#MTGov Daily Rundown: Bullock turns down Western, Eastern Montana, and Great Falls Debates

While Greg Gianforte has been working with multiple news agencies to have a healthy number of debates with many different geographic areas represented, Governor Bullock has recently declined debates in Kalispell, Great Falls, and Glasgow. The Great Falls Tribune has taken notice of Bullock's unwillingness to face Montana voters.

"Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s campaign has yet to agree to debate GOP challenger Greg Gianforte in Great Falls this fall.

The Tribune and the Montana Farmers Union teamed up to offer both sides a chance to debate in Great Falls; the Gianforte camp agreed right away, but Bullock’s people have yet to do so. We urge the Bullock campaign to agree to a gubernatorial debate in Great Falls. We’ll find a place to put it. Plus, it’s not wise to ignore a huge chunk of Montana during an election year." -Great Falls Tribune, 8/26/2016


And Bullock is ignoring a wide swath of the state, as he has declined debates now in Western, Central, and Eastern Montana (while the governor has agreed to a debate in Great Falls, it will be a TV studio debate hosted by MTN).

"Eastern Montana saw infrastructure funding rejected under this governor, and the Flathead Valley has seen the loss of timber jobs under the failed leadership of this governor. It’s no wonder a career politician like Steve Bullock is too afraid to face the voters. I’m a Montana job creator. The governor may be too afraid to debate, but I’ll keep hitting the road and listening to Montanans.” -Greg Gianforte

"The Gianforte campaign was told earlier this week that Bullock refused to participate in an Eastern Montana debate sponsored, in part, by The Glasgow Courier. A similar debate already scheduled for this Monday features both candidates for the US House of Representatives. On Thursday, the Gianforte campaign was informed that Bullock is also rejecting a debate in the Flathead Valley sponsored by The Daily Inter Lake and NBC Montana." -Greg for Montana, 8/25/2016


The Daily Inter Lake Editorial Board called the fact that there will not be a debate in Northwest Montana "a shame," then noted that the Gianforte Campaign had immediately agreed to the debate.

"We will leave it up to our readers to decide how many debates should be held for the state’s highest office. Four may well be enough, but we do wish that the candidates had ventured to Kalispell or Columbia Falls for one of them.

Regional issues such as the shutdown of the Weyerhaeuser mills in Columbia Falls, forest policy, refugee resettlement and high unemployment might well have given a debate here a different tone than one held in Bozeman or Helena." -Daily Inter Lake, 8/25/2016

Bullock stalling on debate scheduling is not new. In July, members of the press reported major difficulties in dealing with the governor's campaign.

"Yellowstone Public Radio News Director Jackie Yamanaka confirmed Flint’s statement that Bullock campaign staff had been difficult to reach about scheduling a debate. After talking with Campaign Manager Eric Hyers by phone, she sent a formal invitation by email in June, but did not hear back despite repeated attempts to reach him. Weeks later, she said Montana Democrats Spokesman Jason Pitt called Billings Gazette Editor Darrell Ehrlick to ask whether a debate would happen, apparently unaware of the earlier communications with Hyers." -Missoulian, 7/22/2016

Bullock was also called out back in July by the Great Falls Tribune for stalling in scheduling debates.

"On the gubernatorial side, we have yet to receive a substantive response from incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, Gianforte’s main opponent. On the congressional side, the GOP’s Zinke has yet to say yes to an Electric City debate. The general election is Nov. 8.

Montana residents deserve to hear debates among candidates for top state and federal offices, and the Tribune and Farmers Union are working to organize those two debates in Great Falls. Debates are great, but stalling is galling. Let’s get moving." -Great Falls Tribune 7/8/2016


ICYMI: "COLUMN: Who’s scarier? Republicans or refugees?" -Frank Miele, Daily Inter Lake, 8/28/2016