U.S. Senate candidate Russ Fagg made a campaign stop in Sidney last week. He is running as a Republican to unseat current senator Jon Tester. Fagg is a 4th generation Montanan, a former prosecutor, a Republican legislator for the 1991 and 1993 sessions and a judge for 22 years.
Fagg spent 2 ½ days in Sidney, touring the highlights such as Sidney Sugars and Blue Rock Distributing, as well as visiting coffee shops and The Meadowlark Brewery. He said he really enjoyed his time in Sidney and was able to get a good sense of what issues are important in the community. "We've had an outstanding stay and met very gracious people," he commented. Fagg was already familiar with Sidney since his kids competed for Billings Central, and his son won the state golf championship here.
During his visit he heard about the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project and how critical it is to the community. "The whole community depends on a thriving agricultural economy; the farmers, the factory, main street businesses." He said he was frustrated with the process and that, if elected, he would work to ensure that the funds designated for the concrete weir and fish bypass at Intake remain available.
Fagg said he is running for the senate because he wants to continue the American Dream, which is leading the world economically and 'giving our children and grandchildren the same opportunities we had'. He is concerned that the beacon of light that the US has been in the world may not be continued due to the philosophy that we need government to solve all the problems. "I believe in limited government and individual responsibility. Senator Tester believes in more taxes and more regulations and I believe the opposite," he said.
On trade, Fagg said that he agreed with pulling out of the Trans Pacific Partnership but believes NAFTA is a good agreement that needs to be tweaked. He would promote a middle ground on DACA, with stronger security, including portions of a border wall, and merit based vetting to determine who could stay in the U.S. "If they are contributing to society, getting an education, working, there should be a means to allow them to stay. If they are not contributing to society, have a criminal conviction, they should be sent home, no matter how old they were when they were brought here," he stated.
Montana's primary election takes place on June 5 with the general election on Tuesday, November 6.
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