HELENA, Mont. (October 29, 2024) – We are one week away from the 2024 general election! The Montana Stockgrowers Association Association and the Montana Agricultural Political Action Committee (MAPA PAC) is a non-partisan, voluntarily funded committee that supports candidates who protect and advance the interests of the agricultural and livestock industry, would like to remind you of the following endorsed candidates.

Federal Candidates (MSGA Endorsed)

U.S. Senate	Tim Sheehy
U.S. House of Representatives	Ryan Zinke
U.S. House of Representatives	Troy Downing

Statewide Candidates (MAPA Endorsed)

Governor	Greg Gianforte
Secretary of State	Christi Jacobsen
Attorney General	Austin Knudsen
State Auditor	James Brown
State Superintendent of Public Instruction	Susie Hedalen

Senate Candidates (MAPA Endorsed)

State Senator District 5	Matt Regier
State Senator District 7	Greg Hertz
State Senator District 13	Josh Kassmier
State Senator District 16	Perri A Jacobs
State Senator District 20	Sue Vinton
State Senator District 24	Mike Yakawich
State Senator District 27	Vince Ricci
State Senator District 38	Becky Beard
State Senator District 39	E Wylie Galt
State Senator District 45	Denley M Loge
State Senator District 47	Ellie Hill Boldman

House of Representatives Candidates (MAPA Endorsed)

State Representative District 1	Neil Duram
State Representative District 7	Courtenay Sprunger
State Representative District 13	Linda E Reksten
State Representative District 16	Tyson T Running Wolf
State Representative District 17	Zack Wirth
State Representative District 18	Llew Jones
State Representative District 21	Ed Buttrey
State Representative District 24	Steve Fitzpatrick
State Representative District 25	Steve Gist
State Representative District 26	Russel Miner
State Representative District 27	Paul Tuss
State Representative District 33	Brandon Ler
State Representative District 34	Jerry Schillinger
State Representative District 35	Gary W. Parry
State Representative District 39	Kerri Seekins-Crowe
State Representative District 51	Jodee Etchart
State Representative District 52	Bill Mercer
State Representative District 53	Nelly Nicol
State Representative District 55	Brad Barker
State Representative District 57	Marty Malone
State Representative District 69	Ken Walsh
State Representative District 75	Marta Bertoglio
State Representative District 76	John Fitzpatrick
State Representative District 78	Randyn Gregg
State Representative District 81	Mary M Caferro
State Representative District 83	Jill Cohenour
State Representative District 84	Julie Dooling
State Representative District 86	David Bedey
State Representative District 89	Lyn Hellegaard
State Representative District 94	Marilyn Marler

Other State Candidates (MAPA Endorsed)

Supreme Court Chief Justice	Cory Swanson
Supreme Court Justice #3	Dan Wilson
Public Service Commission (Seat 3)	Jeff Welborn

Supreme Court Candidate Features

Cory Swanson

Cory Swanson currently serves as the Broadwater County Attorney. He is a fourth generation Montanan who grew up on the Hi-Line before graduating from high school in Manhattan, Mont. He received his bachelor’s degree from Carroll and his JD from the University of Montana. He also has a master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College.  Swanson joined the Montana Army National Guard in June 1997. Swanson had three deployments to the Middle East with the Montana National Guard’s 1-163rd Mechanized Infantry / Combined Arms Battalion. He commanded the 1-163 Combined Arms Battalion twice, including on its overseas deployment for Operation Spartan Shield to the Middle East in 2022. He is currently a Colonel nearing retirement from the Montana Army National Guard. He has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. Swanson has described himself as a “tough on crime” prosecutor. He has shared that he is dedicated to preserving the independence of the judiciary, but also focusing on the needs of lawyers, courts, and especially clients to identify those areas where we need the system to function better. Endorsements highlights include: MAPA, Montana Chamber of Commerce, multiple Sheriffs across the state, and Montana Farm Bureau Federation PAC.

Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson has served as a Flathead County District Judge for more than twelve years. He received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota. Wilson has noted that his desire to be in the Supreme Court stems from wanting to maintain the rule of law with stability and predictability. He has shared that maintaining public trust in the judicial branch and inspiring confidence in the public that the Supreme Court will function according to its proper constitutional role and function are priorities for him. Wilson believes that Montana is a great state because of its people, who are hardworking and decent and who have maintained these values across the generations. Most of all, Dan believes that Montanans value common sense and want judges who value it, too. Endorsements highlights include: MAPA, Montana Chamber of Commerce, Montana Mining Association, Montana Shooting Sports Association, and Montana Farm Bureau Federation PAC. 

A Breakdown of CI-126 and CI-127

We have received questions from the membership on Constitutional Initiatives 126 and 127. Here’s a brief overview of what each Constitutional Initiative includes. While the two Constitutional Initiatives will be voted on separately, the two initiatives are intended to work together to achieve that top candidates also received the majority of votes. MSGA does not have a position on the following Constitutional Initiatives.

A constitutional amendment by initiative is one way the Montana Constitution can be changed. To do this, a petition, including the full text of the proposed amendment, must be signed by at least ten percent of the qualified electors of the state and include at least ten percent of the qualified electors in each of two-fifths of the legislative districts. The petition then must be filed with the secretary of state. If the petition is certified that it has been signed by the required number of electors, the secretary of state must publish the amendment as provided by law twice each month for two months previous to the next regular state-wide election. At that election, the proposed amendment must be submitted to the qualified electors for approval or rejection. If approved by the majority, the initiative will become a part of the constitution effective the first day of July following its approval, unless the amendment provides otherwise.

CI-126 proposes to amend the Montana Constitution to provide a top-four multiparty primary election. This ballot initiative would apply to elections for the governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representatives, state senators, United States representatives, and United States Senators. 

• All candidates, regardless of political party, appear on one ballot. 
• The four candidates receiving the most votes advance to the general election. 
• A candidate may list a political party preference, but a candidate would not be required to be nominated by a political party. 
• A candidate’s political party preference would not be an endorsement by the political party. 
• The legislature may require candidates to gather signatures up to five percent of the votes received by the winning candidate in the last election to appear on the ballot. 
• All voters may vote for one candidate for each covered office. 

Supporters of CI-126 say:

• Better choices on the ballot
• More freedom to vote for the person, not the party
• More voice in every tax-payer funded election
• Greater accountability over elected officials

Opponents of CI-126 say:

• Makes primary elections largely unnecessary
• Makes decisions more difficult for voters
• Increases the number of candidates
• Requires candidates to be more reliant on special interest money
• Doesn’t represent the concerns of Montanans

Credit: Illustration by Margo Stoney, High Mountain Creative; Montana Free Press

CI-127 would amend the Montana Constitution to provide that elections for certain offices must be decided by majority vote as determined by law rather than by a plurality or the largest number of the votes. If it cannot be determined who received a majority of votes because two or more candidates are tied, then the winner of the election will be determined as provided by law. This ballot initiative would apply to elections for the governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, state representatives, state senators, United States representatives, and United States Senators, and other offices as provided by law.

Supporters of CI-127 say:

• Candidates can win election to office with less than half of voters’ support. This enables candidates to focus on narrow interests and win elections without representing a majority of their constituents. 
• Montana voters deserve elected officials who are accountable and responsive to Montana citizens.
• Majority-winner elections empower voters to hold politicians accountable and force our elected officials to focus on finding solutions that benefit a majority of citizens. 

Opponents of CI-127 say:

• This already happens in most Montana elections. In our current system there are usually only two candidates participating thus resulting in the winning candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote. 
• Constitutional amendments are almost permanent. The Montana Legislature can do nothing to fix problems caused by the passage of CI-127. CI-127 will have the effect of constitutionally mandating that more money coming from property taxes be spent on elections. That money will have to come from higher taxes or cutting budgets
• Together, CI-126 and CI-127 amount to a radical, expensive, and unnecessary experiment that is all but guaranteed to make political campaigns longer, more confusing, and even more dependent on special-interest money. 

Credit: Illustration by Margo Stoney, High Mountain Creative; Montana Free Press