MTPR is airing interviews with candidates running for federal office in 2026. MTPR's Shaylee Ragar speaks with Kimberly Persico, an independent candidate running for Montana's western U.S. House seat.
Shaylee Ragar Kimberly, thanks so much for coming in today. I appreciate it.
Kimberly Persico Thank you for having me.
Shaylee Ragar What makes you the most qualified candidate for this job?
Kimberly Persico What makes me the most qualified candidate for this job is that I will be working for all of the people. I will not be working for just the Democrats or just the Republicans. I will working for everybody.
Shaylee Ragar And you're running as an independent. Talk to me about choosing to run as an independent. It's a little harder than running under a party banner.
Kimberly Persico It's nearly impossible, and I chose it because I don't think either of the parties represent us anymore. With the way the big money is in our elections anymore, all of them are bought and then told what to say, so I don't agree with that.
Shaylee Ragar How do you describe your political philosophy?
Kimberly Persico My political philosophy is middle of the road, except for selling public lands. Everything can be compromised on to make a workable solution for everybody.
Shaylee Ragar Talk to me about your previous work experience that you would take to Congress if elected.
Kimberly Persico I worked for 10 years as an analytical chemist in a laboratory, and then we moved out to Montana and well before that I started teaching at a community college, teaching math, and then we move out to Montana and I worked a variety of different jobs here in Montana before I started my own business as a consultant and worked for the mining industry up by Libby for seven years.
Shaylee Ragar What kind of skills do you think you have learned from that experience that you'll bring to a job like this?
Kimberly Persico I'm really good with details. And so I can keep a lot of things straight and organized in my brain, but I also. Just work really hard.
Shaylee Ragar I want to move on to some issue-based questions. The federal government shut down over an impasse between Republicans and Democrats over subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. How would you have approached that vote?
Kimberly Persico I personally agree with the Medicare for all health care plan and I think I would have voted to keep it open because the damage that it caused did not come to any fruitful conclusion.
Shaylee Ragar Does that mean you would have for the subsidies or against the subsidies?
Kimberly Persico At that point I probably would have voted for the subsides which would have meant the government stayed closed, but that's a touchy one because, you know, I'm not real keen on the subsidies. But, it's better than nothing for these people.
Shaylee Ragar You talked about Medicare for all. Do you have any other thoughts on what could help decrease the cost of health care in this country?
Kimberly Persico Well, we could certify more physician assistants and get our staffing up, which would help with the actual health care in our country, for one thing. I think just Medicare for all would be a great way to start. And I don't agree with the mandates that everybody would have to have it, but I think given the option, most people would accept not wanting insurance companies making $70 billion in profit every year.
Shaylee Ragar What do you think is a top priority for constituents in this district?
Kimberly Persico A top priority I would say is getting rid of Citizens United. Everybody I've talked to has agreed on that. That all the dark money in our elections is bad and we're struggling as a nation with that. And in Montana we have the Montana Plan. Which hopefully can help lead us out of that.
Shaylee Ragar That's a ballot initiative for listeners who don't know that aims to find a state loophole around the Citizens United decision and prohibit corporate donations and business donations in elections. And that's something you support.
Kimberly Persico Yes, very much.
Shaylee Ragar The Trump administration made a huge push to downsize the federal government. Are you happy with the results of that effort and is further downsizing necessary?
Kimberly Persico Well, I agree with downsizing the government. However, the chainsaw he took to it, I don't agree with. That needed to be done with a scalpel. Every institution in the government can be more efficiently run. However, just going in and laying off entire departments and cutting like they did, it was a catastrophe.
Shaylee Ragar Kimberly, what has been your elevator pitch to voters?
Kimberly Persico My elevator pitch is: Term limits and getting rid of Citizens United. I think we really need to clean up our government. And those are two powerful tools to do it with.
Shaylee Ragar Thanks so much for coming in today.
Kimberly Persico Thank you.
