Given the GOP’s spectacular meltdown, we are making an extra push to highlight Democratic House candidates in races worth watching. We sent out the following questions to Montana’s Denise Juneau, who is running for the state’s At-Large Congressional District, and here’s what the campaign sent back.
Denise Juneau is the two-term superintendent of Montana's public schools, where she's raised graduation rates to historic highs while ensuring that Montana students are more prepared than ever for good jobs. She's running to take her record of accomplishment to Congress where she'll put Montana's people, land, and economy first. If elected, she would be the first American Indian woman ever elected to Congress. She's also running to be the second woman to serve Montana in Congress since Jeannette Rankin, who was the first woman ever elected to the U.S. House.
Kerry Eleveld: What about your biography makes you uniquely suited to represent your district?
Denise Juneau: My story takes me from Head Start in Billings all the way to Harvard. I've gone from teaching in a classroom in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, to leading Montana's public schools. I've seen the power of public education in strengthening our workforce and preparing Montanans for the jobs of the 21st Century, and I have a record standing up for our state's public lands, the #1 issue to Montanans. As Montana's next Congresswoman, I will put Montana's people land and economy first.
KE: What do you see as the key to your electoral victory?
Juneau: I'm proud of the work I've done as Montana's superintendent over the last seven and a half years. In this election, I've raised over $2 million to-date, far more than any Democrat who has run for this seat. And just last week, we closed the polling gap with Congressman Zinke to within the margin of error. In short, momentum is on our side. Additionally, we are running a great field campaign, including organizing voters on all seven of Montana's Indian reservations and our college campuses. Those two populations alone can make the different in close elections in Montana, and they are very excited about this race in particular.
KE: What's your opponent's biggest Achilles heel?
Juneau: My opponent has spent more time curating his own political brand than he has looking out for Montana. He skips votes for Montana to appear on Fox News, and he has signed a pledge to join the movement to transfer and sell America's public lands. He doesn't have many accomplishments to stand on, and he's nervous with the new polls that have us statistically tied -- so he spends his campaign money distorting my record. He's also tied his political future to Donald Trump, auditioning to be his Vice President and serving as a surrogate on national news, even after Trump's video bragging about sexual assault became public.