Phil Drake

pdrake@greatfallstribune.com

“I’m going to give you an analogy: I see Mr. Gianforte as a luxury car. It’s really smooth and comfortable getting down the road, but at the end of the day it just wants to be parked with the other luxury cars down at the country club.

And I see Mr. Quist as a little half-ton pickup. It’s shiny and bright, has a good sound system, but when you look underneath the hood it’s only got a six-cylinder, and when you start working, you lose the clutch and there it sits on the side of the road.

Now me? I’m the work truck. I’m the guy that when you are pulled over on the side of the road and you’re broke down, you want to see that big pickup pull up behind you that has the tow rope, the chains, the tools, everything to get the job done. And you know you’re going to get home that night. So that is what I am asking you Montana, vote for me, send the work truck to Washington to get the work done. Let’s quit playing these partisan politics and get something done for a change..”

And with that, Mark Wicks described what he believes is on the line in this election in terms that many Montanans could relate to, and which for many was their first look at a third-party interloper.

The Libertarian Party candidate’s closing comments, now posted on YouTube as “Mark Wicks Epic Closing Statement,” came during an April 29 debate sponsored by Montana Television News with fellow candidates Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist during a quest to fill the lone congressional seat vacated by Republican Ryan Zinke who resigned to become the U.S. secretary of the interior for President Donald Trump.

Now all Wicks has to do is garner enough votes in the Thursday, May 25, special election through a party that rarely raises more than a blip on the political radar but yet can serve as a spoiler for other parties in close races.

During the debate, Wicks, 47, played up being a working man, having several jobs and unable because of work commitments to take three-day weekends to go hiking with his wife, Beth, three daughters and a son who range in age from 5-18.

He said he decided to run because he felt the people were not being represented anymore.

“I felt I had to step up and do something,” he said, adding he didn’t feel any better when he looked at who was running for the seat.

“So I threw my hat in the ring,” Wicks said.

On his webpage for office, he describes himself as “Rancher. Family man. Writer. Army Reservist. Third-generation Montana” and calls his run for office a “David vs. Goliath campaign.”

Wicks recounts something that his father, a World War II veteran, said that resonates with him.

“He said that he had lived in the best times America would ever have to offer,” Wicks wrote. “That statement has always bothered me, and I’m worried he might be right.”

He said if America kept following a road of political correctness and denying problems, it will not have a better America for future generations.

“I fear we are on the same road as the Roman Empire, which toppled because of largesse, moral turpitude and shortsightedness.”

Wicks said he farms and runs cattle on the ranch his grandfather started in 1913 near Inverness. He works with his family.

According to his website, Wicks had a “passion” for history in high school, which earned him a scholarship to Montana State University. He narrowed that focus to the history of aviation, then moved to a college in Oregon to study Aviation Technology Maintenance, with a stint in Sweden.

In 1991, he joined the Army Reserves, where he served for two years before being diagnosed with a degenerative eye disorder, which he said makes his eyes sensitive to sunlight.

He returned to the family ranch.

Wicks said he has worked on Bakken drilling rigs, driven propane trucks, owned gift shops, sold family produce at farmers’ markets, and wrote a novel, “Wrath of the Dodo,” which looks at the family farm in a dystopia setting.

Wicks may be at a disadvantage in terms of name recognition as Gianforte, a high-tech entrepreneur from Bozeman, is likely familiar with Montana voters from his unsuccessful run for governor in November. And Quist, who has performed statewide for decades as a musician and with the Mission Mountain Wood Band, also is well known in Montana.

A political observer gave Wicks little chance of winning the election, saying he has not received much public attention and has insufficient campaign financing to get his name and message out.

“A third-party Libertarian candidate, even in Montana, is almost always relegated to single digits and often low single digits in the percentage of votes cast,” said Jeremy Johnson, associate political science professor at Carroll College. “I don’t expect Wicks to be a factor in the race unless Gianforte and Quist run almost even against each other.”

Johnson said Wicks, presumably, will take more of the vote away from Gianforte than Quist if this were a strictly Republican-Democratic race, but that is not assured.

“I expect Wicks to receive about the same share of the vote as most Libertarian candidates who have limited name recognition in previous elections have received. It’s an uphill battle to effectively challenge the two major political parties in Montana as well as throughout the United States"

Wicks said he is in the race to win and calls Quist the spoiler in his election.

In November, Zinke, a Republican, was re-elected to the congressional seat with 56 percent of the vote. Democratic challenger Denise Juneau received 40 percent and Libertarian Rick Breckenridge, who entered the race late due to the death of Libertarian candidate Mike Fellows, got 3 percent of the vote.

For comparison, in the secretary of state race, Libertarian Roger Roots got 3 percent of the vote.

Robert Saldin, an associate professor of political science at the University of Montana, puts Wicks’ chances of winning at zero percent.

“But he has an opportunity to get out the Libertarian message and to demonstrate that his party has a future in Montana politics after longtime standard bearer Mike Fellows' death,” he said. “He had a very strong showing in the debate. He could also tip a close race to Quist.”

Saldin said he expected Wicks to get in the mid-single digits is most likely on May 25. “High single digits would be a fantastic showing for him,” he said.

He also said that Wicks helps Quist, adding not all Libertarian votes would otherwise go to Gianforte because some would go to Quist and some wouldn't vote for either major party candidate.

“But Libertarians definitely hurt Republicans and help Democrats,” he said.

Johnson noted that from what he gathered, Wicks has aligned himself ideologically much closer to Gianforte than Quist.

The Libertarian Party, now the third-largest political party in the United States, was founded in 1971 in Colorado Springs, Colo., by David Nolan, a political activist, and some friends, according to the website Ballotpedia. Nolan opposed the Vietnam War and President Richard M. Nixon’s wage and price controls. The Libertarians, who say they are committed to free-market principles, civil rights, personal freedom, non-interventionism, peace and free trade, had their first national convention in 1972.

As of July, 144 Libertarians held elected offices in 34 states, including three state legislators in Nevada, Nebraska and Utah. The party has affiliates in all 50 states and more than 250,000 registered Libertarian voters nationwide, Ballotpedia stated.

On their Montana website, Libertarians said they believe in the American heritage of liberty, enterprise and personal responsibility. Libertarians recognize the responsibility we all share to preserve this precious heritage for future generations.

“Libertarians believe that being free and independent is a great way to live. We want a system which encourages all people to choose what they want from life; that lets them live, love, work, play, and dream their own way.”

Michael Fucci, communications director for the Montana Libertarian Party, said they believe their candidate is a breath of fresh air.

“His straight-forward manner and willingness to provide real answers to tough questions stands in stark contrast to the typical, overly rehearsed approach offered by the other candidates,” he said in an email.

Wicks admits he has lofty goals in seeking victory May 25.

“It’s always tough for a third party to win. The dice are always loaded for Democrats and Republicans,” he said.

He said the good thing about being a Libertarian is how many people do not know they are Libertarian until they research it.

“I’ve had numerous people say ‘I’ve been Libertarian all along,’” he said, adding he believes in fiscal responsibility.

Wicks said his dedication to fiscal responsibility brought him a lot of attention.

“People after the debate saw I was a common-sense person and very forthright and honest,” he said.

Wick said his fundraising picked up after the debate, “not any million-dollar contributions,” he said, “still a few thousand dollars, it goes out as soon as it comes in.” He estimates he has about $5,000 in his campaign war chest.He hopes the national party will donate funds to help him.



In terms of what he is hearing on the campaign trail, “Hands down it’s health care,” he said, adding it’s followed by public land, veterans’ health care and education.

He said the luxury car, pickup truck and work truck analogy came to him a couple days before the debate.

“As a farmer, I have a lot of time to think, going around in circles in a field,” he said. “People really latched on to it and understood what I was saying.”

Weekends are now spent traveling around the state. On Saturday, an “ugly truck” contest was scheduled for Whitefish.

The Whitefish Pilot reported people were invited to have pictures taken with Wicks and his work truck. The contest will feature three categories: ugliest truck, fanciest truck and most serious work truck. Winners would receive a Wicks for Congress T-shirt.

In terms of what happens May 25, Fucci said it’s in the hands of folks casting ballots.

This is up to the voters to decide,” he said. “There are three candidates on the ballot, and as with any special election, the outcome is unpredictable. Mark Wicks has a strong message that rings true with many Montanans, and we expect considerable support as they head to the polls.”



Here are comments from Wicks regarding some of the top issues during the campaign:



Public land: I would like to see access at least as good as it is now or better. He said it’s a bad idea to close roads so people cannot get in to fight fires or manage the land. He said claims of selling off national parks or wilderness are not going to happen.



Health care: Repeal it and get the federal government out of there. I don’t think they can handle it and react to changes fast enough to make it work. He said it needs to be fixed and costs need to be bought down. I am not a fan of one size fits all solutions to anything.



Gun ownership: He said the National Rifle Association does not rate third-party candidates. But he said he has been in the gun industry for 20 years, selling at gun shows or online. He said there is no bigger supporter of the Second Amendment than he.



Abortion: “I don’t make either side happy. With my views I believe people have a right to choose.” He said he does not support late-term abortions. “I’d like us to do as much as we can for fewer abortions.” He said he has a position paper on this subject on his Facebook page.



Trump budget: How is it different from any other budget in past? It does not matter if we send a Republican or Democrat to Congress, they will produce a spending plan that is over budget.



Transgender bathrooms: He said this was the first time he has been asked this question on the campaign trail: “If you are wondering which bathroom to use, just call your mother and I think she will tell you.”

