Phillips county rancher seeks seat

Casey Knudsen, a Malta rancher, is entering the political arena this year as the Republican candidate in Montana's House District 33.

The district  extends from North Havre into northeastern Hill County, and stretches east through Blaine, Phillips and Valley counties. The seat is currently held by state Rep. Mike Lang, R-Malta, who has opted not to seek re-election and instead run for the state Senate seat held by the termed-out John Brenden, R-Scobey.

Knudsen will face Democrat Mike Finley of North Havre in this November's general election.

Knudsen, 25, said he has always had an interest in politics.  He said that when he heard the seat had opened up, the chance to run was an opportunity he could not turn down.

In addition to ranching, Knudsen said he has an appreciation for small business - his family owns several in Malta and Glasgow.

If elected, Knudsen said, agriculture, business and education will be  issues he will  focus on in the coming legislative session.

Knudsen said he supports the idea of transferring  federal public lands in Montana to state control. Such a transfer would be a benefit to the state, he said.  

"We would have more of a voice in what goes on in our own backyard," he said. "We can yell all we want right now, but Washington, D.C., doesn't hear anything we are saying."

Knudsen said that a transfer would  allow the state to lease out some of the wide swaths of federal public lands to ranchers, and for natural resource extraction.

"We need to be able to actually use lumber, coal, oil, that kind of stuff," Knudsen said.

Leasing out that land and easing regulations on those industries that develop natural resources, could help address the state's shrinking revenue, he said.  

He said allowing people and companies to extract natural resources, would help businesses expand and lead to an increase of tax revenue coming into the state.

The problem of low wages within Montana should be not be addressed  through increasing the state's $8.05 minimum wage, Knudsen said.

People need to have a marketable skill when they enter the workforce, which will make them more attractive prospects to employers, Knudsen said.

"If your people are more educated they can have better jobs and make better wages," he said.

Knudsen said such skills do not necessarily mean everyone should go to college and obtain a four-year degree.

"If somebody is interested in some of the trades, then I think the high school should do a better job of educating them towards that, as well as not encouraging everyone to go for a four year degree or in some cases a five- or six-year degree," he said,

He said that skills obtained through a two-year degree or a certificate program can help significantly bolster a worker's income.

All options should be considered by lawmakers when it comes to upgrading the state's infrastructure, Knudsen said.

"We need to have a little bit of compromise and not have compromise be such a dirty word," he said.

Knudsen said he still has a lot to learn about state bonding and other options available for funding infrastructure projects. However, he said looking at it from the vantage point of a business, sometimes people have to go into debt a bit in order to grow.

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Casey Knudsen, Republican

Date and place of birth: Nov 9, 1990, Havre

Professional history: Rancher

Education: Malta High School, 2009; Montana State University, 2014; B.S. in mechanical engineering technology, minor in aerospace

Military service: None

Family: Wife, Shyla Knudsen

Previous political office: None

Organizations: Malta Fire Dept. and Phillips County Ambulance Service, volunteer;  Boy Scouts; Montana Stockgrowers Association; Montana Stockgrowers Leadership Series; Montana Farm Bureau