of these elections is important. If we do well enough to win them ALL, some in the GOP may come to their senses and actually begin to represent their constituencies instead of their misguided Congressional leaders. I know that is a distant hope even if ... but I still like to hope.
Although my voting residence is currently MD, I am a born and bred Montanan. I know Rob Quist and YES, he really does have a good shot at winning.
Many articles have emphasized that Rob was a member of the Mission Mountain Wood Band (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Mountain_Wood_Band). Yes, he was a founding member, but he has done so much MORE (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Quist). He has had a lengthy solo career with his backup band Great Northern (named after the Great Northern RR that traversed northern MT before becoming today's Burlington Northern).
He was born and raised in MT, is well-known and well-liked throughout the state and has often toured with his longtime Blackfeet friend Jack Gladstone. https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-West-Rob-Quist/dp/B00018J084 His political philosophy is progressive and he was encouraged to run for this seat by former Dem Governor Brian Schweitzer, among others.
Among other things, he is also a MT rancher.
His opponent, Greg Gianforte, moved to MT after making a fortune in software. See, e.g., RightNow Technologies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RightNow_Technologies He is a RW Xtian nutcase and we already have too many of those in the House. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Gianforte He's not terribly well-liked either.
Gianforte was defeated in the 2016 MT Governor's election by incumbent Dem Steve Bullock.
Here is Rob's campaign page: http://robquist.org/
Here is his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/robquistformontana/
The mudslinging has already begun, making much of tax liens (now paid off) and other debts that Quist says were incurred because he fell into the health insurance abyss in the 1990s after botched gall bladder surgery. http://www.kxlf.com/story/34971717/rob-quist-opens-campaign-office-in-billings-responds-to-tax-lien-issue
This issue may actually earn Rob MORE votes because many people can sympathize with his situation. MT is a quirky state, more purple than red, and most Montanans do NOT appreciate smears used against one of their native sons, especially one many know personally and like. Most of all, he has been generous with his time around the state over the years and people remember things like that.
Right now, the news coverage so far has been more positive than negative. See, e.g., http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2017/03/23/quists-quest-house-follows-familiar-trail/99568132/ and http://www.krtv.com/story/34986232/rob-quist-hosts-campaign-rally-in-great-falls
Even a recent article with a rather hysterical negative headline was actually quite fair in its reporting. http://billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/quist-has--year-debt-trail-records-show/article_a660f016-9229-5e3c-9114-f831a0ba012f.html
Local US media are not as hopeless as the national media are, likely because they actually KNOW the people they report about.
There is a Libertarian candidate, Mark Wicks, in the race as well. https://www.mtlp.org/2017-special-election/ I know his family although I don't know Mark personally. Both Quist and Gianforte have much better statewide name recognition. Fortunately for Rob, Gianforte's name recognition is more negative than positive. But Gianforte has LOADS of $$$$. He self-financed much of his 2016 race.
Anyway, Rob is getting lots of support from me!
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