Wonder When The Water Boarding Will Start?

by Ken Toole | Nov 15, 2025 | Candid Cartoon, Republicans

Welcome to the new Republican Party under the leadership of Art Wittich and its newly formed “Conservative Governance Committee.” The internal war within the state GOP continues to rage.

Back in August, Republican legislative incumbents received a questionnaire signed by Rep. Keith Regier, probing their loyalty to a slate of far-right positions. When questioned about the questionnaire, newly elected State GOP Chairman Art Wittich defended it, saying, “Republicans from across the state elected me as chair in June with a mandate to achieve conservative policies that reflect how much redder Montana has become,” according to an email statement.

Like A Bad Penny, Lola Just Keeps Coming Back

The initial questionnaire did not identify the members of the Conservative Governance Committee. However, the Montana State News Bureau reports that the committee includes Regier; Rep. Tracy Sharp of Polson; Rep. Mike Vinton of Billings; perennial statewide candidate Al Olszewski, who also chairs the Flathead County Republican Central Committee; and former Great Falls Representative Lola Sheldon-Galloway. The MTGOP declined to confirm the remaining members when asked about other rumored names.

Candidate questionnaire responses were collected, analyzed, and forwarded to party leadership. Those answers reportedly helped determine which candidates were invited to a campaign-skills training held in Helena in late October. According to the News Bureau, Wittich refused to answer questions about who funded the training, whether MTGOP funds were used to cover costs (the event was free to non-incumbents), or how the consulting firm running the training was selected.

Wittich, of course, comes with a long and sleazy history in Montana politics.

Source: https://wtf406.com/2025/08/dispatches-from-the-republican-civil-war/