Dems, Gianforte to stump in Havre, Blaine, Hill counties

Candidates for statewide office will make stops in Havre and throughout north-central Montana during the final week of the election to shore up support among their respective party bases.   

   Both names at the top of the Republican ticket, gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte and his running mate, Lesley Robinson, a Phillips County commissioner from the Zortman area, will be in Havre Thursday morning.

Andrew Brekke, chair of the Hill County Republicans, said both candidates will be at the party’s headquarters at 701 First St. across from Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods at 10:30 a.m.

“We’re just congregating, having refreshments and hearing from Greg and Lesley,” Brekke said.

A statement from the Gianforte campaign said the visit is one of 42 stops on their statewide Whistle Stop Tour that began Sunday with stops in Livingston, Big Timber, Columbus and Red Lodge.

The tour will conclude Monday at 3 p.m. with a stop in Boulder.

Gianforte’s opponent, incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, and other top-tier Democrats will also be in Havre, making a stop at 9 a.m Thursday in the party’s field office on the second floor of the 305 Building on Third Street.  

Jason Pitt, a spokesman for the Montana Democratic Party, said Bullock would be joined by Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Big Sandy native who is not on the ballot this year, Larry Jent, the party’s candidate for Montana attorney general, U.S. House candidate Denise Juneau, state auditor candidate Jesse Laslovich, secretary of state candidate Monica Lindeen and Melissa Romano, the party’s candidate for superintendent of public instruction.

“We will be rallying folks to vote but also folks to knock on doors for candidates in Havre,” Pitt said.  

The stop is part of a statewide “Get Out the Vote” tour that begins today and will take Democrats to 10 cities and all seven of Montana’s Indian reservations.

“Every cycle, the entire Democratic ticket gets together, crisscrosses the state and encourages folks to get out and vote,” Pitt said.

Later in the day, the Democrats will attend a feed at the Red Whip Center Gym on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation scheduled for 11:30 a.m.  

After several other stops, Pitt said, the candidates will return to Hill County Nov. 6 for another feed at 5 p.m. at the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation senior citizens center at 111 Clinic Road.