Cooney, Williams face off in Democratic gubernatorial primary: Mike Cooney

Editor's note: Watch for profiles of the Republican gubernatorial candidates in Monday's edition of the Havre Daily News

Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney is facing businesswoman Whitney Williams of Missoula in the Democratic primary.

"I think with my background and experience, first of all Montana is my home and it has been my home all my life. It's where my kids have chosen to be, I think that's very important, and I've always felt this way with all of my public service, that I've always worked to put Montana in a better a position than what was given to me and I think that's always a good driving force for anybody looking at serving the public in Montana," he said. "I was called to public service early in my life because I understood the importance of people being engaged and that individuals needed to contribute in order to really make Montana a better state, so I jumped in early at an early age and it's been an honor to serve as lieutenant governor and all the jobs I've had in state government and in elected office."

A lot of progress has been made in the course of those years when he was in office, he said, such as expanding health care, protecting public lands, working hard on Montana's public education system as well as keeping "dark money" out of politics.

He said that with the new administration it is going to take leadership and experience to make the government work for the people.

"I think with my leadership experience and all my knowledge of government, but even more important knowledge of having worked for Montanans and with Montanans all my life that has really prepared me to take on the new challenges that the next administration is going to be facing," Cooney said. "I think that is one thing that really distinguishes me from anybody else running for governor. ... Montanans have watched me grow, they have watched me in a number of capacities, serving the people of Montana whether it's been secretary of state or as state legislator, or now as lieutenant governor working with Steve Bullock.

"You won't have to train me," he added. "I will be able to hit the ground running from day one and with all the things we are going through right now in how we don't know any of this is going to unfold in the future, I think it's going to be very important that Montanans elect somebody who can hit the ground running right off the bat."

Montana is a very diverse state, he said. Nobody has the right answers, but when people with different opinions sit down and treat each other respectfully, and have good conversations a lot can be accomplished,  adding that is how he has conducted himself.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic is something that no one has ever gone through, he said, adding that he appreciates how Gov. Steve Bullock has been sensitive to the medical community and the state, as well as listening to the medical experts to what they believe is the best approach.

"I would certainly lean on as heavily on the medical experts in the state as he has," Cooney said. "I also think you gotta have your finger on the pulse of people in different community leaders throughout the state and I think I would certainly continue to do that, but I do think we are going to learn more as time goes on, because as we all know the COVID situation forces us to address things on a day-to-day basis."

He said if he is elected as governor and dealing with COVID-19 issues, it is important to be tuned in to the needs of the state, needs of the health care community and partners with the state's federal partners.

"When I'm elected governor, that's the position I'm going to take and that's the approach that I'm going to take," he added.

Back when he first announced his candidacy last July, he said, he was talking about policy and health care, as health care is going to be a major priority for his administration.

Health care is what people told him is what needs to be a priority for them, not just affordable health care, but access to it and the cost of prescription drugs, he said.

He said the economy and jobs will be a priority for him as governor, and how COVID-19 has impacted them.

"Prior to the COVID, most people in Montana were saying, especially business owners and employers, were saying they have had challenges of finding people who were really qualified to take the jobs that they needed to fill, and even though right now we have a high unemployment rate as a result of COVID, when things start to return back to normal we still need to make sure we are providing educational opportunities and apprenticeship programs and just avenues for people who are looking to improve their skills, so that they can be better-prepared to take the jobs that we need to support, so that we can continue to really grow and prosper in the state," Cooney said.

Protecting public lands and the access to them is a priority he would take into the next administration, he said.

He said the public lands do not belong in private hands and the public lands are a driving force in the economy, it provides Montanans a "quality of life."

"Having said all that, obviously, the continuation of the COVID recovery is certainly going to take front and center, so we'll have to balance all of those things," he added.

In Montana, there is a constitutional responsibility, he said, that the state can only spend what it is brought in and balance the budget if the state  sees a drop below projected revenue as it did in 2017. 

"We can't be like the federal government and spend beyond our needs, so obviously we are going to have to watch the revenue and I think everybody anticipates revenues are not come at the level that they would've come prior to COVID, so we're going to have to deal with that," he said, "and the way we deal with it is we just need to look at our priorities and obviously, the biggest expenditures in government right now are health care, education and correction."

Cooney said Montana has been in a better fiscal condition than other states in the country.

He said he would continue the state's work to attract and create new businesses.

"I think we have to do everything we can as a state to I think support and to work with our existing businesses in Montana," Cooney said. "I mean, these are people who have invested in our state, they've hired people, they've created the payroll that is supported a lot of communities throughout the state. I think we're working just as hard right now through the COVID situation to figure out ways to help and support our local businesses all across the state, as many of them have struggled over the last five to six weeks."

Montana has a great deal of appeal, he said, people and business are looking at Montana to locate.

"They want to locate here because of our quality of life. We have a great education system, we have public lands they can enjoy, those all are very important factors and we need to continue to make sure that we are putting our best foot forward always in order to attract new businesses, that can really I think fit well in Montana and be apart of our communities and be good business partners," he added. "... We'll continue to work and focus on that when I'm elected governor."

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Mike Cooney

Born Sept. 3, 1954, Washington D.C.

Grew up in Butte

Wife DeAnn Cooney 1979

Three children

Graduated from University of Montana, 1979, political science degree

No military experience

Butte Cooney Food Brokerage 1970-77; Worked for Sen. Max Baucus 1980-1988; Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies 2001-2006, former deputy commissioner Montana Department of Labor, Montana Historical Society interim director

State representative from 1976 through 1979, Montana secretary of state 1988-2000, state Senate 2003-2011, 2007 president of the Senate, lieutenant governor since 2015