John Lamb, a farmer and business owner who lives in Norris, is on the debate stage in a Missoula hotel reception room with his two general election opponents in his bid for Congress.
“There’s always a third choice," he says. "There’s a Libertarian choice.”
Lamb hits classic Libertarian talking points about limiting government overreach and interpreting constitutional rights as they’re written. Lamb says the federal government is ineffective on most issues.
“And it made an impact on me growing up and I’ve always had a desire to change things,” says Lamb.
Lamb says he was homeschooled growing up and comes from an Mennonite background. His 12 children are homeschooled as well. Aside from farming, Lamb owns a recycling and greenhouse building business in Bozeman. In an interview with MTPR, he says that background influenced his decision to run.
“We’re for community. We love community. We love our communities around us. We love helping our neighbor," he said.
"We need someone who is a common person. We don’t need celebrity politicians. We need real politicians that’s going to fight the issues — honestly, fight them — bipartisan, and work for the people."
Lamb has far less experience in public policy-making than his opponents. He faces Republican Ryan Zinke, a former state senator, congressman and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and Democrat Monica Tranel, a longtime energy and agriculture attorney who began working in the public sector more than two decades ago.
Lamb says his experience outside of public policy is an asset.
“The people of Montana deserve a common person. Someone that’s not a politician, someone who is a farmer, a carpenter, someone who actually knows the problems of the small people,” Lamb said.
Lamb has run unsuccessfully once before for state Senate and has found himself in the public eye over the years for a variety of other reasons.
In 2016, he wasinterviewedby a number of media outlets while rallying outside the U.S. District Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, for more than a month. He was protesting charges filed against Ammon Bundy and others for the occupation of Malheur National Refuge. The defendants were charged with conspiring to prevent federal employees from doing their jobs at the refuge through force, threats and intimidation.
Lamb told MTPR he didn’t go to Oregon to support the Bundy family specifically, but rather to protest the federal government.
“We probably wouldn’t even get along, there are so many differences. I didn’t go there trying to find out if we aligned or liked each other," he said. "I thought the charges against the Bundys and other defendants were wrong. ‘Conspiracy against the federal government’ — I don’t feel that was justified.”
Lamb has been vocal about his support for the Bundy family’s cause, and others who’ve had conflict with the federal government. Lamb also helped organize a legal defense fund for the Bundys and other defendants in the case at the time.
In 2020, Lamb’s protests against government action made news again, this time outside the home of Gallatin County Health Officer Matt Kelley. In one of the videos Lamb posted of his demonstrations against local COVID-19 restrictions to Facebook, he carries a sign that says “Tyranny Lives Here.”
Kelley released a statement at the time saying the protests were upsetting for his family and encouraged protestors to instead attend public hearings.
Lamb tells MTPR he stands by those demonstrations.
“I don’t believe in harassing people. Public officials work for us. If I ever am elected, I work for the people, I should be held accountable," he said. "So if I’m doing things that are wrong, breaking our Constitution, I believe that there’s nothing wrong with holding these public officials accountable, protesting in front of their houses, making ourselves known.
"The First Amendment gives us that right.”
Lamb says he supports the Black Lives Matter movement and calls to defund the police to protect people from law enforcement brutality.
Lamb says he identifies as a nonviolent, civil rights activist. His top issue is prison reform.
“If there’s not a victim, let’s let these people back out. If there’s victims, we understand. If someone got hurt, if someone got killed, we don’t want violent offenders back out," he said. "There’s people in there for fishing violations. Prison sentences are not the only option to punish people.”
With this same lens, Lamb says he supports the Black Lives Matter movement and calls to defund the police to protect people from law enforcement brutality.
Another social issue Lamb cares deeply about is immigration. He says the United States should open up its borders.
“We can change these regulations concerning our border and lessen them. Let people come back and forth, travel freely into this country. Give them the same opportunity we’ve had.”
“We can change these regulations concerning our border and lessen them," he said. "Let people come back and forth, travel freely into this country. Give them the same opportunity we’ve had.”
Lamb’s Republican opponent, Zinke, called that stance unsound and unsafe at a debate in Butte. Zinke also blasted Lamb for critical comments he’s shared on social media about the military. Lamb says he supports veterans, but thinks the U.S. spends too much on the military and that it commits unnecessary violence.
Sid Daoud, chair of the Montana Libertarian Party, says third-party candidates have mostly been ignored in the past, so he finds Zinke’s attack on Lamb encouraging.
“I’m very proud of John in this race because he’s drawn the ire of Ryan Zinke. And Ryan Zinke can’t just ignore him. We’re becoming a threat, a legitimate third party,” Daoud said.
Lamb differs from the traditional Libertarian stance on abortion and thinks the government should restrict the procedure. He says he’s morally opposed to abortion and thinks regulations should come from states. He said he would oppose a federal ban on abortion.
Lamb supports marriage equality between same-sex and opposite sex couples.
Daoud said that variation in views is normal for Libertarians, and Lamb has the party’s full support.
“We have the full freedom as Montana Libertarian candidates to tell the party ‘take a hike, we’re not going to do that, I’m just going to campaign and be my own person,’" Daoud said. "So we use our principles foremost.”
Carroll College Political Science Professor Jeremy Johnson says Lamb could pull votes away from Zinke as Libertarian and Republican voters are more likely to overlap based on shared support for less government. He says that split could make this election a tight race between Zinke and Tranel.
“If John Lamb is able to get more votes, outperform a typical Libertarian, or do as well as the best Libertarians have done in the last decade, then that could be pivotal,” Johnson said.
Tranel and Lamb are seen often together on the campaign trail. Lamb has joined Tranel for 16 public debates in all 16 counties that make up the district. Those were organized by the Tranel campaign, and Zinke did not attend. Tranel publicly called on MTN News to allow Lamb to participate in the television network’s debate after he failed to meet their requirements to make it on stage.
But to Zinke’s benefit, Johnson says Montana is seeing a rise in support for more conservative Republicans that don’t align with Libertarian stances.
“Donald Trump is very popular with many Republicans in Montana," Johnson said. "It almost forces Republican candidates to become more Trump-ified."
Zinke was endorsed by Trump early in the Republican primary. But that doesn’t dissuade Lamb. He says it’s time for a change in who holds political power.
“He’s already a career politician. We need someone who is a common person. We don’t need celebrity politicians," Lamb said. "We need real politicians that’s going to fight the issues – honestly, fight them — bipartisan and work for the people."
Lamb says he’s the man for the job.
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