resident of the “planning doughnut” surrounding Whitefish city limits, Blake said one of his biggest political motivators is achieving representation for the so-called “doughnut people.”
Citing a “few extremists who made their way into city government,” without mentioning specifics, Blake said he hoped his efforts would help “return practical, reasonable government to Whitefish.” In regards to his critics, Blake said: “My political opponents were unable to point out any facts in my advertisements that were false.” He said the current council’s “bad laws” are the real detriment to the political process.
“If voters don’t like a political advertisement, they can ignore it or vote for the other candidates,” Blake said. “We don’t have the luxury of ignoring bad laws.”
Blake has made his presence felt in Whitefish politics in the past, rallying earlier this year against a proposed set of updated lakeshore protection regulations through mailers and his Web site www.weloveourlake.com, which he also used during the election.
Following the 2007 election, Blake sued sitting councilman John Muhlfeld through a Political Action Committee (PAC) called Common Sense in Whitefish, claiming Muhlfeld didn’t fulfill the legal residency eligibility when elected. A district court judge ruled against Blake. Muhlfeld is still on the council.
Blake’s critics have said that his political tactics teeter on the verge of being personal and deter people from running for office.
“In this environment,” Sweeney said, “why would any person want to put themselves or their family into that kind of situation?”
In October, Mayor Mike Jenson wrote a letter in the Whitefish Pilot calling a Blake mailer “out of line” and suggesting that such political tactics are why more “good people don’t run for our office.” Jenson wrote: “I had thought this year I would stay on the sidelines and not get publicly involved in our council elections,” but after receiving the mailer, “I could not remain silent.” Blake responded with an advertisement in the Daily Inter Lake.
Kahle said the mailer questioning Sweeney’s residency was “way over the line and unfair.” Hyatt, who garnered the most votes and has known Blake for years, said he called him after seeing the mailer. Hyatt noted that Blake, too, is from Texas, though Blake said he has been a full-time resident of the Whitefish area for 10 years.
“The thing that pops into my head right off the bat is, ‘Why did he do that?’” Hyatt said. “I called him and said, ‘Rick, we’re all neighbors, we need to tone this thing down.’”
Hyatt stresses that Blake’s actions were entirely independent.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘You shouldn’t have had Rick do that.’ I’m like, I had no say in that,” Hyatt said.
Denise Smith, executive director of the Flathead Business and Industry Association, said Blake was a positive for the election. She feels he boosted voter interest and turnout by “making people aware of the issues.” As to whether she believes his strategy was negative, she said: “I don’t think I want to go there.”
Though Blake’s opponents were often vocal during the election, Smith said he had many supporters as well. Smith’s organization supported the three winners because she said her members felt they best represented the business community’s interests.
“Rick Blake might be the face, but there were a lot of people that were behind him,” Smith said. “He just took a bullet, in my opinion.”
Mitchell, who received the third-most votes, also believes that Blake stimulated important conversation.
“I wish he wouldn’t have spent quite so much money doing it, but I don’t have a problem with what he did,” Mitchell said. “I don’t think he lied.”
Blake has never run for office before and said he has no intentions of doing so, preferring to stay active through his Web site, mailers and newspaper advertisements. When asked if he’ll remain active in local politics in the future, his answer was clear.
“Absolutely.”