The Missoulian: on Government Reform

John Driscoll: Big focus on limiting donations to campaigns

I am accepting no donations in the primary election campaign, while holding my expenditures to less than the $5,000 threshold required to begin filing campaign finance reports. Through March 31, I have spent $2,474.83, including filing fee. In the general election campaign I will accept from any legal donor, no more than the $1,740 filing fee I paid to become a candidate for the Senate. This allows any person's continuing right to exercise free speech in the form of a campaign contribution, but equally limits contributions to the amount I will accept. This will yield experience for new campaign finance legislation aiming to disqualify any candidate who accepts more than an amount equal to the filing fee from any one donor. The disqualifying offense would be the crime of graft. I hope to help relieve them [U.S. Senators] of the burden of constantly having to raise money, at times from special interests. Source: The Missoulian on 2020 Montana Senate race Apr 15, 2020

Steve Bullock: Primary allows spending $667K instead of returning it

Gov. Steve Bullock picked up a primary challenger for the June 7 elections, a former Democratic legislator who donated to the governor's re-election campaign before deciding to run against him.

Bill McChesney's entry into the race allows Bullock to spend $666,642 in campaign contributions he has in the bank earmarked for the primary. He has already spent nearly $136,000 in campaign funds meant for the primary election. State law requires candidates to return the money if they run unopposed.

"Steve welcomes others into the race and looks forward to earning the nomination and then a second term so he can continue to move Montana forward," Bullock's campaign manager said in a statement.

Bullock's campaign has been singularly focused on defeating Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate and Bozeman tech entrepreneur, in November's general election. Gianforte does not have a primary opponent.

Source: The Missoulian on 2016 Montana gubernatorial race Mar 11, 2016

Susan Good Geise: Stop the partisan circus in county elections

Susan Good Geise has called for nonpartisan county elections and was the only local voice who weighed in on the issue. "We didn't do any big ad campaign. I personally paid for an ad in the Blackfoot Valley Dispatch, but it clearly said 'Paid for by Susan Good Geise. It's a picture of a print I have of an elephant and a donkey and they're being jockeyed by monkeys and the audience is all monkeys, too. And it said, 'If you've had enough of this partisan circus, vote nonpartisan.' " Source: The Missoulian on 2020 Montana Senate race Nov 6, 2019

The above quotations are from Media coverage of MT political races in The Missoulian. Click here for definitions & background information on Government Reform. Click here for other issues (main summary page).
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