We are gathering information from all statewide candidates as a resource for the 2024 Primary Elections. Responses were limited to 200 words per question. Political attacks may have been removed, but otherwise, the responses are published unedited.
What is your full name as it will appear on ballots?
Austin Knudsen
What is your age?
42
Where do you live?
Helena
What is your education background?
B.A. Montana State Bozeman; J.D. University of Montana
Please list your current and previous occupations.
Current: Montana Attorney General
Previous: Roosevelt County Attorney; Private Practice Attorney representing farmers, ranchers, neighbors, and small businesses in my community
What motivated you to seek the office of Attorney General?
I ran for Attorney General in 2020 because violent crime was on the rise and Mexican drug cartels were flooding our state with illegal drugs. Montanans agreed that we needed aggressive, conservative criminal prosecutor as the top law enforcement official, and it's been a privilege to serve.
I'm running for reelection so that I can continue to fight drugs and crime in our communities, fight the disastrous Biden agenda that has harmed Montanans, and fight for Montanans’ freedoms and liberties.
What are your top three policy issues?
My top priority as Attorney General is the safety and security of Montana communities. We've strengthened our laws and directed more resources to those fighting on the front line against drugs and crime.
The actions of the federal government routinely threaten our safety and way of life. My office has been a part of forty lawsuits against the Biden administration to secure the border, stop overreaching mandates on energy and economic policies, and protect our rights.
In my second term, I'll continue to fight to ensure the rights guaranteed to Montanans in the Constitution are upheld. I'm not afraid to challenge the status quo, and will keep fighting to stop government overreach, take on Big Banks and Big Tech, and enhance Montanans’ parental rights and gun rights.
What, if anything, should the office of Attorney General do to stop or reduce the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the state?
One hundred percent of the illegal drugs coming into Montana are manufactured by Mexican cartels and coming across the southern border. [EDITOR'S NOTE: For context on how fentanyl is flowing into the U.S., click here for a 2020 DEA Intelligence Reporter.] Until the federal government does its job and secures the southern border and stops the unprecedented flow of illegal drugs from Mexico, those drugs will continue to make it our state. This is why I've taken aggressive and proactive legal action against the Biden administration's policies that have left our border unprotected.
Locally, in the last three years we’ve dedicated more resources than ever before to local and state law enforcement, including more state narcotics agents, increased state participation and leadership in drug task forces, and securing 24 drug detecting K9s for 23 different agencies across the state. It's working -- more than one half million dosage units of fentanyl were taken off Montana streets just last year.
In my second term, I will continue to support law enforcement in the fight to disrupt trafficking networks, keep illegal drugs out of our communities, and aggressively target cartel affiliates and drug dealers who bring this poison into Montana.
What role does the Attorney General's office play in helping people in the criminal justice system struggling with addiction treatment?
Drug use is a major contributor to crime -- something I saw firsthand as a prosecutor in rural Montana and it's why I've focused so much time and so many resources fighting the scourge of illegal drugs during my time as Attorney General.
We've held opioid manufacturers and companies in the prescription opioid distribution network accountable for their roles in the opioid epidemic. We've secured more than $130 million for state and local governments to use for evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives.
Addressing the root causes of drug use and addiction is outside the purview of the Attorney General's Office, but I will see that the funding we secured is used efficiently and effectively during my second term.
What, if anything, should the Attorney General do to address human trafficking in Montana?
Forced labor and commercial sex trafficking are heinous crimes. Since my first days in office, I’ve made it a top priority to crack down on traffickers and help survivors rebuild their lives.
On my watch, the Department of Justice has hired more human trafficking investigators and partnered with federal agencies to create force multipliers. We've worked with the Legislature to increase the penalties for human trafficking and provide prosecutors with more tools to prosecute human traffickers.
We've also partnered with non-profit organizations to help Montanans recognize and report the crime when they see it, and most critically, heal from the abuse and exploitation they have suffered.
What changes, if any, would you like to see made to the state’s criminal justice system?
My office has worked closely with the legislature to increase penalties for drug trafficking and close loopholes that facilitated child sexual exploitation. As the threat of crime evolves, so must our criminal justice system.
The soft-on-crime approach that many judges in Montana seem to take has failed. We must end the revolving prison door that allows violent offenders back on the streets and elect judges who put the safety and security of our communities ahead of scoring political points.
What should the state Land Board prioritize as it manages state trust lands?
State trust lands were created to generate revenue for public education in Montana, but they also play an important role in creating jobs and supporting local economies.
Ensuring schools receive the funding they need, maximizing the long-term value of state trust lands for future generations, and balancing multiple uses will remain my top priorities during my second term as Attorney General.