Kaiser Leib
Active candidates for Governor
Kaiser Lieb, 37 as of Election Day, is a Helena resident and professional software developer. He is also a standup comedian.
Born in Kalispell, Lieb studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Montana, graduating in 2009. He has worked for SoFi, Juniper Square and Stage, a now-defunct venture-capitalist backed company Lieb founded in Helena.
Lieb has says he wants voters to have the option of a Montana-born-and-raised candidate, noting incumbent Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat challenger Ryan Busse, the race’s frontrunners, were both born in other states.
“When somebody comes here from someplace else, they bring their own views, they bring their own approach to living life,” he told MTFP. “That might not be what Montanans expect.”
Lieb said he does not support additional limitations on firearms, citing his experience teaching rifle marksmanship with Project Appleseed, and also does not support restrictions on abortion, drugs or transgender rights.
This biography is based on Lieb’s LinkedIn profile, comments to MTFP and campaign website.
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.
Montanabudget.org has a clear explanation of this in their "The Great Tax Shift" article. Eventually we should eliminate taxes wherever possible, but in the short term we should undo the shift from commercial to residential taxpayers that hurts Montana families to benefit big businesses. The Legislature has to do this — the governor's office doesn't have the authority.
A nominal 3% increase per year is silly. Inflation is not fixed at 3%. If they want to reduce education spending, the Legislature should be honest and actually do it. If they want to keep pace with inflation, they should do that. The half-measure increase is nonsensical.
Regardless of funding, I'd like to see more decisions made by teachers and parents and fewer by one-size-fits-all decisions made in Helena and D.C.
The state should make no law prohibiting or restricting access to abortion.
Medicaid expansion requires more government spending, which requires taxes, and we should reduce taxes. All government spending on health care distorts the market for health care. But cutting Medicaid in a vacuum does nothing to restore market efficiencies to health care, and I wouldn't waste a veto on such a bill, if it came across my desk.
The Legislature should immediately reduce residential property owners' bills and restore the historical balance between commercial and residential property taxes. Going forward the Legislature should reduce and eliminate taxes wherever possible.
The DLI's building codes program should eliminate restrictions which increase construction costs, allowing increased housing supply at lower prices for homeowners and renters.
The state government does not control local zoning, which should be left to cities and counties.
Church ought to be entirely separate from state. Flags don't belong in churches, and crosses don't belong in government buildings. Conflating the two impoverishes both. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and render unto God that which is God's.
MTFP COVERAGE OF Leib
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Election outcomes
No party primary was conducted.
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.