MTPR is airing interviews with candidates running for federal office in 2026. MTPR's Victoria Traxler spoke with Michael Black Wolf, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate.
Victoria Traxler: What makes you the best person for the job?
Michael Black Wolf: Thank you for that question. Yeah, I think that what makes me the best person for the job is that I am about as everyday Montanan, and I work paycheck to paycheck, and my vehicle has like 215,000 miles on it. My check engine light is on. I have an awesome, beautiful, perfectly rainbow crack across the windshield. So I understand exactly and fully what it is to be a struggling Montanan and especially in this economy and under this administration.
Victoria Traxler: What previous experience would you bring to the job?
Michael Black Wolf: Having never been involved in organized politics, I have no political experience. However, it doesn't mean that I am not aware or cognizant of politics. My dad got me interested in politics when I was a teenager. I've been, I guess, a self-proclaimed, kind of, a political junkie since I was about 16, 17 years old. Obviously, you know that, not having done anything like that in any political seats, whether it was local or whatever, I still don't think that that's a hindrance to me. Actually, I think that's plus going into this race because I don't have any pre-set biases from having served before.
Victoria Traxler: What are your thoughts on how Congress should address the cost of health care in the United States?
Michael Black Wolf: I think that I'm one of those people that have been out there and talking and advocating for universal health care. I think one of the options out there, obviously, is to rethink and reconfigure how we do this. I think you look at the money that we are spending on this president's war — that would easily fund universal healthcare in the United States, quite honestly, probably many times over. And so I think that it's absolutely doable, I think we just lack the political will to just make sure that we ensure that every human being, every American, has the access to those fundamental human rights, healthcare being one of those.
Victoria Traxler: Where do you stand on the Trump administration's approach to immigration enforcement and what role should Congress have in immigration enforcement?
Michael Black Wolf: I'm also one of those people that think that, you know, our borders need to be secure. However, the way that this administration is going about it is absolutely unconscionable. I think that there are legitimate people who are coming here, want to come here, asylum seekers, and not every single immigrant– and let's be honest, we're all talking about brown-skinned people south of the United States and so that is really what we're talking about and I think that that is absolutely racist in its nature.
I think there are people who are legitimately fleeing from their homes, women and children, and that we have a huge opportunity to reform immigration in a humane way– manner. Absolutely, I think if there are, you know, the ones that do come across, you know, illegally and if they are criminals, absolutely 100% they should be deported.
Victoria Traxler: What do you make of President Trump engaging the U.S. in war with Iran?
Michael Black Wolf: I think that it was initially used as a ploy to distract from the Epstein files. And obviously, all the things that they're claiming, why we went in or why we struck, obviously have no merit, I don't think they hold any water. There's no reason for us to be in the Middle East engaging in that war right now.
Victoria Traxler: What is a top priority for constituents in Montana?
Michael Black Wolf: I'll give you three. The three top ones that I'm getting are: one, affordable groceries, affordable food. Obviously affordable housing is huge. And the most recent one, just because of this war, is the affordability of fuel. And what this race is really about, it's not the left versus the right, this is really the top versus the bottom.
