Don 'K' brings a fresh approach

My family has lived in what is now Senate District 3 for more than a century. I have lived here in the Whitefish community all my life. I have always been interested in politics, and I’ve paid close attention to who has represented us over the years in the state legislature.

Based on my knowledge of local political history, I write this letter to set the record straight on an issue in the current campaign between Don Kaltschmidt “Don K” and Rep. Kieth Regier.

The issue is whether state Senators should first serve in the state House of Representatives before running for the Senate.

That is not the tradition of our Senate District. The fact is that of the last five Senators from our district – Bob DePratu, Dan Weinberg, Ryan Zinke, Dee Brown and Bruce Tutvedt -- only Dee Brown was a Representative before becoming a Senator, and even she did not go directly from the House to the Senate, as Keith Regier is now trying to do.

Regier should respect the intent of term limits, instead of trying to get around them. He should stand aside for a few years. He is trying to be a career politician, and we don’t need any more of those.

Now is a particularly important time for new leadership. For the Whitefish – West Valley Senate District, Don K exemplifies the fresh approach to leadership that is our tradition.

— Josh Akey, Whitefish