In a move that surprised both Democrats and Republicans, Commissioner Cal Scott, a Republican, has endorsed the Democrat candidate vying for his seat instead of the Republican challenger.
Scott stood and spoke about his endorsement for Stacey Schnebel at a recent meeting with the Flathead Democratic Central Committee after Schnebel discussed her campaign.
Scott lost the primary election to Republican Phil Mitchell in June, meaning he will see out the rest of his term as the commissioner for District 1 – which covers the county’s north end – and be replaced by whoever wins the November election. Mitchell earned about 71 percent of the vote, with 9,260 votes to Scott’s 3,778.
In an interview last week, Schnebel said she appreciated the endorsement, and though the way Scott did it was out of the ordinary, the sentiment shows her cross-aisle appeal.
“Was it a surprise that Cal Scott showed up to my speech and endorsed me? I was surprised. I’m happy to receive that endorsement,” she said. “I think that I’m a candidate who appeals to voters on both sides of the spectrum.”
For his part, Scott said he wanted to make an endorsement not based on political party, but on who he thought would be best suited for the job. Scott said that before he decided to file for the upcoming election, he wanted to see who was running for the Republican Party.
He met with Mitchell for a talk, and decided after that to throw his own hat back into the ring.
“I got a sense that perhaps that was not the best choice for the county,” Scott said, referencing what he called was a “gross overstatement” of Mitchell’s preparedness for the county seat, as well as his consistency and participation in public meetings.
After losing in the primary, Scott said he decided to endorse Schnebel because of her work ethic and the time she has already spent with county department heads trying to get to know the county government.
“My personal determination was that she would be far better for the county in looking at all the people’s needs,” Scott said.
In an Aug. 15 interview, Mitchell said Scott’s endorsement of the Democrat candidate has been on his radar,
“I think the voters said what they said about Cal when he and I were running against each other,” Mitchell said.
Turner Askew, a councilor in Whitefish for eight years, and Chris Hyatt, a councilor for four years, said in interviews that Mitchell was a well-prepared councilor who didn’t miss meetings more than anyone else.
Mitchell also emailed a statement to the Beacon on the matter, which said, “It is too bad that Cal must get personal after he lost the primary election. With the general election approaching, I plan to focus on issues and philosophies. Given that my opponent is an Obama Democrat, we will have lots of opportunities to contrast our views.”
Before running for commissioner, Mitchell served on the Whitefish City Council from 2010 to 2013 and on the Whitefish School Board from 2002 to 2007.
Schnebel, who owns the Stonefly Lounge in Coram as well as UnderCurrent Web, said Scott’s endorsement shows that the county commission seat shouldn’t be about party politics, but rather about who is a better fit to represent county residents.
Since the June primary, Schnebel said she has been meeting with county department heads and management, learning “about the nuts and bolts of how the county works,” and has been impressed with what she’s found.
“There’s a great team working for the taxpayers in our county,” she said.
August will be devoted to fundraising and scheduling, she said, and September will be about hitting the campaign trail harder and meeting more people in the valley.
Mitchell said he took a month off to be with his family and enjoy the summer, but plans on ramping up his campaign for the election in the coming weeks.
The general election is Nov. 4.