Jeff Welborn
Active candidates for Public Service Commission (Seat 3)
Republicans
Democrat
Welborn, 55 as of Election Day, is a termed-out state lawmaker from Dillon. In addition to chairing the Senate Natural Resources Committee, Welborn serves on the Finance and Claims Committee and Highways and Transportation Committee.
Welborn also ranches and owns a trailer dealership. He said he is running for the PSC to give voice to the interests and concerns of small business owners and rural communities. Working in the private sector has shown him the importance of being a responsive problem-solver, and he’d like to bring “common sense” to Helena, he said.
Welborn said Montana’s long-term energy security requires that the PSC maintain a business-friendly environment for energy investment. He argues that it is important for the commission to balance energy reliability with affordability for utility customers.
Welborn also said he aims to protect power consumers from “unfair rate increases” and encourage greater constituent participation in the matters that come before the PSC.
“I understand the role of the commission work and the challenges facing Montana energy producers,” Welborn told MTFP.
This biography is based on Welborn’s response to MTFP’s questionnaire and information from the Montana Legislature’s lawmaker roster.
ON THE ISSUES
Answers here were solicited from candidates via a written questionnaire conducted by MTFP in April 2024. Responses were limited to 1,000 characters and edited lightly for punctuation and spelling. Candidates were asked to focus on the positives their service would bring the state instead of making rhetorical attacks on their opponents. Responses have not been exhaustively fact-checked.
Montana’s long-term energy security depends on maintaining a business-friendly climate for energy investment. As a commissioner, I will work with colleagues in the Legislature and the development community to remove barriers that restrict investment and drive up utility bills. Increasingly, Montana’s energy policy is dictated by forces outside our borders. We need Montana-based resources, capable of delivering in all weather conditions. Whether it’s at regional energy forums, public hearings before the Environmental Protection Agency, or the Department of Energy, our commissioners need to play a more active role in discussions and decisions impacting customers and generation facilities in the state. I welcome the opportunity to help lead that effort.
I believe the free market should dictate that, and renewables need to stand on their own, in relationship to affordability to the consumer, and not propped up with higher rates or subsidies that the consumer ultimately pays for, either with increased rates, or tax dollars respectively, used to offset the additional cost of any mandate created by climate change policy.
Despite the promise of wind and solar, the intermittent nature of those resources combined with the lack of energy density, and huge amounts of land required mean that wind and solar simply can’t form the bedrock of our energy system. I am, however, intrigued by the research being done in battery storage capacity. As storage capacity becomes greater in respect to time, this will help renewables that have intermittent generation capabilities become a more viable, and therefore affordable option.
I also see nuclear having some potential down the road, but in my mind, hydrogen shows the most promise as an additional, carbon-free resource that could be produced here in Montana, and has ability to be stored in the ground, to be used on demand at a later time.
Rounding out renewables, hydro power is still the original clean, green energy. We have infrastructure already in place, so investments in maintaining and improving hydro will remain an affordable option for Montana.
I believe that benefit/cost analysis should be used, but only when coupled with socioeconomic analysis as well. At the time our statutes that regulate the PSC were enacted, it was a foregone conclusion that hydro and fossil fuel would power this state. However, in this day and age with the renewables, and with the development of these, we must keep our eye on the ball, to keep our highly trained workforce on the job. Keeping people working should be the highest priority, in these analyses.
In addition to artificial intelligence used in calculating cost/ benefit, it's actually people, from management, to skilled labor, and its infrastructure from mines and dams to the generation facilities, all in tandem that bolster its ability to produce reliable power, and sell it for reasonable rates.
Educate the public on the role of the PSC, and like any public process, encourage folks to take an active role in the process itself by communicating with their respective PSC commissioners, and more importantly the ratepayer’s advocate agency, the Montana Consumer Counsel, by having a hand in setting the policy that affects all Montanans.
Commissioners need to be good listeners and keep an open mind in order to strike a fair balance between reliable and affordable service rates.
Simply put, its putting people ahead of politics, while also keeping the providers in a position of viability, so they continue to provide vital services to all Montana ratepayers.
MTFP COVERAGE OF Welborn
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Election outcomes
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| JEFF WELBORN | 13,291 | |
| SUZZANN NORDWICK | 13,047 | |
| ROB ELWOOD | 7,345 |
COMMON VOTING QUESTIONS
When are Montana’s 2024 elections?
Voters will pick which candidates advance to the November general election in the June primary, which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4. Voters will pick the candidates who will ultimately fill each office on the ballot in the November election, which is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Who runs Montana’s elections?
Montana elections are administered at the county level. The process is overseen by county clerks and election administrators, who help to train and monitor the volunteer election judges that staff the polls. Ballots are typically processed and counted at central county locations, with the results reported to the Montana secretary of state’s office via a statewide software system called ElectMT.
Once polls close, the secretary of state’s office provides results through its website. The state-level office also provides guidance to local election administrators to ensure compliance with state election laws. Additionally, enforcing compliance with some laws governing political campaigns, particularly those involving campaign finance, falls to a separate office known as the Commissioner of Political Practices.
Do I need to be registered in order to vote?
Yes. If you’re unsure about your registration status, you can check it through the Montana secretary of state's My Voter Page. You can register to vote by stopping by your county election office any time during regular business hours to pick up an application. After you’ve filled it out, you’ll need to get it back to your county election office by mail or in person (the latter option is strongly recommended close to Election Day to ensure your application is received in time). If you do present your application in person, you’ll have to provide a photo ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you happen to be applying for a Montana driver’s license or identification card before the election, you can register to vote at the same time.
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
Yes. The state Legislature has sought to enact an earlier registration deadline, but under a March 2024 ruling by the Montana Supreme Court, same-day voter registration remains legal in Montana. Residents can register to vote or update their voter registration at their county’s election office prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Does Montana have voter ID requirements?
Yes, you will be required to present identification when voting at the polls. However, under the Montana Supreme Court’s March ruling, changes made to those requirements by the 2021 Legislature remain blocked. The current forms of identification voters can use at the polls are a current Montana driver’s license, state-issued photo ID, tribal or military photo ID, a U.S. passport or a student ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, you can use a utility bill, a bank statement, a voter confirmation card or any other government document that shows your name and address.
Are there situations where I wouldn't be eligible to vote?
According to state law, you can't vote if you'll be under age 18 on Election Day, are not a U.S. citizen, or have lived in Montana less than 30 days. Convicted felons who are currently incarcerated in a penal facility and people whom judges have ruled to be of unsound mind are also ineligible to vote. Otherwise, you're good to go.
Can I vote online?
No, that’s not an option in Montana.
Can I vote by mail?
Yes, you can sign up as an absentee voter by checking a box on your voter registration form. If you’re already registered to vote, you can fill out a separate form and submit it to your county election office.
If you’re registered as an absentee voter, a ballot should be mailed to you a few weeks in advance of each election day. You can make sure your address is current via the My Voter page. County election officials are slated to mail ballots to voters for the June 2024 primary election May 10.
You can return ballots by mail, or drop them off in person at your county’s election office. Either way, the election office must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to count it.
How do I vote in person?
If you plan to vote at the polls, just be sure you know where your polling location is and head there between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. You'll need to provide a photo ID and sign the precinct register, at which point you’ll get your ballot and be directed to a voting booth. If you have any technical questions or run into any problems, the election judges at your polling place should be able to help you.
I have a friend or family member who isn't able to drop off his or her mail-in ballot. Can I do it for them?
Yes, you can. The Montana Legislature did make some changes to ballot collection laws in 2021 related to paid ballot collection, those changes have also been blocked by the Montana Supreme Court.
Who should I vote for?
That’s your call, not ours. We hope the information we present on this guide is helpful as you make that decision for yourself, though.
About this project
This guide was produced by the Montana Free Press newsroom with production and web development by Eric Dietrich, editing by Brad Tyer and Nick Ehli and contributions from Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Mara Silvers, Alex Sakariassen, Amanda Eggert and Stephanie Farmer. Questionnaire responses for legislatiive candidates were collected with help from the Montana League of Women Voters, through the league's Vote 411 program. Contact Eric Dietrich with questions, corrections or suggestions at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.
Montana Free Press is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reader-supported news organization serving Montana. MTFP's donor base includes supporters from across Montana's political spectrum, including some Montanans who are candidates in this year's election. MTFP's major donors are listed here and a current list of other supporters is available here. MTFP's news judgments are made entirely independently from donor involvement.
This material is available for republication by other media outlets under Montana Free Press' standard distribution terms.