Helena – At their special convention on Sunday, March 5, Democrats nominated banjo player and singer Rob Quist to run under their party’s banner to fill Montana’s congressional seat that was vacated by Ryan Zinke, who was sworn in as Interior Secretary last week.
Rob Quist currently resides in the Flathead Valley and was nominated during the fourth round of balloting at the Democrat Convention. He defeated Butte legislator Amanda Curtis, Billings legislator Kelly McCarthy and five others during the four rounds of voting.
Shortly after Quist’s nomination, the Montana Republican Party Chairman Jeff Essmann released a statement saying, “Montana workers voted for a growing economy and better paying jobs when President Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by a margin of 101,531 votes. Mr. Quist offers just more of the same dead-end Democrat policies that Montana voters stood-up against just a few months ago. The Montana Democrat Party is so far out of touch with working Montana families they chose a far-left supporter of mandatory gun registration, socialized healthcare, and sanctuary cities as their candidate. Nancy Pelosi must be thrilled!”
While campaign for the nomination, Quist told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that he is for a socialized, single-payer health care system, he is against President Trump’s immigration proposals, and is pro-abortion.
Additionally, Quist’s statements on gun ownership may cause him the most problems with the Montana electorate. Quist has stated that the only reason to own some weapons is that they are only meant to kill people. In the same response he said that he is for mandatory registration of firearms.
Republicans will hold their nominating convention on Monday, March 6, where around 7 candidates are vying for the nomination including 2016 gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte, former GOP Chair Ken Miller, former Billings legislator Ed Walker, and Great Falls legislator Ed Buttrey.
By: Big Sky Headlines Staff