2024 Montana General Election

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Gov. Gianforte announces run for second term 

Greg is originally from the Philadelphia suburbs. He received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and his master's degree in computer science from Stevens Institute of Technology. He has a honorary doctorate degree in computer science from Montana State University-Bozeman and a honorary doctorate degree in engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He and his wife have four children. 

Greg was previously the managing director at Bozeman Technology Incubator, a consultant at Oracle, CEO and founder of RightNow Technologies, president and founder of Brightwork, and a technical staff member at AT&T Bell Labs.

Ballotpedia, Greg Gianforte

Greg Gianforte is currently governor of Montana. He was elected in 2020 and is serving his first term. He ran for for governor of Montana in 2016 and did not win then. He previously served in the U.S. House, representing Montana's at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2021.

Candidate website

Governor Greg Gianforte

AP News, Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte seeks second term

Supports economic growth through job creation, tax cuts, and entrepreneurship, prioritizing increased education funding, higher teacher salaries, and enhanced law enforcement resources, while also expanding public land access in Montana.

Supports economic growth through job creation, tax cuts, and entrepreneurship.

Committed to fiscal responsibility and ensuring the budget holds the line on new state spending and cuts taxes.

As governor, reduced the top income tax rate, authorized up to $1,250 in one-time rebates to tax payers, and passed a property tax rebate of up to $675.

- Supports economic growth through job creation, tax cuts, and entrepreneurship.
- Committed to fiscal responsibility and ensuring the budget holds the line on new state spending and cuts taxes.
- As governor, reduced the top income tax rate, authorized up to $1,250 in one-time rebates to tax payers, and passed a property tax rebate of up to $675.

Economy

Supports increased education funding and higher teacher salaries.

Wants to improve access to education for student, provide high-quality education, and expand trades education and apprenticeship opportunites.

- Supports increased education funding and higher teacher salaries.
- Wants to improve access to education for student, provide high-quality education, and expand trades education and apprenticeship opportunites.

Education

Facebook

Said, "I'm deeply troubled and frustrated by reports of illegal immigrants being flown into Montana. I've repeatedly pressed Joe Biden to tell governors when he ships illegal immigrants to our states."

Supports Israel, saying that "Montana stands with them against this unprovoked attack from Iran."

- Said, "I'm deeply troubled and frustrated by reports of illegal immigrants being flown into Montana. I've repeatedly pressed Joe Biden to tell governors when he ships illegal immigrants to our states."
- Supports Israel, saying that "Montana stands with them against this unprovoked attack from Iran."

Foreign Policy and Immigration

As of September 17, 2024, Greg Gianforte’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Voting & Elections

Wants to end human trafficking and increase resources for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis.

Plans to combat the drug epidemic by cracking down on violators.

Said, "Our investment to bolster treatment services in local detention centers has served over 3,000 Montanans. We're providing folks in the criminal justice system with tools to stay clean, sober, and healthy upon release."

- Wants to end human trafficking and increase resources for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis.
- Plans to combat the drug epidemic by cracking down on violators.
- Said, "Our investment to bolster treatment services in local detention centers has served over 3,000 Montanans. We're providing folks in the criminal justice system with tools to stay clean, sober, and healthy upon release."

Public Safety

Energy & the Environment

Committed  to increasing access to healthcare and bringing down costs of prescription drugs and healthcare.

Promotes competition in the healthcare marketplace and expanding teleheath services.

Opposes abortion, and supports legislation that limits access to it.

- Committed  to increasing access to healthcare and bringing down costs of prescription drugs and healthcare.
- Promotes competition in the healthcare marketplace and expanding teleheath services.
- Opposes abortion, and supports legislation that limits access to it.

Healthcare

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Greg Gianforte

Ballotpedia: Kaiser Leib

Kaiser earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Montana. He was born in Kalispell.

Kaiser is a software engineer and the CEO of Stage, a monetization platform based in Helena. 

Kaiser Leib's campaign for governor is his first entry into politics.

The candidate's website says, "Governor Gianforte and the Republicans in the legislature... instead of fixing property taxes. Fundamentally taxes should be abolished; it'd be impractical to do that tomorrow, but working within the existing framework to reduce property taxes is certainly the purview of the Governor's office and the legislature."

Aims to reduce property taxes, believing all taxes should ultimately be abolished. 

- Aims to reduce property taxes, believing all taxes should ultimately be abolished. 

As of September 17, 2024, Kaiser Leib’s website did not contain information on this issue.

The candidate's website says, "If people want to come to this country to get jobs, why would you want to stop that? ... maybe getting rid of the social programs is a better way to prevent any negative externalities associated with immigration than putting troops on the border."

Believes that in order to reduce immigration, we should get rid of social programs rather than put more troops on the border.

Supports the Defend the Guard Act, which would require a congressional declaration of war before sending our National Guard troops overseas.

- Believes that in order to reduce immigration, we should get rid of social programs rather than put more troops on the border.
- Supports the Defend the Guard Act, which would require a congressional declaration of war before sending our National Guard troops overseas.

The candidate's website says, "Yes. Kaiser taught rifle marksmanship with Project Appleseed for many years, and was briefly the state coordinator. Further restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms are unnecessary, and many existing restrictions do not serve the public interest."

Says, "Further restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms are unnecessary, and many existing restrictions do not serve the public interest."

Said, "I don't like drugs. Whether I like drugs or not is irrelevant to whether or not there ought to be restrictions on their use."

Says his opinion on drugs is "irrelevant to whether or not there ought to be restrictions on their use."

- Says, "Further restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms are unnecessary, and many existing restrictions do not serve the public interest."
- Says his opinion on drugs is "irrelevant to whether or not there ought to be restrictions on their use."

The candidate's website says, "Pro-choice... you've got the unstoppable force (hypothetical human baby life) versus the immovable object (mother's right to her own body)... the mother's right to control her own body wins out."

- Supports abortion access.
- Supports LGBTQ+ rights.

Kaiser Leib

Ryan and his wife Sara have two sons and live in Kalispell, Montana. 

Ryan was a senior sales executive at a major firearms company for more than 25 years. He wrote a book about his experience in the industry in 2021, titled “Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America."

KTVQ: 'People cannot afford to live here': Gubernatorial challenger Ryan Busse talks property tax relief

This is Ryan Busse's first time running for political office.

Montana Public Radio: Gubernatorial candidate Ryan Busse outlines his policy goals

Daily Montanan: Democrat Busse outlines policy priorities in campaign for Montana governor

Believes that "corporations and the wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes."

Opposes a statewide sales tax, which he says would disproportionately hurt working families.

Said he would invest more state dollars into affordable housing.

Pledged to send any rebate checks directly to homeowners rather than make them apply and to end Gianforte’s property tax task force and work on housing and tax solutions.

- Believes that "corporations and the wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes."
- Opposes a statewide sales tax, which he says would disproportionately hurt working families.
- Said he would invest more state dollars into affordable housing.
- Pledged to send any rebate checks directly to homeowners rather than make them apply and to end Gianforte’s property tax task force and work on housing and tax solutions.

Opposes using taxpayer money to fund private and religious charter schools without public school oversight.

Aims to work closely with teachers to ensure fair pay, fair benefits, and safe working conditions.

Said he would invest more state dollars into public education.

- Opposes using taxpayer money to fund private and religious charter schools without public school oversight.
- Aims to work closely with teachers to ensure fair pay, fair benefits, and safe working conditions.
- Said he would invest more state dollars into public education.

As of September 17, 2024, Ryan Busse’s website did not contain information on this issue.

According to his website, "believes in majority rule, free and fair elections, and the right of all eligible citizens to vote without difficulty, confusion or harassment."

- According to his website, "believes in majority rule, free and fair elections, and the right of all eligible citizens to vote without difficulty, confusion or harassment."

Huffpost: An Ex-Gun Industry Executive — And Democrat — Looks To Become Montana’s Next Governor

Opposes gun industry marketing practices which he says "encourage violence and radicalization."

- Opposes gun industry marketing practices which he says "encourage violence and radicalization."
- Opposes open-carry laws.

Aims to uphold Montana's Constitution’s guaranteed right of a “clean and healthful environment.”

Opposes any effort to limit access to, privatize, or sell public lands, or to transfer management of federal public lands to states.

- Aims to uphold Montana's Constitution’s guaranteed right of a “clean and healthful environment.”
- Opposes any effort to limit access to, privatize, or sell public lands, or to transfer management of federal public lands to states.

Pledges to keep Medicaid expansion in place.

- Supports abortion availability.
- Pledges to keep Medicaid expansion in place.

Ryan Busse

- The Governor is the chief executive of the state and is tasked with faithfully carrying out the laws of the state. 
- The Governor prepares the annual state budget, meaning they recommend how money gets divided between various government divisions, such as police, education, healthcare, and roads. This budget must be approved by state lawmakers.
- The Governor has significant power over what laws get made in the state. They advocate for their legislative agenda. They also can veto legislation passed by the state legislature. 
- The Governor is elected for a four-year term, with a limit of 2 terms every 16 years.

The chief executive of the state, who plays a significant role in the laws made every year

Montana Governor

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