Bullock lifts Democrat spirits during state tour

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said Thursday he doesn't want to get any more cramps in his fingers from vetoing so many bills.

So he is asking Hi-Line voters to send fellow Democrats Greg Jergeson and Janet Trethewey to the state Legislature.

The two will help him get his proposals such as Medicaid expansion, school aid and pre-kindergarten programs through the recalcitrant Legislature.

Bullock spoke before a Democratic Party get-out-the-vote rally at the Eagles Club Thursday morning. Bullock and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester are leading the Democratic entourage through the state. The tour will conclude Sunday in Butte.

Trethewey and Jergeson are locked in tight races that are getting widespread attention.

During the 2013 legislative session, Bullock vetoed a near-record number of bills passed by the Republican-dominated legislature. At the same time, he had a difficult time getting some of his initiatives through.

A crowd of party loyalists cheered the governor and other speakers as they took turns urging people to help get out the vote in Tuesday's election. They were joined by students from John Ita's Havre High School civics classes.

"The average age at these rallies is usually around 50," said Senate candidate Amanda Curtis, herself 36. "You have lowered it at least a decade."

Tester joined in, asking people to work for the local team as well as Curtis and House candidate John Lewis.

Curtis went through tough times

Curtis brought the house down with her speech, in which she promised to fight for the middle class.

She recalled her own childhood where the electrical power and telephone service were frequently shut off for nonpayment.

Because of those times, she said, she understands the issues people face in their daily lives.

That's why, she said, she favors increasing the minimum wage.

She looked back at the day following Sen. John Walsh's withdrawal from the Senate race against Republican Steve Daines.

Chuck Johnson of Lee Newspapers called her and asked about rumors she might seek to fill Walsh's slot.

She said she had given scant attention to the idea of a race, but blurted out "Of course I would. Who wouldn't want to run against him? He's terrible for Montana."

She said she has traveled 9,500 miles across Montana since she won the Democratic nomination and is delighted to be carrying to torch for her party and for women.

She noted that she is the first woman to run for the U.S. Congress from Montana since 1916, when Jeanette Rankin ran. Rankin became the first woman elected to the U.S. House.

Debates helped propel Lewis

John Lewis, challenging Republican Ryan Zinke for the U.S. House, said it has been 20 years since the Democrats have held that seat, and vowed to fight to the end.

He said his biggest challenge was to get Zinke to debate him. They now have had seven, he said. As a result, newspaper endorsements have been flowing his way.

But convincing people to vote for him is only part of the challenge, he said. He also has to convince people to get out to vote.

Republicans turn out for midterm elections, he said. Democrats do sometimes.

In 2006, he said, when Tester won an upset victory over incumbent Conrad Burns, 63 percent of the Democrats turned out. In 2010, when large numbers of Democrats were turned out of office, 50 percent of the Democrats voted.

Local candidates

Trethewey, running in the House District 28, promised to bring her experience as an educator and a lifelong Hi-Line resident to Helena.

"We need a legislature that will pass expanded Medicaid," she said. "We need a legislature will support public education, not privatize it. We need pre-kindergarten education."

Jergeson said he had gone door to door in his massive Senate District 14 that extends from Canada to Great Falls.

He said he had knocked on every door in the urban parts his district.

The "urban parts" include the 15 homes in Square Butte, he said.