HELENA – Three Republicans engaged in a seven-way primary for governor moved to solidify their break from the pack with a television advertising spree aimed at voters now receiving absentee ballots in the mail.
Montana election officials mailed the ballots Monday to 170,000 voters — perhaps as many as half of all primary voters. The GOP aimed to grab their attention with sizeable chunks of TV advertising highlighting job growth.
Former congressman Rick Hill describes himself as a businessman and “tested conservative.” Former state Sen. Corey Stapleton of Billings describes himself as a “commonsense conservative.” And former Washington, D.C., consultant Neil Livingstone promises he won’t be a business as usual politician.
Hill, who has easily led the pack so far in fundraising and touts plenty of institutional support, hits consistent Republican themes in his ad.
“It’s not complicated. Reduce regulations. Prioritize spending. And get government out of the way, so businesses like this can grow,” Hill says in the ad he hopes will seal his status as a perceived front-runner. “Less government, lower taxes, more jobs. Give us a shot. We’ll get the job done.”
Stapleton, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, touts his military experience piloting aircraft carriers to draw a parallel with the job of turning around the state.
“With Montana’s now record unemployment, it’s time for new blood and fresh ideas in Helena,” Stapleton said in his ad. “We need a commonsense conservative leader who will do things for the right reasons.”
Stapleton said the record unemployment claim does not refer to the state’s unemployment rate, which peaked in the 1980s. He said it is instead a reference to the total number of unemployed people, which peaked earlier in the recession.
Livingstone, a one-time counterterrorism consultant who last year tried to negotiate a multi-million dollar payday finding a safe haven for Moammar Gadhafi, is depicted in the ad sitting in an arm chair in front of a fireplace while a flute plays the Civil War-era song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.”
Livingstone hits the common GOP claim that Montana is underperforming, a sore point with Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who claims Montana is faring well with millions in surplus and a booming oil patch. Livingstone says the state is “near the bottom of the barrel in family income.”
Livingstone’s claim on family income likely depends on interpretation. Montana — with a median family income of just over $54,000 in 2010 according to the Census and Economic Information Center at the Montana Department of Commerce, fares better than 13 other states.
“It is time to mine, drill and log in this state,” Livingstone says in the ad. “If you want business as usual, I am not your candidate. But if you want change, real change, and solutions that work for working Montanans, then I need your support.”
Another relatively prominent figure in the primary battle, former state Sen. Ken Miller of Laurel, is eschewing the traditional route of reaching voters through television. He instead has Internet videos he plans to circulate through social media sites while he puts more focus on yard signs.
Others in the race include former Department of Transportation Director Jim Lynch, political newcomer Bob Fanning of Pray, and Choteau County commissioner James O’Hara. Recent campaign finance reports indicate they might not have enough money to run significant statewide TV advertising.
Livingstone said the advertising is needed to reach undecided voters and in many cases don’t know the candidates.
Livingston, who moved back to Helena last year to mount his campaign, promised ad campaign spending during the next month in the six figures, enough to regularly reach viewers in every TV market.
“My challenge is to peak before the election rather than two weeks after, but we clearly have momentum,” Livingstone said. “We have got to bring over the rank-and-file voter right now, and that is a big challenge.”
Stapleton is also confident as he unrolls this first ad, and plans a different one later in the month. He said primary voters will be looking for leadership qualities, since the candidates are so similar on issues.
“We are going to give people a chance to look at us and compare us,” Stapleton said.
Attorney General Steve Bullock is the presumed nominee on the Democratic side and coasting through an easy primary. Schweitzer is barred from running due to term limits.