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/
by Ken Toole | Aug 23, 2025 | Corporations, Energy/Utilities
This editorial was sent to newspapers across Montana.
What is it about top executives in monopoly utilities that makes them want to play cowboy capitalists? Case in point is NorthWestern Energy’s plan to provide power to gigantic data centers. With great ballyhoo across the state, NorthWestern Energy announced it signed a “letter of intent” to provide as much as 1,000 megawatts of electricity to Quantica Infrastructure for its proposed data center. That’s more than their current total electric load of 760 megawatts. That amount of power would use all of NorthWestern’s existing generation capacity.
You would think that this monopoly business and its top brass would be satisfied with its current situation. In exchange for providing power to its current customer base (that’s us), they receive a virtual guarantee they will not lose their investment for any reason. They also get a guaranteed rate of return on their investments that hovers around 10%. That is for the entire life of the facility regardless of economic conditions or competition.
In exchange for running this sleepy little monopoly, which is headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, their current CEO, Brian Bird, received $4.8 million in 2024. The 2023 corporate proxy statement lists Board Chair Linda Sullivan receiving an annual retainer of $150,000 plus 3,750 shares of stock. Current price per share is around $55. For comparison, the manager of Flathead Electric Cooperative, the largest public power provider in Montana, receives just under $550,000 per year.
But now NorthWestern wants to take on a lot of risk building new facilities and making investments betting on the latest fashion trend to come down the pike: data centers. And if they miss their bet, we all suffer the consequences. Maybe the business booster crowd needs a history lesson.
In 1971, the Bureau of Reclamation released the North Central Power Study. The plan called for massive coal development on the northern plains. In Montana alone, they envisioned 17 coal plants roughly the size of the Colstrip plants. Of course, the Montana Power Company (NorthWestern Energy’s predecessor) and other corporate interests in Montana were all for it. For them, the environmental degradation and negative impact on existing ag producers and others were worth the cost.
But ranchers, Native tribes, and many others were not convinced. They organized to oppose the massive development being proposed by the coal and utility industries. In the end, only four plants were built and owned by a consortium of utilities. It also spawned two of the most powerful citizen groups in the state: The Montana Environmental Information Center and Northern Plains Resource Council. To this day, they remain actively engaged in protecting Montana’s people and environment from corporate interests seeking a quick dollar.
Fast forward to 1997 and the electric deregulation fiasco. Management of the Montana Power Company became bored with the stodgy old regulated utility business. So they decided to sell off the power plants and power lines they owned. They took all of that money and dumped it into Touch America, a fledgling telecommunications company. In short order, Touch America went bankrupt and all of that money evaporated. Montana suffered through years of economic chaos. We went from some of the lowest customer rates in the country to some of the highest rates in the Northwest. NorthWestern is now proposing significant rate increases on a regular basis, while still trying to acquire worn out, expensive coal plants in the Colstrip complex.
In the emerging world of huge data centers serving everything from artificial intelligence to cryptocurrency ponzi schemes, NorthWestern sees a new shiny object on the horizon: huge electric loads required by data centers. Unfortunately, this confronts us when the national government is run by delusional ideologues. Here in Montana, billionaire tech moguls and far-right legislators are running state government. The Public Service Commission, which should be protecting us from the greed of corporate CEOs, looks more like the clown show in a three-ring circus.
Strap in and hold onto your wallets, folks. It’s gonna be a wild ride.
Ken Toole served on the Public Service Commission from 2007 to 2011. He was a member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, serving as its chairman in 2005. He served as the vice chair of the Senate Taxation Committee in 2005. He was also the President of The Policy Institute, a private group which conducted research on economic issues including energy and taxation.
by Ken Toole | Aug 19, 2025 | Cascade County, City, Elections
Most of us believe we are in deep political trouble in this country. The Trump Administration with its lying, bigotry and bullying has demonstrated it is firmly on the road to unapologetic fascism. Here in Montana our statewide elected officials are a group of millionaires and billionaires in the Republican Party who either agree with Trump or are afraid of him. . . it’s hard to tell which. And here in Cascade County, local Republican Party ideologues dominate almost all local elected positions.
This is not a time for good citizens to sit back and watch the show. This is a time people need to step up and take back our government. And that is most effectively done at the local level. Take a look at the filings in this post and you can see Republicans are already mobilizing. We must do the same. There is plenty of time to file, but the sooner people get into the process the more likely it is that they will win. So, what’s stopping you? Step up and join the fight for democracy.
This WTF406 post has information on local political races. The information was taken from the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices website. There are numerous elections not included in this post. For example, there is nothing on Neighborhood Council races nor is there any information on local judicial races. In addition, it is worth noting that filing deadlines for municipal races have passed. Filing for all other races is still open and will be until spring.
Public Service Commission
District 1, Randy Pinocci, Republican, Incumbent
Pinocci is term limited
Jeremy Trebas, Republican, Treasurer, Jeremy Trebas
Jeff Pattison, Republican, Treasurer, Katie Wenetta
House Of Representatives
HD 19 Jane Weber, Democrat, Incumbent
Jane Weber, Democrat, Filed for 2026, Treasurer Pam Guschausky
HD 20 Melanie Nikolakakos, Republican, Incumbent
No filings as of 8-18
HD 21 Ed Buttrey, Republican, Incumbent
Lela Graham, Democrat, Treasurer, Charlene Graham
Trevor Fundseth, Republican, Treasurer, Trevor Fundseth
Eric Peterson, Republican, Treasurer, Patti Levesey
HD 22 George Nikolakakos, Republican, Incumbent
Kevin Leatherbarrow, Republican, Treasurer, Tony Rosales
HD 23 Eric Tilleman, Republican, Incumbent
Eric Tilleman, Republican, Treasurer, Waylon Finley
HD 24 Steve Fitzpatrick, Republican, Incumbent
Steve Fitzpatrick, Republican, Treasurer, Steve Fitzpatrick
HD 25 Steve Gist, Republican, Incumbent
No Filing as of 8-18
HD 26 Russ Miner, Republican, Incumbent
Russ Miner, Republican, Treasurer, Russ Miner
Senate
SD 10 Jeremy Trebas, Republican, Incumbent
Melissa Nikolakakos, Republican, Treasurer, George Nikolakakos
Jessica Dyrdahl, Republican, Treasurer, Tony Roslaes
Margaret Mitchel, Democrat, Treasurer, Lew Opollito
SD 11, Daniel Emrich, Republican, Incumbent
George Nikolakakaos, Republican, Treasurer, Melissa Nikolakakas
SD 12, Wendy Mckamey, Republican, Incumbent
No filing as of 8-18
County
County Commission, District 1, Jim Larson, Republican, Incumbent
Tom Lynch, Republican, Treasurer, Eric Tilleman
County Sheriff, Jesse Slaughter, Republican, Incumbent
No Filings as of 8-18
County Attorney, Josh Racki, Democrat, Incumbent
No Filings as of 8-18
Clerk and Recorder, Sandra Merchant, Republican, Incumbent
No Filings as of 8-18
County Treasurer, Diane Heikkila, Republican, Incumbent
No Filings as of 8-18
City of Great Falls (non-partisan election)
Mayor
Filing Deadline has passed
Cory Reeves, Incumbent, Treasurer, Cory Reeves
Jasmine Taylor, Treasurer, Desirae Starling
Council (two positions)
Matt Pippinich, Treasurer,Barbara Bassette
Joe McKenney, Treasurer, Greg Smith
Casey Schreiner, Treasurer, Erin Merchant
Pete Anderson, not available
by Ken Toole | Aug 12, 2025 | Cascade County, Politics, Travel
Pishkun Reservoir sits eighteen miles west of Choteau nestled along the Rocky Mountain Front. The 1500 acre reservoir is part of the Bureau of Reclamation’s Sun River Project which provides water to farms and municipalities all along the Front and out onto the prairie. The area is subject to high winds and extreme temperatures. Because it is an irrigation project water levels change dramatically throughout the year There is a small developed camping area which is run by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Like almost all camp sites, the Pishkun campground has a reader board at each entry with information about the rules, maps and contact information. Most of the information on the reader board is put up and maintained by the Montana Department Fish Wildlife and Parks. But at Pishkun there is a new posting from the Federal Bureau of Reclamation soliciting information from those using the camp ground.
The Bureau of Reclamation wants to know if you have identified;
-any areas that need repair or;
-any services that need improvement or;
-any signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur and abundance of landscapes and other natural features.
The post script at the bottom of the page reads; This effort is in accordance with implementing DOI Secretarial Order 3431; Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.
Clearly, Donald Trump’s war on factual history has arrived in a far corner of Montana. Are we really expected to notify the Bureau of Reclamation of “signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans”? Does that include songs around a camp fire or even bumper stickers on vehicles?
Read Trump’s executive order here: https://www.doi.gov/document-library/secretary-order/so-3431-restoring-truth-and-sanity-american-history
by Ken Toole | Aug 8, 2025 | Cascade County, Republicans
Far right opponents of Representative Llew Jones have been circulating the above graphic on social media
The internal war in the Montana Republican Party rages on. The recent controversy at the State GOP convention continues to draw attention to the feud between the more centrist “Solutions Caucus” supporters and the far-right “Montana Freedom Caucus.” After the convention, the Freedom Caucus turned to social media and radio to attack fellow Republicans they deemed to be RINOs (Republicans In Name Only).
GOP Convention Rumble In Helena
The GOP convention was held in Helena in late June. In violation of party rules, Senator Barry Usher moved to “not recognize” nine senators who had worked with Democrats during the 2025 legislative session, stripping them of their right to participate as convention delegates. Despite being ruled out of order by the party chairman, the vote proceeded, and Usher’s motion was approved, resulting in the senators being unable to vote in the convention. 🔗 Source
Three of the nine senators are currently challenging that decision and are calling for a “do-over” of the convention voting. In a lawsuit filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court on August 5th, Senator Jason Elsworth of Hamilton, Denley Loge of St Regis and Shelly Vance of Belgrade are asking the court to restore their voting rights and force a new vote on party leadership. https://montanafreepress.org/2025/08/06/disenfranchised-at-convention-republican-lawmakers-sue-mtgop/
Art Wittich- Far Right And Sleazy
New officers elected at the convention included Art Wittich, an attorney and longtime political operator, who was elected chair of the party. Former Republican legislator Russ Fitzgerald from Teton County put it this way:
“More alarming, the Freedom Caucus elevated Art Wittich to state party chair. I now call him the ‘Cleanser-in-Chief’ for leading this pogrom in the state party. Wittich’s past includes a $68,000 fine—one of Montana’s largest—for campaign finance irregularities during his 2010 Senate campaign.”
In 2016, Wittich was convicted of violating Montana campaign laws after failing to report nearly $20,000 spent in his legislative race in Gallatin County. That figure did not include additional money spent by “independent expenditure” groups promoting his candidacy. Wittich featured prominently in the 2018 documentary film Dark Money, which provided a detailed exposé of corruption in our political process.
🔗 More on Wittich
Grulkowski Loses Another Election
Former Cascade County Commissioner, election denier, and purveyor of wild conspiracy theories Rea Grulkowski was defeated in a bid to be GOP vice chair by Stacy Zinn. Grulkowski was clearly the darling of the Freedom Caucus crowd. She was nominated by Theresa Manzella, the founder of the Montana Freedom Caucus and an election denier extraordinaire.
🔗 See our previous post
Manzella pointed out in her nomination speech that Grulkowski was not officially endorsed by the MT Freedom Caucus, although her nomination was seconded by Senator Barry Usher, who has served as the treasurer of the Montana Freedom Caucus. Manzella said Grulkowski was not formally supported because she did not know enough of the members. Grulkowski was ultimately defeated by Stacy Zinn, a retired DEA agent and former unsuccessful candidate for Montana’s Eastern District congressional seat. Zinn received 124 votes; Grulkowski had 106.
Then There Were The Battles During The Legislature
The 2025 legislative session was characterized by infighting among Republican legislators. Right out of the gate, a group of nine Republican senators objected to the committee assignments they were given, calling those assignments a “parking spot.” They worked with the Democratic minority to stifle the rules proposed by Republican leadership, bringing the Senate to a virtual standstill. As the session progressed, the nine senators proved to be staunch allies of Governor Greg Gianforte and joined a bipartisan group of 20 to 25 representatives to pass property tax cuts and Medicaid expansion. (That’s what we call moderates?!)
🔗 More on that
What Ever Happened To Matt Rosendale
It’s hard to recap all the battles in the Republican civil war—there have been so many. Ten years ago, the Cascade County Republican Central Committee imploded after a far-right Freedom Caucus push to sanction and remove members they didn’t like.
🔗 Read the story
Then there’s the mysterious case of National Freedom Caucus leader and Montana Representative Matt Rosendale. After weeks of playing coy with the media about whether he would challenge Jon Tester for his Senate seat, Rosendale finally announced he was in. Then, six days later, he withdrew after Trump announced he was endorsing Tim Sheehy in the Republican primary—likely because Rosendale had snubbed Trump by refusing to take his call on the House floor.
🔗 Rosendale drama
Within a couple of weeks, Rosendale announced that he was not running for re-election to his seat in Congress. There’s little question he would have been a shoo-in to retain his seat. His decision prompted widespread speculation about the “real” reason. On a political podcast, North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp said the rumor in D.C. was that he had allegedly impregnated a 20-year-old congressional staffer. Whatever the reason, Rosendale quickly exited public life and politics.
🔗 Rumor recap
They’ll Be Back!
In the last election, three Freedom Caucus supporters in Cascade County—Steven Galloway, Lola Sheldon Galloway, and Rae Grulkowski—were defeated in the Republican primary thanks to the work of more centrist Republicans and progressives who crossed over to vote in the Republican primary. (There was only one contested Democratic primary on the ballot.) If the Freedom Caucus crowd has demonstrated anything, it’s that they don’t give up or compromise. They’ll be back in the 2026 election. Stay tuned.
