The Bitterroot Star requested the following information from all candidates who have challengers in this election cycle.
• brief bio and photo
• statement of why you are running and the issues that are important to you
• your opinion of how the state is handling the COVID-19 situation
Here are their responses, in their own words.
Michele Binkley, Republican
I’m a conservative, constitutional Republican candidate running for House District 85. My husband and I moved to this district in November 2002 with our small boys. We’ve both worked and raised our family here. I currently work for First American Title Company as an Escrow Officer.
My heart is with the Constitution. I believe in and support it. I’m sickened by the move our country and state has made toward Socialism. We have been given a wonderful gift. We live in the greatest country in the world. We need to work at keeping it. I’m running for office to do my part in keeping our Constitution, keeping our liberties and keeping our God-given rights.
I understand why our government and state reacted the way it did to COVID-19. I’m looking forward to everyone going back to work and getting our economy running again. I’m worried about how quickly our liberties were taken away, or how easily we gave them up. We were told it was all done for the greater good. We all complied because we care for each other and don’t wish harm on one another. But at what cost? Time will tell. I hope we’ve all learned from this experience. I hope we can figure out a better way to deal with this type of situation if it comes up in the future. A way to keep the elderly, sick and vulnerable safe without bringing our entire economy to a screeching halt. It will take a while for us to all recover from this. Recover financially, physically and mentally. It will have a lasting impact on us all. I hope those affected are able to recover quickly. For families of those who have lost their loved ones, I extend my sincere condolences.
I appreciate your consideration for representing you, House District 85.
Kyle Ellsworth, Republican
No response.
Laura Jackson, Democrat
I have lived in the Darby School District since 1976 when I bought the land I have made my home, about five miles from where my great grandparents homesteaded. My working years from that time on were mainly spent working for the US Forest Service.
Our government is responsible for many services that are essential to our communities and quality of life—roads, schools, protections from harm, a healthy and sustaining environment in which we can all flourish, earning a decent living for our hard work and having affordable healthcare available for ourselves and those we love. Maintaining these services on which we all depend and balancing our state budget is an ongoing challenge that will be exacerbated in the context of COVID-19. We all need to recognize the benefits of these services to ourselves and our neighbors and be willing to fairly share the costs. We have a right to expect honesty and good management from our elected and administrative officials, but government is not simply a business with the normative business type goal of maximizing monetary profit.
I profoundly believe our best future depends on respectful dialogue including all points of view and grounded in our common appreciation of this valley; this is what has motivated me to stand for office. To openly and honestly listen to constituent needs and look at, and objectively evaluate, the data for diverse options that can set us on course for a positive shared future as Montanans and Bitterrooters — these are what I consider to be my most important qualifications as a candidate.
Given the early exponential spread of the virus in Gallatin County at a time of little clarity about the nature of the virus and its transmission, I feel the steps taken to handle the pandemic potential in our state have generally been reasonable and appropriate. We cannot know what might have happened had these steps not been promptly taken, but we must be grateful that Montana has so far been spared the tragic impacts of the virus that have been experienced in many other places.
Matthew Locati, Republican
My name is Matthew Locati and I am a licensed Montana Realtor and Chairman for The City of Darby Planning Board. My wife, Danielle, and I are parents to three children and live in Darby.
Running for the State Legislature is important to me because my career allows me to witness first-hand the changes happening in our state due to the growth fueled by newcomers purchasing property here. Many come for the “allure” of Montana and the western lifestyle, yet when they go to the ballot box, it is not the Montana lifestyle they choose to align with. Instead they bring the big city politics, liberal mindset, and over regulation of the states they are moving from. Growth is a great thing for our state – bringing jobs, strengthening our economy and growing local communities with new businesses and new neighbors – when tempered with logic, strength of values, and providing the proper resources and infrastructure.
Access to our public lands, offering all Montanans the ability to be in the great outdoors – hiking, hunting, fishing, observing nature, recreation in whatever manner we choose – is so fundamental to who we are, and how and why we live in Montana. The preservation and strengthening of public access and not allowing for any further reductions or limiting factors in access or use is of the utmost importance to me!
Additionally, I believe Montanans need access to the people they vote for! Through personal experiences, and stories from others, this does not seem to always be the case. With my 22 years predicated on excellent customer service, making and returning prompt phone calls/messages/texts and emails, working with clients from all walks of life and often very emotional situations, working through financial negotiations, I feel very strongly I am more seasoned, experienced and capable than my fellow running mates for this position to help the voters in House District 85.
We are all living and dealing with a strange new world with COVID-19 and the encompassing long-term effects upon our society. In my opinion, I believe the state is handling the situation reasonably well, particularly with getting the word out, sharing information on the web, addressing public services and community needs. However, I feel they are breaching into our personal freedoms and the choices we are individually and collectively granted by the United States Constitution and The Bill of Rights. In my opinion, I also feel it is the citizens of Montana that are making the difference and contributing most to our communities, families, and neighbors.
Hollis Poe, Republican
I first entered Montana in 1948 on a horse with my mother hunting elk at the age of 18 months. The last thirty years I have lived here in the Bitterroot HD 85. In the nineties, I ran a trucking company out of Darby called Thunder Paws Express. At that time, we were still allowed in the forest and all were prosperous. My political experience started fighting pornography 19 years ago and to this day there are no porn shops in our county. Working behind the scenes I have done my part to hammer out results.
So what are my accomplishments and where did I serve?
• Ravalli County Parks and Recreation Board
• Ravalli County Open Lands Board
• Ravalli County Special Zoning Districts Board
• Ravalli County Tax Appeal Board
• Member of the Bitterroot College Referendum Committee
• Montana State Committee Man
• Committee that produced the GOP Preamble to the Platform
• Director of All Nations Ministries
• Director of Advancing Conservatism Society
• Former member of the Montana State GOP Platform Committee on Indian Affairs
• Former GOP platform on Transportation
• Former GOP platform on Commerce
• Former GOP Platform on Education
• Most recent Chair of the Montana State GOP Platform Committee on Health and Human Services
I stand ready to help reopen our economy in a way that will see Ravalli County leading the state to prosperity.
I chose to run because South County deserves better than what they have had for the last several years. I am the best connected and the most qualified candidate times five with a can do attitude and a record of results that don’t just represent more feathers in my hat but results for we the people.
We must first get a pulse on our local economy, then charge into long standing issues that have held us back for decades. We will have a onetime chance to start from scratch and form a sound free market low cost high quality health care system. We need to lead the State in access to technology starting with High Speed Internet everywhere. Then will come good bills to abolish bad laws and much more. I don’t see higher taxes and bigger government as an answer to anything; however, a vibrant economy should heal itself in short order. Let’s do this together.
Most Montanans will tell you they agreed to shelter in place in order to protect those weaker folks that might perish from this disease. However, I see no common sense caring coming from the Governor’s office. Closing campsites is insulting to all while picking which business can and cannot stay open was brutal. I would recommend that when and if this disease rears its ugly head this fall we start by isolating the high risk individuals and allow the rest of society to practice measures that work for economic as well as health issues. We will respond conscientiously without fear but with respect and concern for each other.