Miller campaigns for governor at the Great Northern Fair

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Miller of Laurel, center, talks with Havre vendor Gary Glock and Rep. Wendy Warburton, R-Havre, Saturday in the Commercial Building at the Great Northern Fair.

A state-level candidate came to Havre over the weekend, making his case to Great Northern Fair-goers why he should be the next governor of the state.

Republican Ken Miller of Laurel was at the fair Saturday, saying he thinks it is his obligation to run for the top seat in the state.

"The bottom line is, I couldn't stand talking to my grandchildren and saying, 'In 2012 I could have made a difference and didn't, '" he said in an interview with the Havre Daily News.

Miller, a former state senator, lost in a four-way primary for governor in 2004. Bob Brown, who won the Republican primary, lost to Democrat Brian Schweitzer who cannot run for re-election next year due to term limits.

Other Republicans who have said they are running for governor are former U. S. Rep. Rick Hill, terrorism expert Neil Livingstone, former state Sen. Corey Stapleton and Chouteau County Commissioner Jim O'Hara.

A Laurel businessman who runs a furniture outlet with his wife, Peggy, and two children, Max and Kyndall, Miller said his experience as a family man, business owner and legislator makes him the best candidate for governor.

"In addition to that, I believe we need a leader with backbone who will step up (to do the job), not just listen to party insiders, " he said. "We need someone who will make the decisions we need to make. "

A key to success in the state will be developing and utilizing natural resources, which will create jobs and allow the state to improve the income, business equipment and real estate taxes, while spinning off into other jobs as well, he said.

Miller also said he believes in reforming the school system, including creating charter schools and providing vouchers to help citizens pay for sending their children to private schools.

That includes breaking the "stranglehold" unions in the school system have on taxpayers, he said, allowing the state schools to reward good teachers while eliminating poor teachers.

He said he opposes the work Schweitzer has done, both in effect and in style, calling the governor's branding iron he used to veto some bills "a slap in the face to Republicans. " In using the iron, Schweitzer also vetoed some bills Miller said he knows Montanans wanted.

Another top issue for Miller is strengthening states' rights. He said the Montana government must step up to the federal government, including on issues like how many wolves should be allowed in the state coming off of Yellowstone National Park and health care.