Sivertsen files in race for Havre house district

A former state legislator is stepping back into the ring after being out of office more than 35 years.

Former state Rep. Bob Sivertsen announced Wednesday he is running as an independent in the race for House District 28, which essentially includes most of Havre and a bit to the east of the town.

"Friends and neighbors," he said in a statement announcing his candidacy, "I am running for the state Legislature in House District 28 as an independent because I don't feel politics has served Montanans very well. That's what I'm hearing from so many in my travels.

"I want to lead a discussion about growing our economy, creating good jobs, and constructing an adequate highway so this great northern corridor can compete for business," he added.

Sivertsen will face first-term Rep. Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre, and Havre Libertarian candidate Conor Burns in the general election.

Bachmeier and Burns were unopposed in the primary election this week.

Sivertsen, who was born in 1937 and grew up on a ranch 50 miles south of Chinook, has a long history in politics and community activism.

He served in the Legislature from 1974 to 1982, including chairing the five-state Water Task Force of the Upper Missouri River Basin from 1978 to 1981 and sat on the state Highway Transportation Committee from 1978 to 1982.

He has stayed active in political issues, including heading the Highway 2 Association, championing widening the highway to four lanes across the state, since the beginning of the last decade and pushing to upgrade the hours at the Port of Wildhorse on the Canadian border north of Havre.

The list of the organizations with which he has been involved is extensive, including serving on the fair board in HIll County for 26 years, chairing the board for 22 years. He is well-known at the fair for auctioneering the annual 4-H livestock sale, which he started doing in the 1960s, as well as announcing at other events. He was a founding member of the Hill County 4-H Foundation, served as a 4-H leader for 28 years and has been awarded a 4-H Distinguished Service Award.

His distinctive voice was known also for his work broadcasting on the radio, and as the auctioneer for his B&B Auction Sales and Service.

Sivertsen also was the founder of the annual free community Christmas dinner in Havre, which he ran for 16 years.

In the midst of his lifelong work in agriculture - he started his own ranch business at age 17 - Sivertsen worked as the state coordinator for the Montana Centennial Cattle Drive, with 3,200 riders using 4,500 horses to drive 3,500 head of cattle across the state. He was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2013.

Sivertsen said in his release he wants to hear from the constituents in HD28.

"I'm especially interested in your thoughts as to how we can achieve greatness in this, the 21st century," he said.