Secretary of State 2020

BRYCE BENNETT (D)

• Current State Senator for District 50 
• Represented MT-House District 91 (2011-2019)
• House Minority Whip (2015-2016)

Why did you decide to run for Secretary of State?

I grew up in a small town in eastern Montana called Hysham. There were barely 400 people there when I lived there and the school fit Kindergarten through High School down one hallway.

Partisan politics doesn’t come up much when the folks up the road need help changing irrigation pipes or when there are sandbags to fill to keep your neighbor’s house from flooding.

Those are the small-town values that got me involved in politics. I started by registering Montanans to vote. Going out in knee-deep snow and pouring rain to help ensure every eligible Montana voter has a say in our future.

Unfortunately, the values that I grew up with are too often lost at the Capitol. And over the last 4 years, we’ve seen the worst of that as my opponent led a Secretary of State’s office plagued by corruption and incompetence. This office has become a mess. That’s why we need a nonpartisan leader who will put partisan politics aside like I have my whole career.

I’m the only candidate who has committed to keep our public lands in public hands so students today and future generations will always have the opportunity to hike, hunt, fish, and explore these incredible areas we all own.

I’m the only candidate in this race who has battled dark money to make sure our democracy is only accountable to the folks voting in this state. I’m also proud that I’ve worked as a partner with students to make our democracy more accessible, more secure, and stronger than ever before.

We can do better than what we’ve seen from this current administration and I’m ready to clean up this mess on day one.

Why should MSU students vote for you? 

I’ve worked directly with students at Montana State University to get them registered and ready to vote, because I believe deeply that young people have a critical voice in our democracy. Young people are the biggest voting block in American politics today. We need a Secretary of State who will be a partner to student voters and not someone who will actively work to silence your voice.

I’ve spent my career working on the issues that matter to Montanans of all generations by bringing Republicans and Democrats together to get things done. I protected access to healthcare for 90,000 Montanans and kept our rural hospitals open. I’ve fought against the dark money that’s poisoning our political system. And I defended our public lands against the folks with gates and barbed wire trying to keep us out.

That’s the reason our campaign is endorsed by former Secretaries of State from both parties like Democrat Linda McCulloch and Republican Bob Brown.

We can’t afford another four years of a Secretary of State who has voted against public access, made decisions that hurt Main Street, and created barriers between voters and their ballots to advance their partisan agenda.

In your own words, what is the role and responsibility of the Montana Secretary of State? 

We need a leader who will be an advocate for our outdoor heritage. From hunting and fishing, to hiking and biking - our values - and our outdoor economy are in the hands of our Land Board.

I grew up swimming in Flathead lake and hiking around my grandpa’s hunting cabin in Zortman. These public lands are special to me and any attack on them is personal.

That’s why I’ve worked in the legislature to put heavy fines on developers who attempt to block off access to the public lands we all own.

The Secretary of State is also the defender of our democracy - the person in charge of ensuring you have a say in Montana’s future.

While my opponent has attempted to create barriers between voters and their ballots to advance their partisan agenda I fought back to protect your rights.

And despite being in the minority that whole time, I was successful in sending bipartisan bill after bipartisan bill to the Governor’s desk to make our democracy more secure, more accessible, and stronger than ever before.

While my opponent believes dark money groups should be able to pour millions of dollars in secret cash into our state to drown out your voice, I’ve spent my career fighting those groups and I’ve won!

I’ve made sure that farmers in Eastern Montana don’t have to drive hundreds of miles just to drop off a ballot.

I’ve fought countless bills attacking Native American voters and their right to have their voices heard, and when 72,000 Montanans were at risk of losing their ability to vote I fought for a fix to make sure they could vote now and forever.

I’ve passed bills to help people vote who I know will vote against me this election because it was the right thing to do.

We should always expect a Secretary of State who will put Montanans before their own political career.

What will your top priority as Secretary of State be? 

Protecting Access to our Public Lands: We need a leader who’ll be an advocate for our outdoor heritage on the Land Board. I’ll fight the special interests that are trying to sell off our favorite places to hike, hunt, fish, and explore to the highest bidder.

Fight Dark Money: When dark money groups tried to buy our elections, I worked with Republicans and Democrats to stop dark money groups from drowning out your voice by passing the nation’s leading anti-dark money reform law. As Secretary of State, I’ll make sure the only voice that matters on Election Day is Montana voters.

A One Stop Shop for Montana Small Businesses: The Secretary of State’s office should be a resource, not a burden for Montana small business owners. I’ll create a one-stop-shop to provide a clear roadmap for Montana entrepreneurs of each step they need to take to open up their doors.

How as secretary of state will you protect our elections? 

Defending our elections means protecting your right to cast a ballot and defending our democracy against hackers who would seek to infiltrate it and undermine it’s integrity.

I’ve fought voter suppression efforts aimed at students every session I’ve been in the legislature. When they tried to close down polling locations on campus we fought back and protected these important voting areas. When they tried to eliminate student ID’s as a means of voting, we organized and defeated the bill. We know the efforts by out of touch politicians to silence your voices will not stop - so you need a Secretary of State with a record of fighting for you.

We also know that the 2016 election tested our ability to protect the infrastructure of our elections and made us think about the steps needed to protect our elections from hackers both foreign and domestic.

As Secretary of State, I’ll protect our democracy and Montanan’s constitutional rights by bringing experts to the table. Unlike the current Stapleton/Jacobsen administration, you will not have to drag me kicking and screaming to utilize the Montana National Guard’s Cyber Security Unit to partner with county elections officials and state officials to keep our voting systems safe.

While they’ve sat on the sidelines - I’ve built plans to bring leaders from the private sector who have gone toe-to-toe with the people who are attacking our elections in Montana and across the country to our cybersecurity team.

Montanans must have faith in the outcome of our elections and building a team ready to combat these threats is a priority.

Montana is a same-day voter registration state, would you make voter registration easier? Why and if so how? 

We must ensure that our democracy is strong, accessible, and secure. In the legislature, I’ve led in the work to ensure every eligible Montana voter has the ability to have their voice heard and their vote counted on Election Day. No matter where you live, how you vote, or which party you are casting your ballot for - we need to make sure our democracy works for all Montana voters.

Despite countless attempts from folks like my opponent to eliminate Election Day Registration, I have always voted to keep this vital tool available to all Montanans. Election Day Registration is the failsafe of our democracy and I won’t let politicians rip it away.

The people who use Election day registration are those who truly need it to protect their freedom to vote: seniors, folks with disabilities, farmers and ranchers in rural Montana, and recently returned military veterans. It's our responsibility to make sure that everyone's right to vote is protected, but my opponent’s plan would silence their voices.

Montana’s election system works well and we should be proud of it. That’s why Montana voters stopped partisan politicians from repealing this important program in 2014 - and I’ll keep fighting to protect your constitutional rights as Secretary of State.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a push for more access to mail-in ballots, how as secretary of state would you work to make sure the election is both free and fair? 

I believe no Montanan should have to choose between their health and casting a ballot We need to make sure our elections are safe and secure no matter the challenges That is why even before COVID-19 came to Montana, I built a 9-Point plan to keep our democracy strong in the face of this pandemic, while my opponent has left our local election administrators with no guidance, no resources, and no leadership.

COVID-19 will not be the only challenge this office and our democracy face. We need a Secretary of State who will bring together election leaders, voters, tribal leaders, health experts and everyone who has a stake in our election system. We need to plan ahead to make sure that no is left without their fundamental right to vote.

CHRISTI JACOBSON (R)

• Current Deputy Secretary of State 
• Worked for Montana's justice department, governor's office and state auditor's office
• Graduate of Carrol College and University of Montana

As of press time, Jacobson had not responded to the Exponent’s questionnaire.