Today I’m addressing an issue that should trouble all Montanans, regardless of party affiliation—the disgusting goings on in this year’s Republican primary.
Like many of you, I recently received several mailers from a PAC run by a former state Senator Dan Bartel. He accuses me of promoting DEI and wokeness and of “pushing the trans agenda on Montana children.” Bartel’s PAC is also paying for repulsive TV ads that further his own agenda. Other Republicans across the state have sustained similar attacks.
Bartel is deliberately misleading you. The two bills he cites as proof don’t mention anything about DEI or the transgender movement. In fact, they were supported on key votes by most Republican legislators. And Bartel himself even voted for one of them. No matter where you stand on this issue, we should all condemn such blatant lying.
What we have here is yet another effort in a propaganda campaign being orchestrated by MTGOP party chairman Art Wittich to purge independent-minded Republicans while promoting legislative candidates, like my opponent in the race for Senate District 43, who have sworn or otherwise demonstrated allegiance to the party.
The out-of-state special interest groups bankrolling Wittich’s war on traditional conservative Republicans have spent millions of dollars meddling in our elections. You be the judge of their motives. But one thing’s for sure, Americans for Prosperity and the School Freedom Fund don’t care about Montana.
We ought to have open debate about what is best for the people of Montana. But Wittich and his collaborators aren’t interested in fair debate. For them, it’s all about gaining power in the service of a narrow, far-right ideology—and to do it by any means necessary. They have decided that if they tell enough lies to enough people enough times, they can win elections.
This is not the Montana way.
The MTGOP party bosses in Helena think that Montana voters are dupes who can be easily misled. On June 2, I urge you to prove them wrong.
David Bedey is a Republican representative from Hamilton.