by Archie Thomas
A Rino‑Crat brings together the best of Republican and Democrat, finding more common ground with community neighbors than points of separation.
Over my 50+ years in Hamilton—as a small business owner and employer of anywhere from zero to twenty people—I lived through double‑digit inflation in the 1970s and 1980s, three recessions among other economic shocks. During all of that, I never believed a political party mattered more than showing up for work, making ends meet, and taking responsibility. I still don’t.
As a native Montanan and a resident of the Hamilton area since 1965, I was raised as an Eisenhower Republican. With reasonable adaptations for current times, those principles remain my core values. Simply put, that means being fiscally conservative, socially responsible, and committed to a strong national defense built on strategic worldwide alliances. For anyone interested, there is plenty of historical context available with a simple Google search.
Over the decades, however, the Republican Party has left me. When compared to the values of an Eisenhower Republican, the phrase “Republican in name only” now applies far more accurately to the entire GOP than to those of us who still hold those earlier more encompassing values.
Layered onto this shift is the deafening silence of Montana GOP officeholders—from the state level down to county officials—regarding federal policies that adversely affect Montanans’ individual rights, state sovereignty, the Montana Constitution, and our local elections. The wholesale attack on election integrity, along with the DOGE-style elimination of RML and U.S. Forest Service federal employees is met with silent blind party loyalty. Meanwhile, millions of Montana taxpayer dollars are being spent defending unconstitutional enacted laws, fighting citizen initiatives, and addressing so‑called election problems that do not exist. This is Montana style fraud, waste, and abuse benefiting moneyed power brokers rather than our community.
I do not believe these conclusions are mine alone. I hear them echoed by thoughtful Republicans, Democrats, and independents throughout.
Eisenhower passed away when I was ten years old. Today, I am filed as a Democratic candidate for Hamilton House District 86. That filing does not make me a Democrat in ideology—it reflects the reality of where I can stand, speak honestly, and serve. I welcome the opportunity to continue this discussion.
Vote in the primary on June 2.
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