JEFF STANEK
Active candidates for House District 90
Republican
ON THE ISSUES
Answers here were solicited from legislative candidates via a written questionnaire in April 2024, conducted in collaboration between MTFP and the Montana League of Women Voters. Responses here are presented exactly as submitted, without fact-checking or editing for minor punctuation or spelling errors. Readers can access the league's Vote411 resource here.
Legislative candidates who haven't submitted answers to these questions can do so at any time by contacting montanalwv@gmail.com or calling 406-233-9015.
I was born on the Air Force Academy in Colorado. When my father separated from the military, we moved to Medford, OR. After high school, I served honorably in the Air Force as a cop and was deployed to Afghanistan from 2009-2010. I was an Honor Graduate, Distinguished Graduate, Emergency Service Team Member, and received many other awards. After separating, I worked in management until 2016. I then used the GI Bill to finish my teaching degree. I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Montana Western. Later, I received my master's degree. I live and teach in St. Regis and I am 35 years old. I have seen the world and real tyranny. I am a student of history and I have a duty to serve Montana to protect our posterity.
The growing size of government and in turn higher taxes is the most pressing issue facing out state and nation. We are almost 35 trillion dollars in debt, we have a federal government who is filled with career politicians, we have a state that refuses to hear the petitions of 38 out of 56 counties who said that our property taxes are too high. There's widespread fraud, waste and abuse of tax money; and that same government who takes an oath to defend our constitution, openly violates it. Montana needs to band together and hold our federal and state governments accountable, while passing legislation that protects our elections, our sovereignty, our money, our families, our privacy, our resources and our right to be left alone.
The first question should be: What are "essential services?" There are needs and wants and the record has proven that often times our government spends money on things they want, but do not need. I signed a constitutional initiative a few years ago to put a cap on property taxes because of this exact problem. It should have been put on the ballot, but because the Montana Supreme Court killed it, we are faced with a government who demands more from us every year. Government spending must be decreased by law in support of the people. If the budget in years past worked, why can it not work now? The argument of population growth or inflation does not hold weight when last year we had a surplus of 2.5 billion dollars in taxes.
Government should be out of the free market. That is why it is called the "free market." Government should not partner with private health insurance companies because the merging of government and corporate powers, according to Benito Mussolini, is fascism. No additional steps should be taken by our state legislature until there can be a guarantee that our tax dollars are not being wasted. The private, free market should be protected and encouraged to offer competitive health insurance options to all socioeconomic classes in Montana. If any laws are to be passed to enhance health care access, it would be to protect individuals who use cost sharing health co ops (instead of insurance monopolies) from abuses.
The state should not be raising our kids, period. I am a public school teacher and I can tell you from real world experience, throwing more money at our problems in education is not going to solve anything. We need a cultural shift in our country. We need to take ownership of our families (I have two boys, ages 3 and 1.5) and raise them to love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength, and to love their neighbors as themselves. We need to encourage active participation of school board elections and meetings, and we need to make sure that our tax dollars follow the child, no matter if that is to a public school, charter school, or homeschool. There does not need to be any increases in public school funding.
MTFP COVERAGE
Election outcomes
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| CURTIS J COCHRAN | 1,028 | |
| JEFF STANEK | 887 | |
| STEVEN DELISLE | 724 |
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.