Meet the Montana Senate Candidates

The MSU Exponent made every effort to contact candidates running for the U.S. House seat and the Montana House and Senate seats representing Bozeman and Belgrade. All candidates were provided with the same questions, the same instructions and the same word limit for their responses. The Exponent did not edit any of the responses for grammar or clarity. The Exponent does not endorse or oppose any candidate through the publication of these questionnaires. The questionnaires are intended to inform voters and help them make informed decisions.

Senate District 31

Kathleen Williams

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

I’ve lived in Montana for over 30 years and served three terms in the Legislature. Professionally, I’ve brokered win-win-win solutions for Montana rivers, water users, and public. In the Legislature I worked to lower costs, support public education, foster entrepreneurial opportunities, and protect our outdoor heritage. More at KathleenForMontana.com. 

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them?

Helping us all afford to live here – We need to bring down housing costs through additional supply and creative programs for renters and buyers. We need to restore the local tools for affordable housing past Legislatures took away. And we need to get ahead of what could be steep rises in energy costs for Montanans due to projected increased demand. That means reforming our Public Service Commission, advancing creative generation and grid tools, and ensuring we have the time to develop strict criteria resource and ratepayer protections for any hyper-scale data centers that want to locate in Montana. 

Supporting public education, including MSU – I’m the product of public schools and two land grant universities (BS and MS). We need to increase resources for early education (including childcare), K-12, and our college and university systems. We need a full spectrum, from STEM courses, to the trades, arts, and for special needsI represented the MSU campus as a State Representative, and now I hope you send me back to do it again as a State Senator.

Protecting our outdoor heritage – I have fought to keep our rivers clean and flowing, to protect access to public lands, and to conserve wildlife and fisheries. We need to enforce our public water rights while protecting senior water right holders. I’m a hunter, hiker, angler, cyclist, and canoeist. We need to fight every day to protect these opportunities, as that’s what makes Montana such an extraordinary place to live.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

I have experience as a legislator, and as legislative staff. I’ve spent much of my life listening to Montanans’ concerns and creatively addressing them. I’ve passed legislation that expanded access to health care, created hundreds of new businesses, and protected rivers. I know how to work with people of all political stripes on practical solutions for Montana. 

My opponent supports reducing funding for MSU (allowing the 6-mill levy to expire). In contrast, I have fought to defend and enhance MSU resources and programs. I am frequently on campus and in neighborhoods talking to people about what they care about and how I can be helpful in the Legislature. My opponent declined to show up for the one public forum for this district. You deserve a champion in the Legislature that shows up, listens to you, and advances your interests! I would be honored to earn your vote.

Finally, if you feel comfortable sharing, what is your political affiliation?

Personally, I identify as Independent; I am running for State Senate on the Democratic ticket.

Richard Aungier

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

I grew up on military bases around the world and taught English in Japan and South Korea. I worked as an Alaska pipeline weather observer, owned a trucking business, and was a commercial pilot in Alaska. I have a Bachelor degree in sciences from Portland State University.

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them?

1. Schools should be judged by academic excellence. Every family should be able to choose a school environment that best fits their child’s educational needs.

I will support school choice for all families, not only the wealthy. I will back full curriculum transparency, such that schools are accountable for teaching the truth and giving students the knowledge and skills necessary to compete for high-paying jobs.When schools cannot rely on students being forced to attend, they will have to improve their curriculum. I will sponsor and support bills, which limit teachers’ unions to bargaining over pay and working conditions only. Unions must not be allowed to forcepolitical ideology on teachers.

2. We must balance growth with preserving Montana’s quality of life and protecting our natural resources for future generations.

I will favor measures that will require transparency and financial accountability from county and local governments. Growth should never price out the people who already live here or be bought by secret bribes. Roads, schools, and utilities should be preparedresponsibly before the growth arrives. Locals should be allowed to afford to live in Montana.

3. Local businesses should not be burdened by government over-regulation.

I will work to cut redundant permits, shorten review times, and stop new taxes and fees which raise the prices Montanans pay for rent, food, and fuel. Gallatin County should not be taxed to fund programs which are restricting business opportunities. Excessive regulations waste money and hurt local businesses.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

College costs too much, forces you through years of pointless classes, and fails to prepare you for work.

Many required college classes only exist because public schools failed to teach students basic reading, writing, and math. Local governments, teachers' unions, and administrators misspend public school funding.

My platform centers on improving primary schools and school choice. Requiring schools to compete for students means they are forced to improve.

Property taxes should pay for schools that actually prepare students for life, yet they steadily increase while schools don’t prepare you for realities of life.

Everybody pays property taxes, not just homeowners. Students pay these taxes through higher food and service costs, and most importantly, through impossibly high rents.

Less waste of school funding means you arrive at college prepared. It means colleges can waste less time teaching you what primary schools should have already taught.

Senate District 32

Kelly Kortum

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

Kelly Kortum grew up in Ekalaka (southeastern Montana). After high school, he moved to Bozeman seeking education and a career in technology. Kelly has worked at the Community Food Co-op as a Systems Administrator for 16 years.

Kelly was elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 2020, 2022, and 2024. He specializes in voting rights and technology.

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them? 

Once elected, Kelly will continue to represent those who cannot afford lobbyists: you. Kelly will continue to bring bills that address housing costs, voting rights, and privacy protections in the age of invasive technology. He will continue to vote for bills that assure the youth of Montana still have a place to live and thrive.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

Kelly supports education at all levels and will continue to vote in favor of Montana's schools and universities, students and teachers. Montana's future is you! Attacks on Montana's future will not be tolerated.

Finally, if you feel comfortable sharing, what is your political affiliation?

Democratic party.

Neal Ganser

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

There are three generations of Montanans from my family in Bozeman. From an MSU Architecture student to building contractor to wholesale building materials to materials manufacturer, I have extensive business experience, contracts, negotiation and skills useful to a legislator. I believe I would be a market conservative noting that every problem cannot be effectively solved by government.

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them?

A- Property taxes are confiscatory. Montana needs a ‘grandfathered value system’ on residential property values.

B- K-12 Education in Montana requires vouchers to develop all the skills of our young people. Trades and occupational education must be expanded and may even be moved to the high school level as in the Germany model.

C- Protecting all school sports (grade school through college) from cross gender intrusion which has compromised scholarships, robbing would be champions of their opportunity.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

Montana can use some real business experience in the legislature. There are plenty of lawyers, realtors and others who get paid from the prosperity created by folks in the free enterprise economy. Ganser has the experience to see the potentially far-reaching implications of legislation, experience broadened by raising and providing for a family in Montana. From tradesman to international business, and a belief in Life, Liberty, Opportunity and Responsibility, he has an outlook on life and government that is constructive while being protective of the individual.