Montana voters deserve honest answers from Republican candidates
As a Republican in the Montana Senate, I’ve seen firsthand how legislators falsely claiming to be Republicans hurt the very Montanans who voted them into office. Montana voters sent a Republican majority to Helena, expecting us to enact the platform we campaigned on: fiscal responsibility, limited government, and conservative values. What they got instead was a Senate controlled by the Democratic minority and the so-called “Republicans” who empowered them.
Instead of trimming government and putting money back into the pockets of hardworking Montanans, a small faction of Republicans partnered with Democrats to push through legislation that increases state spending and takes more money from Montanans. Is that really what voters expected when they cast their ballots for candidates (falsely) running as a Republican? Of course not!
Now, the MTGOP’s new Conservative Governance Committee is sending out a simple questionnaire to candidates meant to figure out where they stand on critical issues and why they’re running under the Republican banner. It’s a simple, straightforward way for candidates to be honest with voters.
Why, then, are some “Republicans” attacking their party and fellow Republicans over this questionnaire? Do they fear having to be honest with voters? It appears so.
Rep. Llew Jones published a document calling the questionnaire a “purity test” intended to “purge” people from the party. That is an absurd reading of the situation. In truth, the questionnaire’s purpose is to secure the trust of Montana voters by testing Republican lawmakers’ honesty and integrity. No Republican candidate should have a problem answering basic questions on political issues, unless they are intent upon misleading voters.
Jones — who has been in the legislature for more than two decades — should be able to answer the questions easily enough, and yet multiple AI-detection tools flagged his response as likely to have been produced with AI. Montanans deserve authentic answers from real Republicans, not artificial ones!
Instead of trying to discredit the Republican Party and questionnaire, Jones should reflect upon his issues with voter transparency. Perhaps honest answers would show voters where he really stands: not with the agenda mandated by Montana voters, but with his own personal agenda.
I urge every Republican candidate to be open with voters and answer the questionnaire truthfully, not with finger pointing and AI-generated slop. Honesty is the best policy, especially from those trusted to enact the policies Montanans voted for.
By: Senator Carl Glimm (R-Kila)
