Election Guide '22
The candidates and issues on Montana's 2022 ballot
Samuel Thomas
Thomas, 26, lives in Missoula. In written materials provided to MTFP, he described his experience as a signature gatherer for a marijuana legalization initiative and other issue campaigns.
He said that, if elected, he would push to legalize marijuana federally and advocate for rent control as a way to promote housing affordability.
This biography is based on information Thomas provided to MTFP in writing.
MTFP coverage
Campaign finance
On the issues
By rolling up my sleeves and talking to the voters who I will represent, as opposed to Matt Rosendale who doesn’t even show his face to the public. You need integrity when you’re a member of Congress and I will bring that to the office.
Yes.
I believe that to be truly free and have full liberty, health care should be a human right. We need to work to get solutions that model other countries’ approaches to health care. We should be like Canada. If our country wants to have a thriving populace, we need to invest in our society by taking care of them so that they can get the help they need without going bankrupt.
We need to have national rental control. We need a federal tax policy that would assist with keeping rent low. People need to be able to rely on a job that provides them with an income to support themselves as well as allows them upward social mobility. Rental control takes care of that because having a consistent rental price that stays the same maintains renters’ happiness across the board. The rent is too damn high.
Climate change is the single greatest threat to humanity. We need drastic change right now. If we put more time and energy behind magnets and electricity, we would have strong electric cars by now. We need strong investments in solar programs, wind programs, hydropower and biofuel. Oil has always been a part of our lives and if we are going to get to a carbon neutral future, it should be the responsibility of the fossil fuel companies to make the switch from oil to electric because there will be a time in the future when we run out of oil.
We need to have better financial education in this country. The debt will keep rising year after year because everything is more expensive. In order to pay for certain things, you have to go into debt to get them if you don’t have any money. In order to have a better functioning society, we all need to be more financially literate. We need more personal finance courses in our public schools.
We need to keep public lands in public hands. No ifs, and or buts. They are our birthright as Montanans. I do not have an answer for the second part of the question. I just know that we need to fight off the increasing threat of wealthy out-of-staters trying to come in and make Montana their new playground.
The ever-increasing threat of charter schools. I went to public school and came out just fine. We need more investments in our public education system as well as investments in robotics programs, arts programs and trades programs.
Government should not have a say in this matter. It is up to the person.
The right to bear arms will not be infringed. I am for responsible gun ownership and background checks. I also believe every citizen should go through hunter and firearms safety courses.
Yes. Legalize weed across the board and expunge the records of all who have been arrested and are currently behind bars.