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.
Kenneth E. Allen, Republican
I am currently an entrepreneur with two small businesses in Hamilton. I served in the United States Marine Corps. After leaving the Corps, I pursued a career in criminal justice. In an effort to continue my pursuit in a public service career, I became a volunteer firefighter for Hamilton.
I have always felt that the only way to make changes is to get involved and do something about it. I have always been interested in government and law and I believe that I could be a strong leader and representative of Republican ideals. I believe in smaller government, less taxes, proper land management, and protection of individual freedoms, liberties, and constitutional rights.
COVID-19 is a complicated issue but there were not enough cases of COVID-19 in the State of Montana for the governor to issue a statewide shut down. It didn’t make sense to shut down, only a certain number of businesses, in an attempt to flatten the curve. Many of the small business owners affected by the shutdown will struggle to recover and some may ultimately not be able to. The state legislators need to address the emergency powers that the governor has in order to ensure that citizens’ constitutional rights cannot be infringed on in the future.
David Bedey, Republican
I was born in Hamilton and entered the U.S. Army after graduating from Montana State University. Over a 30-year military career, I served in combat engineer units—including deployment during the Persian Gulf War—and as a professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Upon retiring from the Army as a colonel, I returned home with my wife and daughter, Deborah and Karis. I am now the chief financial officer of a small engineering firm. Before being elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 2018, I served on the Hamilton School Board for nine years (chairing the board for seven of those years).
During the 2019 legislative session, I served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee where I participated in cutting funding for unneeded state positions and in restraining per capita state budget growth to less than the inflation rate. Presently, I am chairing an interim committee that is examining several funding issues, including how to expand opportunities state-wide for career and technical (vocational) education.
I am running for re-election because I have the experience and record of proven leadership that can best serve the citizens of House District 86 during these trying times. During the 2019 session, I succeeded in getting legislation enacted that expands access to veterans’ services, that reduces state interference with local control, and that places more emphasis on career and technical education. I’d like to return to Helena to keep up the momentum in these areas, to promote economic development in Ravalli County, and to continue producing a fiscally responsible state budget.
As a conservative, I stand in strong opposition to extremists on both the far left and the far right. Though on different ends of the political spectrum, these factions have two things in common. Both dream of dragging us all into some mythical utopia. And each is committed to achieving its chosen utopia immediately and by any means necessary. The history of the 20th century demonstrates the futility of—and destruction wrought by—these malign movements. In the legislature, I examined the world as it actually is, studied the issues objectively, and then applied conservative principles to craft realistic solutions for my constituents and the state of Montana. I intend to continue doing so as your representative for House District 86 and would appreciate your vote in the upcoming election.
The actions taken by President Trump and Governor Bullock were appropriate early on when the situation surrounding coronavirus was unclear but its potential threat to public health appeared to be devastating. The crisis is now subsiding. It is time to move off emergency footing and get life back to normal as quickly as practicable. This means adopting a more nuanced approach to balancing public health concerns with the need to restart the economy. In the spirit of “loyal opposition,” I offer the governor the following suggestions: (1) allow counties to advance through the “phased reopening” at different rates, depending on local conditions; (2) concentrate on protections for the most at-risk members of society rather than implementing a “one size fits all” approach applied to the population as a whole; (3) get federal stimulus money quickly into the hands of the hardest hit businesses so that they can bring people back to work; and (4) ensure that stimulus funds are distributed equitably to counties across the state. We have all made sacrifices to deal with the COVID-19 challenge. Now let’s join together to put this chapter behind us. Soon.