Libertarians tap Wicks as congressional candidate

The Montana Libertarian Party nominated Mark Wicks of Inverness Saturday to be their candidate in the special election to fill the state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I would like to bring accountability back to Washington," Wicks, a rancher, entrepreneur and writer said Sunday.

Wicks, who is also the chair of the newly formed Libertarian Party of the Hi-Line, emerged Saturday from a field of eight candidates at the party's convention at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in Helena.

The event was the Montana party's first-ever convention.

A political newcomer, Wicks will go up against musician and Democrat Rob Quist, also a newcomer to politics, and former gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte in the May 25 election to fill the seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, who resigned after his confirmation as secretary of the interior.

Wicks captured the nomination on the third ballot with the support of nine delegates, edging out Joe Paschal of Broadwater who received 7 votes, Ron Vandevender, chair of the state Libertarian Party, said this morning.

He added that eight delegates were not able to make it to the convention due to sickness and work-related obligations. Many of those eight delegates favored Wicks and, had they attended, Wick's margin would have been larger, Vandevender said.

Wicks said he believes he won the nomination because he spent the last several months putting information out about himself and his stances on the issues and reaching out to those within the party.

"So you put the work in and things come your way," Wicks said.

If elected, Wicks would be the first Libertarian from Montana to hold the seat and the only one in Congress. He said that, unlike House members within the two major parties, he would not face the pressure to vote the party line and could devote himself entirely to representing Montana.

Wicks said that, if elected, his first priority will be to get started on the work that Zinke left behind.

"I need to make sure that all the people in Montana that are depending on federal funding get their federal funding," Wicks said.

He said he will also focus his energies on lowering the national debt by getting federal spending under control, overhauling veterans' health care and freeing teachers from limits placed on them by the federal government.

With $1,000 in his campaign warchest so far, Wicks said he will depend on social media and in person campaigning throughout the state to get his message out. He added that he wants to show that a campaign does not have to spend large sums of money to win an election.

Wicks said he will be traveling to communities throughout Montana, with his appearances often coinciding with his daughter's volleyball tournaments.  

"My daughter plays volleyball, so we are combining trips," Wicks said,  "She is going to go play in tournaments, and I am going to campaign."

Wicks said he will be appearing in Great Falls this weekend.