Gary Buchanan has chosen to file as an
Independent in his bid for Congress.
It may have been something of a surprise for many to see Gary Buchanan file as an Independent to challenge Republican Matt Rosendale for his Congressional seat. While he had been mulling the idea over since December, Buchanan said that he didn’t make the decision until just days before filing deadline.
Buchanan is a noted Billings businessman, having been engaged as a financial advisor for over 40 years and owning his own business, Buchanan Capital, for the last 20 years. He has always been interested in politics and has been politically active over the years in many respects, but never before has he run for political office. While he considered himself a Democrat, he frequently worked with both political parties in various capacities.
He filed as an Independent, he told Yellowstone County News, because “I have been discouraged by the parties. I don’t like party politics, and I think Montanans are tired of it.”
“Both parties have gone too far to the extreme fringe,” he said. As a consequence, he believes, both Republican and Democrat parties are losing membership.
He first thought about running for political office, at the urging of friends, in December, but he really didn’t make the decision until a few days before filing deadline. As an Independent, Buchanan has no primary challenger, but he does have to get 8,722 signatures from voters supporting his candidacy by May 31.
Other Republican candidates who have filed for the office, include incumbent Matt Rosendale, and James Boyette, Bozeman; Charles Walkingchild, Helena; and Kyle Austin, Billings. (Austin is owner of Pharma 406 in Billings.)
Democrats filing are Sky Williams, Penny Ronning (former Billings City Councilwoman) and Sen. Mark Sweeney, Philipsburg.
Three Libertarians have also filed for the office including Roger Roots, Livingston; Sam Rankin, a real estate broker in Billings, and Samuel Thomas, Missoula.
Gary Buchanan was first introduced to the political scene serving as the first Director of the Montana Department of Commerce, which was created by Gov. Ted Schwinden, a Democrat for whom Buchanan had campaigned.
Buchanan later served Republican Governor Marc Racicot in helping to reorganize state government in 1994.
Probably the longest impacting change Buchanan helped bring about was the passage of Initiative -105 that placed a cap on property taxes, without a vote of the people. While he had hoped restriction would encourage acceptance of a sales tax in the state, and while there have been modifications of the law by the state legislature, it has resulted in greater accountability in local government in considering tax increases.
Another successful initiative that Buchanan led, which he considers a significant achievement, was one that led to banning cyanide leaching from mining processes in the state. The process left many mine sites in Montana, like Zortman-Landusky, permanently polluted.
The impetus that spurred Buchanan to file for office, he says, was seeing Rosendale, as one of only three votes in Congress, in opposition to supporting the people of Ukraine against the invasion of Russia. Buchanan said that he found Rosendale’s position of wanting first to see the US build a wall on the southern border before funding the defense of another country’s border, an embarrassment for Montana.
About the issue of the US/ Mexican border where thousands of illegal immigrants flood in daily, Buchanan said, “I think the wall has been primarily a failure.” He said that he believes Congress needs to address the immigration laws in the US. He said, “I liked what George Bush did. He recognized the need in agriculture for immigration.” Without the workers, agriculture is suffering, he pointed out, “The solutions really lie with Congress.”
Buchanan said that his decision to run, came from a frustration of just writing “letters to the editor”; he wanted to do something more. “I want to return Montana’s political system to one of respect and bring dignity to the office.”
Buchanan believes that his background in finance gives him good understanding of economic and financial issues. “And, how to attack inflation,” the solution for which will be a painful one, he said, but needs to be done. “The Fed has to raise interest rates,” said Buchanan, because of the inflationary impacts of the Ukraine war. That means that borrowing money will become more painful.
Buchanan said that the Build Back Better program “is highly inflationary.” While he supports some of the things that are in it, he commented, ““The Democrats have become a circular firing squad.”
American businesses pulling out of Russia and ceasing trade with the country, at considerable cost to themselves, makes Buchanan proud. Buchanan said that it has been a long time since he has seen such unity — “They can really hurt Putin.”
When it comes to international politics, Buchanan says he is a conservative. “We need to be strong.”
“We need to drill a lot more oil,” said Buchanan. Noting that the availability of more federal oil leases has given the energy sector “a green light.” He agreed that uncertainties in the industry require that the private sector of the oil industry needs to be encouraged to “drill and produce on current leased acreage.”
On other issues, Buchanan said, “We need to fund the police.’ And, he is very strong on greater access to public lands for Montana hunters and fishermen.
He said that he is listening to issues about which the health care industry is concerned, including about quarantining and the passage of HB-702 by the state legislature that “prohibits discrimination based on a person’s vaccination status.” He said that the private sector in Montana is being infringed upon by Republicans.
Buchanan concedes that he has a lot to learn about agriculture, but he does believe that the grain industry and meat packing industry are far too concentrated and the industry is constrained by government. He is intrigued about such issues as “the right to repair,” and plans during the campaign to go to a lot of agriculture groups to learn more about their issues. “I think building a strong ag platform is critical,” he said.
Buchanan, turning 73 on April 17, was born in Iowa City in 1949, and lived in Topeka, Kansas, Superior, Wyoming, and Boulder, Colorado, when his father practiced medicine. He graduated from high school in Bethesda, Maryland, when his father was in the CIA. Buchanan holds a bachelor’s degree and attended graduate courses at the University of Colorado in 1975.
He began his business career in Billings at Merrill Lynch in 1979, and has also been an executive with D. A. Davidson and Dain Rauscher. He started Buchanan Capital in 2002 with his, wife Norma, and son, Todd. His daughter, Kelly Buchanan Ewing, has since joined the business. He and Noma also have four grandchildren.
As a Congressional representative for Montana, Buchanan says, “I would be informed and I would learn from my constituents.” He said that he aligns with conservative perspectives of local control, respect of private property, decentralization, and staying out of business.
Speaking of Senator Jon Tester, Buchanan expressed admiration. “He was the only Senator to vote against earmarks,” he said. “If all Democrats were like Jon Tester, the Democrat party would be fine.”
Buchanan has quickly gathered a long list of endorsements of Montana political figures, from both sides of the isle, including former Governor Marc Racicot, former Secretary of State Bob Brown, former US Marshall Dwight McKay, former legislators Dave Lewis, David Wanzenried, and Dorothy Bradley, and Jim Gransbery, retired Billings Gazette reporter.
Buchanan has served many roles in Montana. He served as chairman of the Montana Banking Board, two terms on the Montana Board of Investments, including Chairman. He was chairman of the Board of Crime Control. He has served on the Montana Supreme Court’s Commission on Practice; and on the boards of Montana Capital Development; Montana Power Authority; the Montana Chamber of Commerce; Montana PBS, Alberta Bair, Billings Montana United Way Campaign, and the Nature Conservancy of Montana. And, he was awarded Montana Ambassador of the Year, Honorary Membership for National Trout Unlimited, and Montana Ambassador Plenipotentiary.
