Dennis Teske challenges Rehberg in Senate primary

A man who spent much of his youth and operated a business on the Hi-Line has entered the race to take the U. S. Senate seat in the 2012 election.

Terry farmer Dennis Teske filed as a Republican in the race for the seat now held by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.

Rep. Dennis Rehberg, R-Mont., also has filed as a candidate for the seat.

Tester has not yet filed as a candidate, though he is expected to seek re-election.

The only other candidates of local interest on the federal, state or local level to file were former U. S. Rep. Rick Hill, who filed Wednesday as a Republican in the race for governor, with state Sen. Jon Sonju of Kalispell as his running mate.

Democrat Dena Tippets also has filed for re-election as Hill County clerk of court.

Teske said he was born in Havre in 1950 and spent much of his youth moving around Montana with his father and mother, Kermit and Leona Teske, while his father worked in the oil business, mostly moving between Chinook and Roundup.

Dennis Teske said he has worked in many jobs, including the oil business and running a trucking business in Chinook in conjunction with Bert Tilleman's implement dealership, and owning businesses in Montana, Wyoming and Washington including convenience stores in Seattle.

His business experience is what makes him the best candidate for the Senate, he said.

"We have politicians running this country, and they are absolutely running it into the ground, " Teske said.

He said people right now are afraid of shutting the government down — he would shut it down and stop spending money the country doesn't have.

"They're stealing the financial future of our children and grandchildren, and that should be a crime …, " Teske said. "We're setting ourself up for failure. "

Online: Dennis Teske: www.teske4ussenate.com