Deciding on our HD35 Representative

Elections bring out some very interesting advertising by candidates. I’m concerned about a term called, ‘campaign conservative,’ meaning someone is a conservative but only until after the election. As that relates to our area, we have our share of ‘campaign conservatives’ seeking election. It seems the chore is to seek and find the truth. After more than forty years of involvement on our county and state Republican committees, it is quite clear to me how to sort out the chaff from the wheat.

Tanya Rost is a newcomer to election politics (so is her opponent, who has not held office before) but she fortunately arrives as a consistent, reliable conservative, without any checkered past. Her character and involvement as active mother and business owner has justifiably earned her the full support of most of our county’s incoming Republican Central Committee members to include the full support from her predecessor, Rep. Scott Staffanson, as well as our current Richland County Commissioner Duane Mitchell. Our neighboring Montana Rep. Alan Doane likewise agrees, and so does our neighboring state senator, Steve Hinebauch. Rost did not misguidedly campaign for Obama (Krautter did). She does not speak in polite, waffling platitudes about ‘I will do what is best for all of Montana’ (she understands her job is to represent Richland County). She is principled, actively pro-life, actively pro-gun, and by experience, pro-business. Rest assured, she will not sacrifice her principles for a few votes.

While Krautter has received endorsement from a left-of-center former GOP state chairman (which is why he is a former and not present chairman) and our city mayor (who has not been involved with the Richland County Republican Central Committee in at least the last thirty years, if ever), Rost has retained the support of most, if not all, neighboring elected conservative office-holders.

I’m convinced that Rost will have a far better relationship with Eastern Montana legislators, helping to build a coalition in Helena that will best represent our interests and needs. I look forward to having a tried-and-true conservative in Helena who already enjoys good relationships with sitting legislators from our region. I would encourage you to vote for Tanya Rost for HD35.

- John R. Mercer