MTPR is airing interviews with candidates running for federal office in 2026. MTPR's Shaylee speaks with Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, a Republican running for Montana's western district U.S. House seat.
Shaylee Ragar: Secretary Jacobsen, thanks so much for joining us today.
Christi Jacobsen: Thank you, Shaylee, for having me.
Shaylee Ragar: We will dive right in here. What makes you the most qualified candidate for this job?
Christi Jacobsen: What differentiates me from all the other candidates is my experience and how I've delivered for the people of Montana already, and that's why I've won by the largest margin of any other candidate in the last two general elections. It's because I was fully endorsed the first time around on securing elections, being a business partner, expanding public access, and being pro-natural resource development for our state. And my role as Secretary of State, I've delivered on all those things. We have a record number of businesses. I've cut red tape for businesses. I've cut filing fees for businesses, have a lot of different initiatives implemented for securing our elections, and have solid votes on the land board for expanding public access, which I know is super important to all of the people in Western Montana. So I'm just super proud of delivering on all of those results.
Shaylee Ragar: How does your prior experience translate to working in Congress? What will you bring from that experience?
Christi Jacobsen: So it's getting government out of the way for businesses to thrive. It's reducing the size and the spending of government, partnering with the business community, representing the small businesses across our country, and securing our elections. We have a lot of common sense election integrity measures that we implemented here in Montana. All of the election integrity measures that we've implemented are bipartisan. And they're just solid policies that Montanans want to see, and I think the rest of the country as well. And expanding our natural resource development. I think energy is a very big issue that we need an advocate in Congress for, and I think we just have to allow the federal regulations to empower and enact to have energy production.
Shaylee Ragar:The federal government shut down amid an impasse between Republicans and Democrats over subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. How would you have approached that vote?
Christi Jacobsen: If I were serving in Congress I would not, I would insist on not getting paid until we deliver for the workers. And I think it's absolutely unacceptable to go without having the funding for them and expect them to show up and work for free. And I certainly do not think that when that's going on Congress should be able to take a break, take a recess, and they shouldn't be getting paid. And I would put my money where my mouth is with that.
Shaylee Ragar: How do you think Congress should try to address the cost of health care? I imagine it'll come up again.
Christi Jacobsen: Yeah, I think we need to take of the rural areas in the state and we need to make sure that our elderly are taken care of and that we protect the social security for our all the people that have earned that and I know there's new and innovative ways to do that.
Shaylee Ragar: The Trump administration made a push to downsize the federal government. Are you happy with the results of that effort and do you believe further downsizing is necessary?
Christi Jacobsen: Well I believe in efficiency and I think when it comes to the federal government and $78 trillion in debt, I think there's absolute room for efficiencies and I think we have to look at where there should be a shift in government spending. But to, like for instance, to fund a war we can't just start funding things without having reductions in other areas so I think we to look at the entire scope of the spending and make government work more efficiently.
Shaylee Ragar: What would you say is a top priority for constituents in this district?
Christi Jacobsen: I think public access is a big thing. I think having the different entities, the Good Neighbor Authority, for instance, where you have the state and the federal partnerships for taking care of our forests and allowing expanded public access. And I also think affordability when I talk to Montanans across, in particular, Western Montana, affordability, gas, energy, all of that, and making sure that we allow that government's getting out of the way so Montanans can afford to live here and stay here. And making sure that we have good paying jobs in Montana and that there's affordability to buy homes and live here.
Shaylee Ragar: Is there a particular policy that you think would be important to address affordability?
Christi Jacobsen: Just keeping taxes down in general and having taxes shift onto different populations, that's not reducing taxes. That's a tax shift.
Shaylee Ragar: Thanks so much for taking the time today.
Christi Jacobsen: Thank you. I appreciate it.
