A third Montana Democrat kicked off his campaign for U.S. Senate Thursday night in Billings.
In an opening stump speech that wove personal stories into policy statements, Red Lodge writer and photographerJack Ballard said he’d work to increase access to public lands, improve wildlife habitat, invest in programs to reduce and repay student debt, and reel in the spiraling cost of prescription drugs, surprise medical bills and underinsurance.
“I come to this senate race with the conviction, that I believe is shared by everyone in this audience, and that conviction is we do not expect perfect solutions, but we want real progress made in confronting our problems,” says Ballard.
Ballard hasn’t run for elected office before. He says incumbent Republican Steve Daines’ support of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act makes him vulnerable, adding it shouldn’t be a foregone conclusion that President Donald Trump will carry down-ticket Montana Republicans to victory.
Ballard joins Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins and veteran and former teacher John Mues from Loma in running for the Democratic nomination to take on Daines.
