Congressional candidates stop in Great Falls for Democratic primary debate

Montana’s eastern Congressional district is a bastion of conservatism where a majority of the voters haven’t cast their ballot for a Democratic candidate since Lyndon Johnson. Yet during each election cycle optimistic Democratic candidates file for office hoping to sway the allegiance of enough Republicans to make it into Congress.

On Friday all four Democratic candidates for the eastern House district assembled in Great Falls to participate in their party’s only debate leading into the June 4 primary election. They are Ming Cabrera, John Driscoll, Kevin Hamm, and Steve Held.

The winner will face the Republican nominee for House District 2, a seat currently held by Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale, who opted not to run for re-election in 2024.

Hosted by the Montana Farmers Union, the debate was held at the C.M. Russell High School auditorium and was moderated by longtime Montana political reporter Mike Dennison. The candidates were quizzed on a broad range of topics including funding infrastructure improvements, monopolies within the ag industry, and continued fossil fuel production.

Due to the length of the debate and the number of candidates it is not possible to print all their responses within this article. To view a video of the entire debate visit the Montana Farmers Union website at www.montanafarmersunion.com.

Addressing immigration

There was little disagreement among the candidates about the seriousness of the immigration crisis on the southern U.S. border. Asked what he would do to help solve the problem, former Montana House Speaker John Driscoll noted the failure of the bi-partisan border security bill after conservative Republicans refused to vote for its passage.

“That bipartisan bill got dumped by former President Trump and his followers,” Driscoll commented. “The thing about it that I felt was very good was requiring the (asylum seeker) to present themselves to a port-of-entry to be eligible for amnesty instead of all along the border. That’s as good as having a wall.”

Ming Cabrera, a Billings business owner whose father immigrated to Montana from the Philippines, said he would have voted to pass the border security bill.

“We would have got more immigration judges, better access and gateways, and at the same time more border staff,” he explained.

Cabrera also emphasized the success of the H-2A program. Administrated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, H2-A allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs.

“It’s been in effect for over 50 years for the people who hoe the beets, pick cherries in the Flathead, and are helping the small farmers with what they need to do. That is one of the things we need to continue.”

Making healthcare, including mental health, accessible and affordable

Asked what he would do to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for Montanans, Helena tech business owner Kevin Hamm referenced the many economic challenges already facing the state’s farmers and ranchers and said he would offer expanded Medicare opportunities to small, family run ag operations.

“This would allow them to have healthcare, which takes just one more thing to worry about off of their plates,” said Hamm. “Most people are too scared to go to the doctor because on bankruptcy. With all the other struggles that farmers and ranchers face in Montana, having that on top of it is pushing people over the edge, and we need to fix it.”

Broadus rancher Steve Held noted that most farmers and ranchers in Montana must have one or more of their family members seek a job outside of agriculture to obtain health insurance.

“I will not stand by and see another rural hospital or clinic or senior care center close in Montana,” he said. “We have an epidemic of them closing. We just kicked out 120,0000 Montanans off Medicaid. That’s over 10% of our population. That money goes heavily to rural communities, and that money supports those people and gives them medical care which pays for doctors, nurses, and all the support staff.”

Consolidation in the food and agriculture industries

Corporate consolidation within the nation’s livestock and agriculture industries has been an increasingly urgent concern among ag producers going back to the 1980s. The candidates were asked what they would do to rein in these monopolies. Asked what he would do to help solve the problem, Held noted that working with feeders and packers is something he lives with every day.

“The first thing we’ve got to do is muck the halls of Congress," Held said. "We’ve got to stomp down on insider trading and these insider deals that don’t follow the law. Sure, we talk about COOL (Country of Origin Labeling) but there’s something more important than COOL. It’s grown in America. Our Montana red wheat is the best in the world, bar none. Other countries take that, mix it in with their grain and their price goes up.”

Driscoll said his experience as Montana as Public Service Commissioner gives him special insight into the problem.“I regulated monopolies for 12 years. It was quite an education,” said Driscoll. “If we’re going to deal with these kind of players, we need to have really good staff to enforce the anti-trust laws. I think we need to start providing competition to those folks from the local level. That’s where I want to work.”

Aid to Ukraine and Israel

When asked if whether they would have voted in favor of the $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine and Israel, all four candidates expressed their unequivocal support for Ukraine. None, however, had an immediate comment on Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. When further pressed all expressed a more reserved response.

“Israel absolutely has the right to exist, but so do the Palestinian people,” said Hamm. “The bombing needs to stop, the hostages need to be released, and everybody needs to take a deep breath and send their best and brightest together so we can start working out a treaty.”

“What’s happening over there is a tragedy that could easily explode into something that’s uncontrollable,” he added. “If we aren’t the ones who are leaning in with our resources and saying (to Israel), Hey, we’re going to support your existence, but we need to not commit genocide then we’re doing something wrong.”

“I want peace,” commented Cabrera. “If we can get a cease fire of some sort where we can negotiate at the table it’s a win. Do I think we need to keep aiding Israel? Absolutely. We need to continue the aide to Israel. However, we need to get back to the bargaining table. Thirty-thousand people have died, one million are starving, and another 72,000 are at the brink of having nothing left for them.”

Democratic candidates for Montana's 2nd Congressional District primary

Ming Cabrera (Billings) – Cabrera has a biology degree from Creighton University in Nebraska and describes himself as a big supporter of science, technology, engineering, and math education. He is past chair of the Yellowstone Democrats, the Billings Heights Task Force, and the Billings Heights Water Board, and his career experience includes working as a business owner and in hospital sales.

John Driscoll (Helena) - Driscoll is retired and worked as a writer, editor, forest worker and smoke jumper. He spent 32 years in the military, including 27 in the National Guard. He also served 12 years as a Montana Public Service Commissioner and as a state representative from Hamilton, serving as House Majority Leader and House Speaker in the 1970s.

Kevin Hamm (Helena) – Hamm owns an information technology business that assists small businesses in marketing, communications, and security, and is a producer of Montana historical films and athletic events. He’s also the president of Montana Pride and ran for the Public Service Commission in 2022.

Steve Held (Broadus) - A fourth generation rancher from Broadus, Held and his family are long time members of the Northern Plains Resource Council. He was the youngest member of the Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors and is a trustee of the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame.

This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Democrats discuss immigration, healthcare at Great Falls debate