Kirk Bushman
Active candidates for Public Service Commission (Seat 2)
Republican
Democrat
Bushman, 58 as of Election Day, is a Billings resident who served on the commission from 2013 to 2016 and narrowly lost a second bid for a PSC seat in 2020.
Bushman is a mechanical engineer who said he’s helped some of the state’s largest producers and consumers of energy meet regulatory and production challenges. Bushman formerly worked for Sibanye-Stillwater, the South Africa-based owner of the Stillwater and East Boulder platinum and palladium mines in southern Montana.
Bushman said he’s running for another term on the PSC because he was asked to by people concerned about the commission and because he’d like to encourage better decision-making in government for the sake of his four children.
Bushman told MTFP that he would like to ensure that there is a “fair playing field” between renewable power generators and the utilities buying power from them. He said the commission is tasked with applying regulations laid out in state and federal laws, not writing regulations, and there is no place for considering climate change in the commission’s work.
“I will push back on the agendas of the environmentalists using federal policy to push costly technology that doesn’t solve the challenges of today,” he said.
This biography is based on an MTFP interview with Bushman, Bushman’s response to MTFP’s questionnaire and election information from Ballotpedia.
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.
Commissioners should have experience that demonstrates they are familiar with economic and investment principles, as well as technical topics such as the generation and transmission of electricity, production and transport of natural gas, and telecommunications.
I have an engineering degree from Montana State University. I have worked with Montana’s largest energy producers and consumers to help them meet regulatory and production challenges. I have also served as a PSC commissioner from 2013-2016. I will ensure that investments made by our utilities are both technically and economically responsible for the ratepayers of Montana. I will push back on the agendas of the environmentalists using federal policy to push costly technology that doesn’t solve the challenges of today.
The PSC has no role regarding climate change. The PSC’s role is to apply regulation that stems from Montana State Law MCA Title 69 and federal law [administered by the] Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). There are some regulations that promote renewables. But it is not the role of the PSC to make regulations. I believe the PSC should work with legislators to understand the effects of any proposed legislation. The PSC has hosted public comments on this topic.
PSC commissioners need to be familiar with federal regulations. The Biden Administration’s “Net Zero” program has plans for building out transmission for wind and solar with a focus on ESG and DEI policies. These policies are a real threat to electricity prices across the state, not just utilities regulated by the PSC, but local co-ops as well. We need our senators, congressmen and the governor to be involved in this debate at both the state and federal level.
The PSC has to balance the rates vs. reliability. Currently the three biggest risks to consumers are inflation, higher interest rates and ill-conceived federal regulations. A recent press release from the Department of Energy has announced $6 billion of spending focused on eliminating carbon emissions.
I would like the citizens of Montana to benefit from Montana’s resources. The utility generation portfolio should be able to provide a surplus of power that can be marketed to the industrial sector and other states with the benefits of these sales used to relieve the cost to Montana citizens.
MTFP COVERAGE OF Bushman
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Election outcomes
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| BRAD MOLNAR | 16,301 | |
| KIRK BUSHMAN | 15,060 |
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.