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14 January 2012

Sixth Democrat seeks nomination for MT’s seat in U.S. House

Jason Ward of Hardin, a 34-year-old construction project manager for the Crow tribe, and biodiesel farmer, filed yesterday for the Democratic nomination for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

He joins already announced candidates Kim Gillan, Diane Smith, Dave Strohmaier, Rob Stutz, and Franke Wilmer. Of that group, only Stutz has filed, but all have websites, fundraising operations, and will file at their leisure.

Ward told me he’s a Democrat because the Democratic Party used to be the party of the people. Returning the party to its roots is one message he’ll deliver from the bully pulpit his candidacy provides. He hopes to have his campaign website operational in the near future. In the meantime, he does have a Facebook page.


Ward has a better chance than one might suppose

Winning the nomination requires only a plurality (a big problem). With six candidates, the winner needs, in theory, just under 17 percent of the vote (the exact number is one-sixth plus one). In the 2010 primary for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House, Melinda Gopher received 21.2 percent despite running an uneven and woefully underfunded campaign. If 2010’s low turnout repeats, and if Ward holds Gopher’s constituency, he could be the Democrat in the ring with Steve Daines come November.