Finley files in state House race

Though they might not know it yet, Hi-Line Democrats have at least one candidate running for state representative in Montana's 33rd House District.

Michael Finley, 67, of North Havre, filed to appear on the June primary ballot on Monday, according to a list of candidates running for state legislature posted on the Montana Secretary of State's website.

Finley, who is retired after spending 33 years working as a railroad telegrapher and clerk for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad LLC., ran for the same seat in 2014 when he was recruited by the party after another Democrat ended his bid before Election Day. Finley went on to lose that race by 1,865 votes.

Much like last time, Finley said he was surprised to be running.

"(In 2014, the Democratic party) called me up out of the blue," he said "How they got my name I don't know, and I still don't know."

Finley said he has not been in touch with the leadership of the Hill County Democrats or any other county Democratic Party. He said he has been meaning to call Hill County Democratic Party Chair Brenda Skornogoski to inform her of his candidacy.

He said that this year he received a call from the Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which is in charge of enlisting candidates to compete in state legislative contests.

If no other Democrat files to run for the seat, Finley will face off in November against the Republicans making a bid in the primary: Michael Burns of Glasgow or Casey Knudsen of Malta in November.

Incumbent Rep. Mike Lang, R-Malta, has decided to forgo re-election and instead run for the State Senate 17 seat being vacated by the term-limited John Brenden, R-Scobey.

Looking ahead to November, Finley admits he faces an uphill battle in the heavily Republican district that encompasses the area just North of Havre up to Wild Horse and east to Glasgow. He jokingly said he is a sacrificial lamb.

"I know I am not going to win," Finley said.

Still, he said, his willingness to buck interest groups would make him a good representative.

"I am going to vote to promote things that are good for my neighbors and me and the future," he said.

Finley said his time as a miner and working at the smelter in Anaconda and later on the railroad has helped shape his views.

"You can do it by yourself, but you could use a little help," he said. "And the government is there I believe to give you a little help. Not get in your way but help."

In that spirit, Finley said he supports the state's Medicaid expansion passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor in the most recent legislative session. However, he said he would prefer that their be a single-payer system of healthcare. He support measures such as the state's new campaign disclosure rules that require that political advocacy groups disclose a list of their donors and is a strong proponent of unions.

"I'm for unions," he said. "I'm for negotiating from a position of power which an individual person can not do for his wages."

Finley said he is also someone willing to stray from the party line. For example, he said, he is for halting all immigration legal and illegal into the United States. He said he believes there are too many people in the country now, but acknowledges the state legislature really doesn't have control over the issue.