By Matt B. Walen
The newly-elected chairman of the Hill County Republican Central Committee has thrown down the political gauntlet challenging fellow followers to help educate the local voters as to who the best candidates will be in coming elections.
Brad Lotton told the North Central Pachyderm Club Friday that his primary goal as head of the county GOP organization will be educating the voters on the candidates and their political stances.
I will want to educate the voters about what the candidate is really about, he said.
Lotton, who owns and has operated Lotton Construction Inc. in Havre for the past 20 years, said he became interested in the flow of political power when he disagreed with some policy enacted at the local level.
I got into politics because of local government bureaucracy, he said.
The Havre City primary election is slated for Tuesday, Sept. 14, and the four positions on the ballot will be one city council seat in each of the four wards. People interested in running need to file by July 1.
The Hill County Republican Central Committee plans on pursuing potential candidates from its party for the coming city elections, Lotton said. But he declined to name any potential candidates at this time.
The local Republican party is a vehicle to help make changes, he said. This is an opportunity to get something done and make positive changes at both the local and state level.
The local committee would also focus on the upcoming 2000 state elections with the hopes of getting Republicans in the top offices, Lotton said.
The Havre native, who grew up on a Box Elder farm, said he is here to help assist the other county GOP members in helping get their candidates elected.
Im here to assist the rest of you in helping get good people elected, he said.
Other goals Lotton said he has for the local GOP party includes recruiting more members into the party, working hard to get new elected officials into the local offices, promoting fiscal responsibility in the local government, and electing more GOP-minded officials from the local area to serve in the legislature in Helena.
Lotton said he would also encourage members to recruit more voters to show up at the polls when election day arrives. We need to do this whether they are to the left or to the right, he said.
The county GOP committee will meet every second Thursday at Uncle Joes at 6:30 p.m., Lotton said. The exception is the next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, June 10, at the USDA Farm Service Agency meeting room.
