Democrats gather in Plains to discuss upcoming session

Democrats from seven counties in Montana assembled Nov. 20 at the Sanders County Fairgrounds to share ideas and strategize for the upcoming Montana Legislature session in January.

The conference “Building Bridges: Moving Forward” was chaired by Mindy Ferrell from the Sanders County Democrats chapter. Keynote speakers were Marc Racicot, a two-term Republican Montana Governor, and Monica Tranel, who recently lost her election bid for the newly established U.S. House seat to Ryan Zinke. Also present was retired longtime Montana State Sen. Jim Elliott, the former chairman of the Montana Democratic Party.

In Ferrell’s opening comments, she thanked all those present for their work during the past election cycle and asked for their continued support during the upcoming session. Ferrell stressed the need for all in the audience to see this Legislature session, not as Republican-Democrats, but as individuals working and listening together to be “citizens first”.

Tranel thanked all those that helped campaign for her during the many months leading to the election. When asked what her plans were, Tranel said, “I am going to be with my family and celebrate the holidays and not make any decisions and do what I said I would do.”

She said her career will continue to take on corruption and is actively involved in several cases.

Tranel said, “we didn’t win, but we came close and there were a lot of people who wanted me in there and they want me to serve, and I will continue to serve.”

She went on to say, “I’m not going anywhere”.

The concluding speaker, Racicot, was born in Thompson Falls and grew up in the Libby and Miles City areas. Racicot attended Carroll College in Helena and graduated from law school in 1973. He served in the U.S. Army with the JAG division in Germany. Returning to Montana, he served as deputy County Attorney in Missoula County and as the Assistant Attorney General for the State of Montana before becoming Governor. After serving as governor, he was chairman for the National Republican Committee.

In Racicot’s opening remarks, he mentioned that he lost the first three attempts for public office, but learned many valuable lessons. One of them being, “there was only two things that could happen in a political race and one of them was bad and the other was if you were ever awarded the privilege of serving, you need to remember that it is an extraordinary blessing, and to make certain you lived up to the expectations of the people you serve.”

Racicot said it’s important for residents to focus on coming together as a community.

“We are celebrating our 50-year anniversary of the 1972 Montana constitution, our 246 anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, and the 234 anniversary of the ratification of the United States Constitution. It has not, however, and I think it is incredibly important in this day and age, that there is so much bitter and angry political activity ongoing to remember, it has not been an easy journey to get where we are as a nation and as a state,” he said.

Racicot added that, “Regrettably however, it appears undeniable that I would bet that many of you have recognized the same thing I have, that there is unmistakable warning signs all around us, that our constitutional government and our democratic republic are confronting serious and dangerous moments of uncertainty and peril.”

Racicot said that a recent survey by the National Public Radio reported that 70% of us believe America is in crisis and is at risk of failing. He continued with a quote from Benjamin Franklin who predicted and warned, we have a Republic, if we can keep it.

Racicot continued with, “Democracy is not always easy, but can be easily taken for granted. It requires hard work and compromise, self-discipline and importantly, a shared respect of the thoughts and lives of all of us who occupy this one nation under God.”

Racicot closed his speech with a story about attending an eighth-grade graduation in Montana where there was only one graduate, who said to him, “we aren’t different groups of Americans, but one group of different Americans.”