Vincent tested in state politics | Helena I-R

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Vincent tested in state politics

By CHARLES S. JOHNSON - IR State Bureau - 06/04/04

HELENA — Fifty years ago, a wide-eyed, 12-year-old John Vincent saw Montana for the first time as his family traveled through the state, moving from the East Coast to the West Coast.

‘‘We went over Beartooth Pass, through the park and up the Bitterroot,'' he recalls. ‘‘It was a thrill. I said someday I'm going to live in Montana.''

Vincent never missed a summer vacation in Montana, where he loved to fly fish and backpack, until he and his wife, Peggy, moved here permanently in 1971.

He didn't just settle in Montana — he threw himself into his adopted state after landing a teaching job in Bozeman, where he taught for 29 years. Vincent served 16 years in the Montana House, including 4 years as House speaker. After leaving the Legislature, he was elected to the Bozeman City Commission, including a time as mayor, and now serves on the Gallatin County Commission.

Today, Vincent, bringing just as much enthusiasm as the youngster who visited Montana for the first time, is running for the Democratic nomination for governor in Tuesday's primary election.

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