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Montana's 2020 election
Montana's 2020 election
The Montana Free Press guide
Republican for U.S. House
(Lost in June primary)
Lamm, of Livingston, is a former Montana GOP party chairwoman. She served in the Montana House during the 2015 Legislature.

Key coverage in the race for U.S. House

Race profile: Representing Montana in the U.S. House, who can bring a cure for health care?

U.S. House candidates Kathleen Williams and Matt Rosendale have made health care central to their campaigns. They may agree on a few details, but their proposed paths forward could hardly be more divergent.

Montana Lowdown: Matt Rosendale

State Auditor Matt Rosendale interviewed by MTFP Editor-In-Chief John Adams before the June 2020 primary

Montana Lowdown: Kathleen Williams

Former Rep. Kathleen Williams interviewed by MTFP Editor-In-Chief John Adams before the June 2020 primary

Montana PBS debate: U.S. House

Video of Williams and Rosendale at their Montana PBS debate Sept. 23
Follow MTFP's ongoing election coverage with our free newsletter

Campaign finance

As a federal candidate, Lamm has a campaign committee that files financial reports with the Federal Election Commission. Data shown here, current through 09/30/2020, is pulled from the FEC website for the 2019-20 election cycle.
$62,217
Total raised
$61,913
Total spent
$52,857
From individuals
$2,000
From committees
$6,999
Self-financing
Note: Fundraising components shown here don't necessarily sum to total fundraising because of miscellaneous receipts and accounting adjustments. Self-financing includes candidate contributions and campaign loans.

Contributions by zip code: Debra Lamm (R)

Map includes contributions through 05/31/2020.
96.7%
Portion of individual receipts from Montana
33
Itemized individual contributions reported
0
Number at $2,800 contribution limit
Note: Small individual donors totalling $200 or less in contributions aren’t necessarily reported in itemized data used for map. Individual contributions to federal candidates are limited to $2,800.


On the issues

Issue statements were solicited from active candidates via a written questionnaire before the June primary election. Answers were lightly edited for punctuation and spelling.

Particularly as the nation deals with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, what federal action would you support to help create good, high-paying jobs for Montana workers?

This is a great time to roll back regulations. We have seen the benefits of relaxing federal regulations during this crisis. A prime example is telemedicine. It would open up opportunities for doctors and other health practitioners and their families to live in rural communities. These are high-paying jobs, bring needed health care service to Montana and build our economy.

What separates you from your primary opponents as your party’s best candidate to represent Montana in Washington, D.C.?

I am the best Republican candidate to win against the likely Democrat candidate because it removes the issue of gender from the ballot. It gives voters an opportunity to focus on the issues and policy differences. I want to serve the people of Montana and address their concerns in education, health care, and agriculture as I have listened to Montanans all across the state. I have the most broad-based experience in both public service and the private sector. As a problem solver, I will use my experience in health care, business, law and education to represent our shared values and tackle the tough problems facing our nation and our state. I am not a career politician nor do I wish to become one.

If elected to the House, how would you attempt to bridge partisan divides to represent the concerns of Montanans who don't share your political orientation in Washington D.C.?

I would look for areas of common ground like education, veterans affairs, agriculture and children/family/human trafficking issues. Certainly we can all agree that these are areas of common interest. Staying focused on our oath to the Constitution will provide the necessary framework for tackling problems.

Would you have voted to impeach President Donald Trump based on the evidence presented to the U.S. House last year? Why?

No. There was no evidence of a crime.

Do you see reining in the federal debt as a priority? If so, how should that be accomplished? If you support new taxes, whom specifically should that burden fall on? If you support spending cuts, which specific places in the federal budget should be targeted? (We assume that working to minimize waste, fraud and abuse is a given.)

Yes, the federal debt must be a priority. I do not support new taxes but would look for ways to cut spending through regulatory reform and insisting that Congress do its job. And, yes, minimizing waste, fraud and abuse.

Do you support keeping the Affordable Care Act in place? What if any alternate federal policies would you support to promote Montanans’ access to safe, affordable health care?

The ACA was not the answer to our health care woes. No one should be forced to buy something they don't want. Alternatively, I would work to restore the doctor-patient relationship, remove the middle man, allow people to obtain catastrophic insurance policies, expand health savings accounts, require transparency in pricing, allow competition across state lines, and expand telemedicine.

Do you believe the federal government has enacted effective policies to keep Montana’s family-owned farms viable businesses? If not, which pieces of federal policy would you push to change?

The Federal government has helped open up trade and removed barriers/regulations like the Waters of the U.S. But the amount of regulations placed on family farms is still excessive such as limiting or preventing access for livestock grazing on public lands.

Should the federal government consider transferring some federally held land into state ownership?

The state should be managing federal lands. The state knows better than far away bureaucrats. It would be less costly to the taxpayer and the state could reopen public lands that have been restricted by the federal government.

Do you support the Montana Water Rights Protection Act implementing the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes Water Compact in its current form before Congress?

While I voted against the CSKT water compact when I served in the state Legislature, the current proposed act cures several defects and concerns but not all.


Stay tuned for more

We'll be updating this page with new information through Election Day in November 2020.

Have ideas about additional coverage that would be helpful as you consider your vote? Tell us at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.