Page 14 - Flathead Beacon // 6.11.14

14 | JUNE 11, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Montana Primary Sets Stage for November

In GOP primary races,

incumbent lawmakers

mostly prevail in splin-
tered Republican Party

By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Beacon

In the Flathead Valley and across the
state, competing factions within the Re-

publican Party squared of in a primary
battle that many political observers be-
lieved would decide the makeup of the
2015 Legislature.
Candidates across the state vied for
100 open seats in the Montana House
and 25 seats in the state Senate in the
June 3 primary, setting the course for

the Nov. 4 general election.
Of the two-dozen or so state House
and Senate primary races considered
front lines in the war for the Republican
Party, voters mostly re-elected incum-
bents, regardless of which sect of the po-
larized GOP they subscribed – members

of the more centrist “solutions-seeking”
faction or the more conservative set.
Members of the “responsible Repub-
licans” say they uphold traditional con-
servative values, but, unlike the more
doctrinaire “extremist” bloc, are willing
to work with Democrats across the aisle
to craft Montana-made solutions for Voters at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on June 3.GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON

problems like funding for public schools,
health care reform and improvements to publicans enjoyed a 29-21 majority, but The Washington D.C.-based ATP has and bickering. Bipartisan cooperation
public infrastructure. The group has its a quorum of Republicans led by Tut- made lots of headlines in Montana over doesn’t mean agreeing on everything. It
own political action committee, called vedt; Sen. Jim Peterson, R-Bufalo; Sen. its eforts to ight the state’s campaign i- means a focus on results, rather than on
Montana Business Advocates for Sensi- Llew Jones, R-Conrad; and Sen. Taylor nance laws, and Tutvedt said this round scoring points. That’s what we’ve done
ble Elections (MT BASE), and has taken Brown, R-Huntley, repeatedly spurned of primary elections undermined their today. More work and less politics.”
aim at dark money while recruiting via- the core of the Senate Republican lead- eforts to monopolize the party.
In an interview after the June 3 pri-
ble candidates for contested Republican In the Flathead, former Kalispell mary, Blasdel touted his experience in
ership team – Senate Majority Leader
primaries.
Art Wittich, R-Bozeman; Senate Presi- mayor Tammi Fisher was the more mod- the House leadership and his ability to
Last session, Sen. Bruce Tutvedt, dent Jef Essmann, R-Billings; Sen. Eric erate candidate, especially on health work toward solutions as qualities that
R-Kalispell, was among a faction of the Moore, R-Miles City; and Sen. Jason care and approval of the Flathead water appeal to Montana voters.
party that split with the more conser- Priest, R-Red Lodge.
compact, and lost the race for the open “My true style of quiet leadership
vative leadership to work with minor- Tutvedt said Jones’ primary win Senate District 4 seat, which encom- and working to ind solutions while also
ity Democrats and pass key legislation, stands out as a watermark of his faction passes much of Kalispell’s city center.
maintaining my principles will con-
including an increased state budget; prevailing.
Her opponent, House Speaker Rep. tinue,” he said. “Obviously, you have

shoring up public pensions and state Last week, Jones easily captured the Mark Blasdel, of Somers, is considered to stand on your beliefs and stand on
infrastructure; and a major bill that in- Republican nomination in Senate Dis- more conservative and prevailed in the serving the voters so you continue to
creased state support for public schools.
trict 9, where challenger Joseph Large, primary by wide margin. But while the stand on those principles, but I have also
The move rankled conservative Re- a hardline conservative, received just 28 race stood out among contested Repub- shown that we can ind solutions. I have
publican lawmakers who say the party percent of the vote.
lican primaries between competing fac- a great working relationship with a lot of
has moved too far to the left, abandon- A farmer-rancher and business- tions within the party, Blasdel said he the members and I have the true beneit
ing conservative principles in favor of man, Jones sponsored the landmark isn’t interested in creating gridlock and of having worked with so many mem-
government expansionism.
school-funding bill last session, which drumming up political rhetoric while bers of the House that will help me con-

While Tutvedt agreed that neither increased state funding for schools and compromising the interests of Montan- tinue to be efective.”
side could claim a clear mandate because promised to reduce local property taxes.
ans.
In House District 7 (downtown Ka-
the spoils of the primary election mostly Both Jones and Tutvedt, a farmer, He pointed to last year’s unanimous lispell) Frank Garner, former Kalispell
fell to incumbent legislators, he pointed emerged as leaders of the defecting Re- passage of the budget bill under his chief of police and now chief of security
to a slate of races into which his “busi- publicans, making them targets of the House leadership as proof that he works at Kalispell Regional Medical Center,
ness Republicans” poured their eforts.
more conservative wing, which support- toward solutions and not mounting po- was the moderate Republican who de-
“This is the irst time ever that the ed Large.
litical points.
feated the more conservative Ronalee

business Republicans were able to hold “We went and stood up for our guys, In a rare sign of bipartisan support, Skees.
their own. I think we did well and showed and we had a number of people win in big all 39 Democrats and 61 Republicans In House District 11 (south of Ka-
that if we have anywhere near the same races,” Tutvedt said. “Llew Jones won that made up the 2013 Montana House lispell) tea partier Mike Hebert lost to
amount of resources we can win the fray, big.”
of Representatives passed House Bill 2, the more moderate Al Olszewski, a sur-
we showed that our message is power- In 2012, Tutvedt pointed out that also known as the budget bill.
geon who last year testiied in support of
ful,” Tutvedt, who represents Senate Montana’s American Tradition Partner- “This is exactly the kind of session legislation to expand Medicaid in Mon-
District 3, said. “So while we didn’t win ship, which supported more conserva- we’ve been striving for from the begin- tana.
as many races as we wanted, to I think tive candidates, declared a “sweep” in ning: more work and less politics,” Blas- For complete election results, visit

we came out on the good side.”
the primary elections, claiming victory del said at the time. “Neither side wants latheadbeacon.com.
On the Senate loor last session, Re-
in 12 of 14 targeted districts.
to waste the people’s time with speeches
[email protected]