Local candidates speak at Democratic dinner in Chinook

The Blaine County Democrats held a spaghetti dinner at Wallner Hall Sunday where a variety of Democratic candidates spoke to a crowd of more than 120 people.

The speakers running for local offices were Blaine County Sheriff's Lt. John Colby, who is facing Republican Undersheriff Frank Billmayer, Harlem Mayor Kim Hansen, who is facing Republican Miles Hutton for Blaine County commissioner, and state Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, who is being challenged by Box Elder Republican G. Bruce Meyers in his bid for re-election.

Master of Ceremony and Montana Transportation Department Commissioner Greg Jergeson, a former state senator and Public Service Commission chair, introduced each speaker at the dinner.

Colby

Jergeson said the found that Colby is a responsible person who would serve well as the Blaine County Sheriff and has his support.

Colby said he has been in law enforcement for more than 20 years, working in multiple counties with a variety of duties. He said he has met with many people during his campaign and they have said drugs are their main concern.

"The drugs that are coming into the community have to be stopped," Colby said, adding that it starts with an intervention program and officers working with other agencies in a team effort to combat the issue.

He said the number of officers is down in every department and it is important, now more than ever, for agencies and counties to come together to make communities safer for everyone.

He added that he would like to thank everyone for their support and he has enjoyed campaigning and meeting a lot of different people.

Colby said it is important that people get out and vote.

"You can't complain if you don't vote," he said.

Hansen

Jergeson said he could have introduced the next speaker with a variety of different titles such as former state senator, former Harlem school board member or former Harlem City Council member, or even as the mayor of Harlem, but he would rather have Hansen speak for himself on his experience.

Hansen said he has lived in Blaine County all of his life and he is a third-generation farmer and rancher, retiring last year. After retiring from farming and ranching he decided to run for county commissioner. He said he has learned a lot in the 19 years he has spent in politics and feels with his budgeting experience he could do well in this office.

Blaine County is hurting financially, he said, just like every other organization on federal, state and county levels. He added that Blaine County has just lost revenue from gas and oil leases, and he plans to have the community live within their means.

He says he can't say anything in complaint about the commissioners because the county has faced many issues in the past year that were unavoidable, such as the fires last summer and last winter's storm.

"I would like to thank Gerald Stiffarm and his crew," Hansen said. "He did a fantastic job getting people out to vote. I don't think we all understand the work that he has done and his crew has done."

Windy Boy

Windy Boy said he has a long history of service and he has successfully achieved many different things during his years in the Legislature. He has successfully gotten funding for suicide prevention, education of the Native language and the Zortman Landusky mine cleanup. He added these are only three bill out of many he sponsored and just those three total to more than $22 million in the benefit of tribal and non-tribal Montanans.

His experience and knowledge of the system is a great benefit on getting work effectively done, he said.

"I'm known for bringing home the pork," Windy Boy said, "and if that's what the game is, if I'm going to bring some pork home, by golly, I'm going to be bring home the whole hog. Because, for too long, our part of the district, our part of the state has been overlooked ... and that stopped 16 years ago."