Montana Public Radio is gathering information on all statewide primary candidates to publish as a resource for our audience. We asked all the statewide candidates to respond to the following questions via email, limiting their answers to 300 words per question. These are their unedited responses.
Gubernatorial candidate Tim Fox:
What is your full name as it will appear on ballots?
Tim Fox
What is your age?
62
Where do you live?
Montana City, Montana
What is your education background?
Attended K through 12 public schools in Hardin, Montana.
Bachelor Degree, Geology - University of Montana, (1981); Juris Doctor - University of Montana (1987); Master Degree in Public Administration - University of Montana (2018).
What is your current occupation?
Husband, Dad, Brother, Uncle and Grandfather of six with one more grandchild on the way. Attorney General of Montana
Why are you running for this particular public office?
It’s simple: I love Montana. I was born here, grew up here, received my education here, and I raised my family here. Montanans are extraordinary people, and countless numbers of them have taught, mentored, encouraged, supported, and loved me and my family through the years. I am passionate about public service, and seeking elected office is all about paying back and paying forward all that this state and her people have done for me. Montana’s natural beauty is unlike anything in the world, and I want to invest my time and energy into making sure future generations of Montanans can worship, learn, work, achieve, play and grow in this Last Best Place.
What makes you qualified to hold this position?
The challenges ahead call for leaders who unite Montanans, exercise virtuous character, and work toward transcendent purposes for the good of present and future generations of Montanans. No other candidates in the race for governor and lieutenant governor bring with them such a wide range of Montana-grown, Montana-first qualifications and track record of unifying people to successfully achieve substantive results, both in the public and private sectors. And to spice things up a little, I’m a Montana Grizzly, and my running mate Jon Knokey is a Montana State Bobcat. Together, we are a “Ticket United!”
In the private sector, Jon and I have both created and owned small businesses. As an attorney practicing law in Montana for 33 years, I’ve created dozens of business entities for Montana entrepreneurs, and have helped hundreds of businesses with navigating government regulations, and with resolving legal disputes and problems. I have practiced corporate, real estate, finance, environmental, natural resource, regulatory compliance, merger and acquisition, non-profit, and constitutional law and litigation. As a former vice-president and general counsel of a Montana-based national bank, I worked with hundreds of large and small businesses on financing their business needs.
During my time as attorney general, I’ve worked with thousands of Montanans to fight sex trafficking, instill confidence in our justice system, protect Montana’s sovereignty, address the issue of missing and murdered persons, create the largest health foundation in our state, protect children and the most vulnerable Montanans, draft and pass public safety legislation, protect consumers, lead the effort to address the substance abuse crisis, uphold the rule of law, and defend our state and national constitutions.
Jon Knokey and I sincerely wish to continue to serve Montana with passion and distinction, and we’d be grateful for the opportunity to do so as your governor and lieutenant governor.
What are three policy issues that distinguish you from your opponent(s)?
There are actually fifteen policy issues that distinguish the Fox/Knokey ticket from the other Republican candidates who have not told Montanans anything about their policies. If we had to highlight just three, it would be the following:
Jobs/Economy:
· Restructure Montana’s tax system to ensure availability of needed revenue while reducing taxes on Montana families, job creators and businesses.
· Reduce bureaucratic red tape to foster strong and consistent economic growth by repealing or amending unnecessary and burdensome regulations.
· Implement a statewide workforce development program called WorkforceMT that partners business and industry with education to connect Montana high school students to jobs and careers.
· Expand broadband access to utilize precision agriculture technologies and thereby make Montana Ag more competitive.
· Strive for budget neutral strategies.
Education:
· Promote proficiency and personalized learning where students work at their own pace, but must demonstrate aptitude in learning while communicating what they learned.
· Expand broadband access for additional remote learning options, particularly in rural Montana.
· Increase starting teacher salary which is ranked last in the nation.
· Promote a budget-neutral Mixed Delivery Pre-kindergarten model to provide early education options for children and working families. The delivery model will include and encourage private sector providers and faith-based preschools.
· Provide for local control so communities can promote innovation and technology efforts that fulfill Montana workforce needs.
Healthcare:
· Support rural critical access hospitals and statewide access to healthcare.
· Expand broadband access and telehealth capabilities.
· Protect insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions.
· Lower the cost of prescription drugs and explore access to less expensive Canadian prescription drugs.
· Lower the cost of healthcare by focusing on value-based delivery.
· Specific strategies for physicians, nurses, mental health, Native American healthcare and our aging population.
https://foxforgovernor.com/mt-united-strategic-vision-for-our-future/
What are the greatest issues facing Montana that have gone unsolved by elected officials and how would you address them?
Montana unquestionably faces many challenges, but I know our best days are yet to come. Unfortunately, our State has yet to reach its full potential, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic will make achieving that potential much more difficult. As Montana’s governor, I hope to bring Montanans together, just as I’ve done as attorney general, to listen to one another, and to collaboratively solve the problems that lie ahead.
Government cannot be all things for all people. My administration will ensure government lives within its means, that tax dollars are spent as efficiently and effectively as possible, and that we focus on providing only those services which the government should provide.
My administration will work to enhance public health and public safety by addressing the state’s substance abuse and mental health crises. We will work to enhance public access to our public lands, preserve our state's most precious outdoor treasures, and reduce unnecessary regulations to enhance our economy and create new jobs.
Providing world class public and private education opportunities for all Montanans, including those seeking career and technical education, will be a priority under my administration. We will focus on better healthcare outcomes, and will work to reduce the cost of healthcare while protecting the patient/physician relationship. We will also bring educators, government, industry, businesses, communities, and families together to solve our state’s workforce shortages.
My running mate, former Republican legislator and former world strategy advisor to John Deere Corporation, Jon Knokey, and I have worked with nearly 1,000 Montanans over the past ten months to study and create fifteen substantive proposed strategy papers. We call this effort “Montana United: A Strategic Vision for the Future.” We’ve posted these strategies on FoxForGovernor.com. We invite all Montanans to read the strategies and join in the conversation.
