Stapleton stumps for secretary of state

About a dozen Hill County Republicans gathered at the TownHouse Inn of Havre last Wednesday night to hold a fundraiser for Corey Stapleton, who is mounting a bid to be the party's nominee for Montana secretary of state.

Stapleton, a former state Senate majority leader from Billings and a frequent candidate for state office, conversed with the local party faithful as they ate sandwiches.

Andrew Brekke, chair of the Hill County Republicans, described Stapleton as a seasoned candidate.

"I think he's our best chance to win that seat," Breeke said.

No other Republicans have said they are running for the position. If he is the party nominee, Stapleton will face state Auditor Monica Lindeen, a Democrat, in November's election.

Incumbent Linda McCulloch is not running for re-election due to term limits.

Stapleton, 47, is a financial adviser, served in the state senate from 2001 until 2009.

He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor in 2012, as well the U.S Senate and U.S House of Representatives both in 2014.

"I was pretty much done with politics," said Stapleton, who runs his financial services business and has a family.

Over the summer, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and others approached him about making a run for secretary.

"It's an open seat, so it's a great opportunity," Stapleton said.

Stapleton said that as a legislator, he helped pass legislation on behalf of Secretary of State Bob Brown, including changing how the office is funded.

He sat on the Secretary of State's Business Advisory Council and Senate Finance Committee.

"So I'm familiar with the office and know several of the people," Stapleton said. "Know the functions and have paid for it as someone who sat on Finance."

If elected, Stapleton would oversee and enforce state election laws.

"And you see this trend in the elections, in the voting world trying to be more and more centralized and computerized," Stapleton said.

With those trends, he said, comes a greater potential for irregularities.

"We need to do it in person, we need to have that ability to always do that. Having absentee ballots is great, but we need to maintain 56 units in 56 counties"

In doing so, Stapleton said, any glitches or abuses of the system can be confined to one county, rather than ripple throughout the state.

Stapleton said he would enforce election laws, even those he disagrees with. He admits that he opposes same-day voter registration and favors requiring voters show ID at the polls, which would put him at odds with current laws in Montana.

But any changes, he said, would be made through the legislative process.

The secretary would also oversee business services, notary and certifications and the management of public records.

But it is the secretary's seat on the state's Land Board where Republicans see the real prize.

The board is tasked with overseeing and maximizing profits as it relates to public lands. Revenue generated from leases, permits and licenses in the use of such land is used to fund schools and other state endowments.

The board is comprised of the secretary and the state's four other constitutional officers,the governor, state auditor, superintendent of public instruction and attorney general.

Right now the state's attorney general, Tim Fox, is the only Republican on the board. Three of the other members are term-limited and can't run for re-election.

It takes three members for a given party to hold a majority and drive the board's policy.

Republicans have not held a majority on the board since about the 1980s, Stapleton said.

A majority on the board would allow Republicans to steer policy related to the use of public lands and natural resources.

"Good conservative Republicans can solve these problems and do it in a way that honors private ownership, limited government and in many cases maximizes revenue"

On the debate over transferring federal lands to state ownership, Stapleton said he did not see a practical way that could be implemented, and it would only get the party bogged down in what he says is a false narrative of wanting to sell off public lands.

"But we can't get ourselves painted in a corner as wanting to sell off public lands," Stapleton said. "That's just silly, and nobody wants to do that."