Why I’m Running For Montana State Senate

Wes Siler announces his candidacy for Montana State Senate District 31

“What can I do?” That’s the question you ask most often after I’ve written yet one more article about the destruction of our natural heritage. But it’s not just nature being sacrificed on the altar of greed, it’s our safety, our prosperity, and our freedom. And that’s a question I’ve been asking myself too. Here’s my answer.

Today I’m announcing my candidacy for Montana State Senate in District 31, which covers a big chunk of Bozeman and the surrounding area, where I live. There, I hope to fight back against the greed threatening our state and country, and work to find new ways to build consensus around legislation capable of better protecting our shared values.

Wes with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

I’ve asked myself that same question—What can I do?—as I’ve watched people I know and respect here in Montana be villainized for the way they look, or who they love. As I’ve seen friends struggle just to afford to live here, or be forced to move away. As normal businesses face sudden headwinds, even as others get rich from government contracts. And as our state’s natural beauty is prepped for sale to the highest bidder.

And it’s inevitable to also ask another question: Why is this happening? The answer seems simple. Politics in Montana, and nationally, have been captured by people for whom already extreme wealth is not enough. They want more, and they want the power necessary to steal it from the rest of us. Because that effort could never prove popular when considered plainly, they’re sowing fear, hate, and lies in order to cover it up, and turning our friends, neighbors, and families into their their own worst enemies in the process. The division that creates leads inevitably to violence, and the destruction of the way of life Montanans and Americans hold dear.

Wes and his wife Virginia with Dr. Jill and Joe Biden.

That theft, and the disinformation that makes it possible, is already something I’ve dedicated my life to fighting. As a journalist, I believe in the power of truth. And I’ve used it to expose the politicians trying to steal Montana for the frauds they are. Our Governor professes a belief in Jesus, but has dedicated his office to harming our state’s most vulnerable citizens in his pursuit of power. One of our Senators holds up performative legislation around protections for our natural resources to disguise his real work of selling our wild places to corporations even while working to eliminate public access to the places he hasn’t yet destroyed. The other grew rich on firefighting contracts, and according to Bozeman Daily Chronicle reporting, may be using his newfound political power to direct even more money that should be spent preventing wildfires into his own pockets. Our Congressman here in Bozeman is so corrupt, that even this President couldn’t keep him around. My reporting was instrumental in kicking Ryan Zinke out of the Department of the Interior.

Our nation’s Constitution provides the remedy for this problem. Each of us gets the chance to to elect our leaders, who are supposed to be normal people, just like the rest of us. Montana’s state Constitution takes that right even further.

My answer to that question has become obvious. What can I do? By seeking elected office, I can continue my work speaking truth to power directly. I can create legislation that will lift up working Montanans, bring an end to hatred, and protect this state’s wild places and wild animals. And I can build the consensus necessary to enshrine those protections into law.

Virginia and Wes with Wiley and Bowie.

In this decision to seek public office, I am inspired by my friend Cora Neumann. Together with colleagues like Pat Flowers, Cora was able to work across the aisle with Republicans who are also sick and tired of the short sighted greed. Together, they broke through otherwise intractable politics, and passed meaningful legislation that will improve the lives of normal Montanans. It is my sincerest hope that together we can continue that work, and build a future for this state, and this country, that puts this moment of unbridled greed behind us.

Of course, I am not just a person seeking political office for the first time. I am a journalist learning how to adapt my experience to this new challenge. And I think that creates an opportunity, because I’m hoping this effort will achieve something beyond just change at the Montana statehouse. By transparently covering the process of running for office for the first time, I hope I can inspire other people to make something similar their answer too. The solution to this predicament must come from all of us, it can no longer just be about the powerful few. I’ll be covering my run for Montana State Senate right here on this newsletter. Will you join me?

You can find more information on my campaign website. Want to help out? Donate to my campaign here.