Gianforte running for governor

U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., Friday officially announced his candidacy for governor at the Montana Republican Party convention in Helena.

“I’m running for governor because I believe it’s time for proven executive experience and strong conservative leadership in the governor’s office,” a press release said Gianforte told the delegates at the convention. “I’ve spent my life in business. Creating jobs, solving problems and serving others, that’s what I know how to do.

“Together, I know we can create more high-wage jobs, prepare our kids for the future and protect our Montana way of life. Together, I know we can build a better Montana.” Gianforte said.

Gianforte joins an already-crowded Republican list of candidates for the office, including Attorney General Tim Fox, state Sen. Al Olszewski, R-Kalispell, and former state Sen. Gary Perry, R-Manhattan.

Democratic candidates so far are state House Minority Leader Casey Schreiner of Great Falls and former state Rep. Reilly Neill, D-Livingston.

Sources report that Republican Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, who had announced his candidacy for governor, switched to running for Gianforte’s House seat after Gianforte said he would run for governor.

No other Republicans had declared for the U.S. House race as of this morning.

Former Democratic Montana Rep. Kathleen Williams, who lost to Gianforte in the 2018 U.S. House election, and Montana Democratic Rep. Tom Winter have declared as candidates for the seat in Congress.

Stapleton, who termed out of the Montana Senate in 2007, lost the seven-candidate Republican primary for governor in 2012 to former Montana U.S. Rep. Rick Hill. Hill lost to Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock in the general election.

In 2014, he lost the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives to former state Sen. Ryan Zinke.

Olszewski also ran for Congress, losing the four-way 2018 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat to state Auditor Matt Rosendale.

Rosendale lost the general election to incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.

Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, who has announced his candidacy for U.S. president in 2020, defeated Gianforte 255,933 to 236,115 in the 2016 Montana governor race with Libertarian Ted Dunlap taking 17,312 votes.

Bullock cannot run for governor in 2020 due to term limits.

Gianforte won the special election in 2017 to fill the seat vacated when Zinke resigned to take the office of U.S. secretary of the interior.

Zinke resigned from that position last December.

Gianforte, who was charged with assault for body-slamming and punching a reporter the night before the election, won the 2017 special election with 190,520 votes while Democrat Rob Quist took 169,214 votes and Libertarian Mark Wick took 21,682.

Gianforte moved to Bozeman from New Jersey in 1995 after he and his partners sold their computer software company Brightwork Development to McAfee Associates. In 1997 he and his wife, Susan, founded the computer software company RightNow Technologies in Bozeman, which Oracle bought in 2011 for $1.8 billion.

Gianforte’s press release describes him and his wife as an avid outdoorsmen who have been married for 31 years and raised their four children in Bozeman.