Two of the four candidates running for Montana's 2nd Congressional District met Wednesday evening in Billings for a debate sponsored by Lee Newspapers and Yellowstone Public Radio.
The debate at Petro Theater on the campus of Montana State University Billings featured Democrat Penny Ronning and independent Gary Buchanan taking questions from journalists from Lee and YPR, as well as questions submitted by listeners.
Republican Matt Rosendale was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict. Libertarian Sam Rankin dropped out of the debate unexpectedly Wednesday morning. In a statement, Rankin explained his decision:
"The issues are complex and none of the solutions are black and white. When placed under the one-minute answer format, I don’t believe I could properly address the question, regardless of topic. My crystal-clear positions on issues are publicly available and I remain committed to supporting the candidate who will replace Representative Rosendale in Congress.”
Listen to the full debate below: