HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – Republican Ed Hill is campaigning to represent Havre in the Montana Legislature as the representative for House District 28.
A current member of the Havre Public School Board, Hill spent decades as a railroad worker and was also a member of the Army National Guard. He is also a Council member for Abundant Life Ministries, a member of the Eagle Creek Ski Patrol and has previously been the Chairman of the Food Committee for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
“Looking back, I guess my life can be described as a life of service in the community. I’m always involved and I look forward to those types of things.”
Hill says he never aspired to run for political office, but says he was urged by those around him to give it a shot.
“I never aspired to be in politics. The seed was planted one day and I thought, ‘that was silly,’ and kind of laughed it off. A couple more people within the next week, I’d heard it about three or four more times. And I thought well, I don’t know, maybe people see something in me that I don’t see in myself, because I never aspired to be in politics and I’m not a very good speaker, so I kind of shied away from that. But I think the pieces for the puzzle started falling into place when I started evaluating my life and realizing that I did now have some extra time amongst all the other things that I do, to help on a different level…The last seven years with the school board that’s been kind of a training in process. The hiring and firing and everything we do at the school board. We’re overseeing and managing the district, the money the planning, the training. It’s just been a culmination that’s prepared me to move into (the) legislature.”
Hill says the current pandemic slowed some of his campaign operations, but he has recently started door knocking. He adds that the pandemic could have been handled a bit differently by those in leadership positions.
“People’s perceptions are there reality. It’s probably based on different age groups, too. We all mitigate and assess risks differently. I’d imagine that the state and federal government is probably wishing they could have handled things differently. I think this question kind of ties into more of…local community issue immediately at hand. Whether that be with the businesses, employees workers. I think that possibly some stimulus money could have been released earlier and more. It’s just not a good situation…People assess risks differently and this virus, it’s something new to us. We’re already living with…five or six other coronaviruses, and I think this will just have to be one more coronavirus that we’re going to have to add to our list and assess and manage the risk.
In speaking with New Media Broadcasters, Hill defended his view on face coverings and discussed why he doesn’t wear them at school board meetings.
“I don’t like masks. It makes it hard for me to breathe. I don’t think that masks are good for you in a healthy aspect the things that your body expels. I don’t think it’s that good to be breathing those back in. But on the other hand, that’s my personal point of view. I think that along with masks designed to protect you, I think that also have a personal liability to bolster their immune systems. If you’re assessing a risk…A grade school kids, it seems that they are building their immunities and their immune system. They are out and about playing in the dirt and pulling carrots and wiping off the big chunks. As you go through life, your views change. I’m not bullet proof like I use to be. I do take precautions differently. I do things differently. I drive slower, I ski slower, I manage risks a lot differently.”
Hill says to his knowledge, he doesn’t have any endorsements from groups. When asked what the biggest community need he’d like to take with him to the legislature, Hill responded by mentioning the impact COVID-19 has had on the community and the state budget.
“With the COVID in general, there’s been a lot of businesses, workers, people have been getting hurt. Essential businesses, non-essential businesses, that’s kind of a fine line, I don’t want to touch on that. But I guess one of the main things is going to be the budget. With all this stimulus money that’s gone out, there is going to have to be some recourse. Some taxes. That money is going to have to be paid back somehow, some way. I don’t know how we are going to figure that out, but that’s probably the first and biggest issue on my mind that I’ll be working on and taking to Helena with me.”
When it comes to healthcare and thoughts on the recent medicaid expansion, Hill says it needs to be viewed on a case by case basis.
“It’s just hard for me to throw out a blanket statement that we need to expand the system. I don’t think that is generally the right answer. I think it needs to be evaluated and taken step by step.”
Hill says he doesn’t know his opponent, Democrat Krystal Steinmetz well, but that he believes he is the more conservative candidate.
“I possibly might have, well in my eyes, being in this chapter of my life with my family, my pension, everything secured. I don’t plan on coming back from Helena but maybe every other weekend. I plan on staying there and staying focused on all the issues, trying to read up on everything. Just getting to be fully immersed in all the committees and everything I’m required to do. It’s going to be quite a learning curve.”
Hill adds that he agrees with the majority of the Republican party platform, and that his values make him the right candidate.
“Working for the railroad for 41 years, and my last 20 years being in a leadership role, I think that I’ve learned that I play well with others, I’m able to evaluate situations, I’m not a real snap decision type of guy. I need to think about things. I think that all people have value and bring different ideas to the table. Especially in politics, I think we need to bring back the civil discourse. It’s nice. Since I’ve been on the campaign trail talking to some people, and we’ve been able to talk about both of the different platforms, shake hands, and agree to disagree…Talking about my leadership skills, I think that there is always more than one way to get something done. I think if you throw out an idea or a problem and you leave it up to the people, the legislators, people that have their pulse on the constituents, knowing what they want and need, that’ll be important too with the constituents emailing and phone calls and messages. Making sure I know how their thinking. Havre will be my first, main concern, and then it will expand out into the state. That’s how I look at it. The people of Havre will be electing me to be there representative, and I want to represent the constituents of Havre.”
The House District 28 seat is currently occupied by Democrat Jacob Bachmeier, who decided not to file for re-election.
Stay tuned to New Media Broadcasters for more election updates.
