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Strong Statewide Endorsements, Grassroots Outreach, Fundraising Effort Build Momentum for the Candidacy of John Mues to Serve as Montana’s Next U.S. Senator

MONTANA – Strong grassroots support, growing endorsements and a broad base of fundraising continue to propel John Mues and his candidacy to serve as Montana’s next U.S. Senator forward toward the June 2020 Primary election. “As I meet with Montanans from all walks of life and hear about their concerns and priorities, I am more … Continued

KRTV 3
Candidate filing for 2020 MT elections is under way

About 100 candidates for Montana office, from U.S. Senate to the Public Service Commission, paid their filing fees Thursday on this official opening day of the 2020 campaign season.

Some high-profile candidates for the top Montana races clocked in Thursday, including Democratic U.S. House contender Kathleen Williams and Supreme Court Justice Laurie McKinnon, as well as at least six dozen legislative hopefuls from across the state.

Candidates for U.S. Senate, attorney general, secretary of state, auditor and superintendent of public instruction also were among the earlier filers, paying the requisite fee to appear on the 2020 ballot.

But what’s considered the top 2020 race in Montana – the open governor’s seat – had none of its candidates file on this opening day.

Most candidates filed electronically with the secretary of state. But some still showed up in person, including state Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, who was at the Capitol before 7:30 a.m. and was first in line when the office doors opened at 8 a.m.

Candidate filing will close in two months, on March 9.

Republican state auditor candidate Troy Downing of Gallatin Gateway also drove to Helena to file, saying he just likes the idea of visiting the state’s political and physical Capitol.

“I’ve got a guy working on my campaign and he’s never actually been in the Capitol before, and he was talking about how neat it is to just pull up to the building and know what happened there,” he told MTN News. “I still have a little bit of that as well.”

Downing ran for U.S. Senate in 2018 but lost in the GOP primary. This year, he has competition in the GOP primary from Nelly Nicol, for the open auditor’s seat.

While Dunwell was the first to file in person, right behind her was Democratic attorney general candidate Raph Graybill – who walked down the hallway from his office as chief counsel to Gov. Steve Bullock.

Graybill, 30, was accompanied by his wife, Marisa, and their nine-month-old daughter, Genevieve. He’s one of several younger candidates vying for statewide office this year.

“The number of candidates in their 30s that are running for statewide office right now has got to be a record for the state, and I think that’s because everyone recognizes the stakes are so big in this election,” he said. “We know on both sides that so much could change after 2020.”

Five of Montana’s top eight statewide contests are open seats this year: U.S. House, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state and governor.

Many of those races have contested primaries. Graybill’s opponent in the Democratic primary for attorney general, state Rep. Kim Dudik, also filed Thursday.

Williams, who lost the 2018 race for Montana’s only U.S. House seat, is back competing for the office, which is open because incumbent Republican Greg Gianforte is running for governor.

“It’s going to be different this time because we’re going to win,” she told MTN News after she filed. “I had a lot of independents and moderate Republicans voting for me last time … and we’re just going to build on that.”

Yet she wasn’t the only person, or woman, to file for the seat Thursday.

Republican Debra Lamm of Livingston came to the Capitol to pay her filing fee and declared herself the “grassroots” candidate among Republicans, saying that many in the GOP would like to see her take on Williams.

However, both Lamm and Williams have plenty of competition in the primary. Two other Democrats and five other Republicans are in the race – including a surprise entry Thursday, political unknown John Evankovich of Butte, as a Republican.

Other statewide candidates who filed Thursday include Democrat John Mues for the U.S. Senate, Republican Christi Jacobsen for secretary of state, Mike Black for Supreme Court (against McKinnon), Supreme Court Justice Jim Shea (for his own seat) and Melissa Romano for state superintendent of public instruction.

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Letter to Fellow Montana U.S. Senate 2020 Democratic Primary Candidates

Dear Montana U.S. Senate 2020 Democratic Primary Candidates, The role of our U.S. Senators is very important to all of us living in Montana and the United States. There are very real and important consequences when somebody who is not qualified, or more interested in a political agenda rather than the interest of hard-working Montana … Continued

Round Up Web
Democratic Senate Candidate John Mues Speaks to Richland County Voters

John Mues is running for the Montana U.S. senate seat against incumbent (R) Steve Daines. Sunday afternoon, August 25, Mr. Mues spoke in front of small group at the Extension building about his desire to replace Senator Daines in the upcoming elections. Mues and wife Claudia live near Loma. They are expecting their first child shortly. Muse, 45, said he has worked in the energy sector for 11 years as a senior engineer. He has a master’s in business administration from the London Business School. John Mues also graduated from the U.S. Naval academy and trained as a submarine warfare officer and nuclear engineer. Mues participated in the Troops to Teachers Program and taught on the Fort Belknap Reservation at Hays/Lodge Pole for a number of years. He believes that his most important skill set is empathy.

Mues finds Senator Daines an “inadequate and destructive senator” representing Montana. Mues battles for this seat against Daines but also fellow Democrat Wilmot Collins who Mues refers to as “not a solid candidate.” John spoke of the “need to have a functional government” and criticized Daines and Trump for the “politicization of public offices.” Candidate Mues has several items on his agenda when he is elected to the U.S. Senate. “Job creation is at the top,” says Mues. It should be noted that U.S. unemployment rates stood at 3.7% in July of this year. Montana’s unemployment rate as of July this year was 3.4% according to the BLS current population survey. Along with increasing broadband in rural areas of the U.S. he would like to lower taxes on small to medium businesses while making sure the “economically elite” do not continue to widen economic gaps. Mr. Mues talked about the need for infrastructure policy as many basic structures are in dire need of repair or replacement. He would like to see more of the U.S., especially Montana, transition to a more clean energy economy. Though he has worked in the upstream oil & gas industry he believes that “climate change is real” and we should move into less traditional and more renewable options, like wind turbines. Mues believes that education is critical especially to increase the options and benefit of promoting trade and vocational schools. He also talked about the “trade wars” that are currently being done at the federal level. Although Mues believes that we do need to stand up to China on trade, he says that “there is a smart way and a dumb way and Trump is doing it in the dumb category.” Another aspect he would like to address is national security and border security. Mues believes that the U.S. has 6 borders to protect; all four land accesses but also the space above us and virtual boarders. Cybercrimes against citizens and U.S. government are increasing.

Mues is traveling around the state and recently wrapped up some time in Miles City. While there he toured the community and talked with local officials about the levee and flood issues. Mues is scheduled for over 20 fundraisers during the campaign.

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Great Falls Tribune
Mues enters 2020 U.S. Senate race

John Mues, a fourth-generation Montanan, announced Thursday he is in the 2020 race as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat now held by GOP Sen. Steve Daines.

“I’m running because we need leaders who are tough, have integrity, and who want to improve the lives of all Montanans, not just the most fortunate,” Mues said in his campaign literature.

He joins Democrat Wilmot Collins, a Liberian refugee who is now mayor of Helena, in the race.  The primary is June 2, 2020 and the general election is Nov. 3, 2020.

Mues and wife Claudia live near Loma. They are expecting their first child later this year.

Muse, 45, said he has worked in the energy sector for 11 years as a senior engineer. He has a master’s in business administration from the London Business School. Mues also graduated from the U.S. Naval academy  and trained as a submarine warfare officer and nuclear engineer.

“I love my home state of Montana,” Mues said in a telephone interview discussing his decision to run. “I love my country and I have the qualifications to make a major positive difference in the lives of all Montanans, not just the economically elite.”

He listed job creation as his No. 1 issue, saying there are “unprecedented levels of economic inequality” in Montana. He said infrastructure and broadband improvements were needed. And he said there needs to be investments in the education system to make sure teachers are paid what they deserve.

Other priorities as listed on campaign literature include affordable and accessible health care, veterans care, national service programs in which people can give back to their country and clean energy.

The Montana Republican Party on Thursday called Mues “yet another Democrat running in Montana to represent the radical left and their socialist agenda of open borders, free health care for illegal immigrants, taking away our gun rights, and bankrupting our nation with single payer health care and the Green New Deal.

MT GOP chair Don Kaltschmidt said Mues would oppose President Donald Trump’s policies.

“We’re proud to see Sen. Daines work alongside President Trump to always put Montana first,” he said.

Mues said that statement underscored how concerned Daines is about re-election.

“Let’s talk about facts and not propaganda,” Mues said, adding Daines “needs to be concerned.

A spokeswoman for Daines said “Steve looks forward to having thoughtful conversations during this campaign on how to best protect our Montana way of life and create good-paying Montana jobs.”

Mues campaign literature notes he grew up in a single-family household in Helena, Deer Lodge and Wolf Point. He said that shortly after being honorably discharged from the Navy, he used a teaching certificate that he got through Montana State University and Troops-for-Teachers program teaching on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation for two years.

Mues talked briefly about a drowning accident in June in which a film producer died at Canyon Ferry Lake while shooting a campaign video for Mues.

“It was an accident,” he said, adding Montanans are no strangers to tragedy and called the death “absolutely heartbreaking.”

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