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Racicot, Bradley endorse independent Buchanan's Congressional bid – Daily Montanan

['Keith Schubert', 'More From Author', '- April']

Date: 2022-04-08 00:00:00

Former gubernatorial opponents Marc Racicot and Dorothy Bradley came together at the State Capitol on Friday to endorse Independent Gary Buchanan’s bid for Montana’s newly created House District.

Speaking to a crowd of about 50 supporters, Buchanan of Billings highlighted the political divide in the state and admonished current U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale’s record while in Washington.

“There’s an eight-lane highway down the middle of the Montana political spectrum. In Montana, so many of us get along; why do we let our politicians tear us apart?” he said.

And Buchanan scorned Rosendale’s recent voting record.

“I would not embarrass you. I would not embarrass you on issues like national defense, Ukraine, and NATO,” he said, referencing Rosendale’s recent votes against the largely symbolic House Resolution 956, which is titled “Supporting the People of Ukraine” and not supporting a move to send American troops to help NATO allies.

In his bid for House District 2, Buchanan is up against Republicans, including incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, Kyle Austin of Billings, Charles Walkingchild of Helena, and James Boyette; as well as Democrats Mark Sweeney of Philipsburg, Skylar Williams of Billings and former Billings City Councilwoman Penny Ronning.

Three Libertarians have also filed for the seat, including Sam Rankin of Billings, Roger Roots of Livingston and Samuel Thomas.

The new district spans the central and eastern half of the state and includes Billings, Helena and Great Falls. Buchanan needs 8,722 signatures in that district to get on the ballot.

Both Racicot and Bradley praised Buchanan for his ability to steer clear of political polarization and lamented about Montana’s current state of politics.

“Now I wake up in the morning, I check out the news, and my heart sinks … it’s Montana last, politics first, and politics has lost its honor,” Bradley said. “Is there anyone here who has not said in the final analysis, ‘I always vote for the best person?’ The best person is Gary.”

Racicot, who spoke after Bradley, acknowledged the pair’s long history of debates from opposite aisles.

“It may seem unusual that my friend and distinguished colleague Dorothy Bradley and I would be here together on the same stage, focused on the same congressional election and supporting the same candidate,” he said. “We believe that the best leaders, regardless of political party, are those who are committed to and live by those timeless values that expose their character and inescapably define the principles by which they live and work on behalf of the people they desire so strongly to serve.”

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