In one Public Service Commission race this week, incumbent Republican Jennifer Fielder walloped her challenger despite an infusion of cash by an independent committee for her opponent late in the campaign.
Independent Elena Evans, who criticized Fielder for supporting recent steep rate increases the PSC approved, had raised significantly more money than Fielder on her own.
Then, an independent committee, the Montana Ratepayers Association, reported raising nearly $500,000 for the race to support Evans and defeat Fielder.
Evans lost her campaign anyway, but the windfall of six figures is an anomaly in these races.
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Neither the Montana Ratepayers Association nor its dark money funder, American Jobs and Energy Security, returned requests for comment from the Daily Montanan.
However, a political analyst said the big money may be an attempted warning to the Public Service Commission to reconsider its energy priorities — and a state senator and newly elected PSC member said he fears it is and could affect future campaigns.
State Sen. Brad Molnar, R-Laurel. (Provided by the Montana Legislature)
State Sen. Brad Molnar, a Republican who also previously served on the PSC, noted the push of money in the race in a news release last week.
He said he wanted to alert Montanans that a “moneyball” awaits commissioners who don’t support the agenda of the funders, citing another donor, the Climate Cabinet Action.
Based in San Francisco, the organization identifies itself as using a “moneyball” approach — identifying and supporting under-the-radar politicians who back climate initiatives. Records show it gave $20,000 to the Montana Ratepayers Association.
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The American Jobs group then gave $475,000.
“We do not know the donors’ motives in funding the Montana Ratepayers Association, but plainly it is not open/fair elections or consumer protection,” said Molnar, himself a previous and future Public Service Commissioner, in a statement.
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The Public Service Commission, made up of five commissioners elected by district, has been criticized for approving high rate increases for energy utilities.
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Detractors also argue the PSC, currently all Republican, has been slow to encourage more affordable and sustainable power sources for Montana consumers.
Earlier this year, a coalition of 40 businesses and other organizations submitted a formal request asking the Public Service Commission to consider the adverse impacts of greenhouse gas emissions in utility regulation.
The climate petition is pending.
Most of the late push of more than half a million dollars into the race came from the American Jobs and Energy Security group, which lists its purpose as to support clean energy candidates and initiatives.
The group could not be reached for comment through phone numbers and an email address on file with its registration with the Commissioner of Political Practices.
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American Jobs and Energy Security reported sending $475,000 later in September and $40,000 later in October to the Montana Ratepayers Association, plus additional in-kind contributions.
The Montana Ratepayers Association reported spending part of the money on “creative testing,” or polling research, and the bulk of it on digital and print advertising to support Evans.
In an interview last Friday, political analyst Lee Banville said large infusions of dark money are unusual in down-ballot races in Montana. However, he said they have taken place before, such as in Montana Supreme Court races.
“We saw it in the ballot initiative to get marijuana legalized,” said Banville, journalism professor and head of the School of Journalism at the University of Montana, of the 2020 effort. “There was a single group that funded the entire thing that we know almost nothing about.”
In this case, Banville said funders might be those who are frustrated by the lack of transition to renewable energy, which the PSC has not been pushing. The money may be a way to “change the conversation,” but be a warning to other commissioners and hopefuls as well.
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“‘Maybe you should be taking renewables more seriously,’” Banville said of the possible message.
Prior to the election, however, Banville said Fielder had the advantage in the race regardless, being a Republican with incumbency and plenty of name recognition as a former state legislator.
But Banville also said he wanted to know the true purpose of the Montana Ratepayers Association: “Are they a real organization doing things to protect ratepayers? Or are they serving as a pass-through for money that is otherwise dark?”
The Montana Ratepayers Association is not registered with the Secretary of State’s Office. It did not respond to an email last week from the Daily Montana or a request for comment in a form submitted through its web portal.
The only information on its website is about recent PSC rate hikes, and the only candidates it mentions are Evans, whom it supported, and Fielder, whom it accused of “corporate cronyism.”
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Jennifer Fielder of the Montana Public Service Commission (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Fielder).
In a phone call the day after the election, however, Fielder said she suspects the funds spent to oppose her are “corporate money from entities that tend to profit from PSC decisions.”
But Fielder said she did not know for sure, and regardless, she didn’t see the expenditure as a threat from those who want the PSC to respond to the harmful effects of climate: “I don’t operate that way.”
“I do what is right under the law and in the public interest,” Fielder said. “I do my best, and fortunately, the people have tended to agree with that kind of thinking and have sent me back to continue working for them.”
Fielder had earned 55% of the vote to Evans’ 45%, according to the election results on the Montana Secretary of State’s elections site Thursday.
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In an email to the Daily Montanan about the Montana Ratepayers Association, Evans said she learned about the group from people in her district who received its mailers and shared them with her.
Independent Elena Evans, who ran for the PSC. (Provided by the Evans campaign.)
Although she lost, she said she was “overwhelmed” by the response from Montanans — “Trump voters and Harris voters” — who wanted to see change on the PSC.
In a public statement after the election, Evans said she would not stop advocating for “forward-thinking” energy sources and “a better future for our children.”
Besides Fielder and Molnar, one other Republican won his race for the Public Service Commission this week. State Sen. Jeff Welborn, a moderate from Dillon, had 62% of the vote Thursday to Leonard Williams’ 38%.
Welborn said when it comes to energy sources, reliability is key for the people he has talked to during his campaign — to keep refrigerators cold and hospitals open, for instance — even if consumers have to pay a little bit more.
But he said it’s hard to raise money for Public Service Commission races, more so than for legislative races, and the six-figure contribution is striking.
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Four- and five-figure campaigns are more commonplace for the PSC.
Jeff Welborn (Courtesy of Montana Legislative Services)
“I’m here to tell you that it is a big effort to raise even $5,000 one check at a time from donors,” Welborn said.
The groups didn’t insert themselves in his campaign, but Welborn said big money won’t change the way he approaches his decisions regardless: “I’m not going to be bullied or pushed around by any organization.”
Still, he said, the fact that some entity can drop even $100,000 on a PSC candidate — “exponentially” more than candidates can raise on their own — and help them buy 20 times the name recognition is significant. And he said it raises questions.
“What is that expectation for the return on investment?” Welborn said. “And at whose feet does that expectation fall?”
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Support, direct and indirect
The groups behind the half a million dollars for PSC candidate Elena Evans, separate from her candidate campaign, did not return calls or emails for comment from the Daily Montanan.
American Jobs and Energy Security lists an address at a Delaware building with a business that registers companies and helps make sure others “stay out of your business.”
It couldn’t be reached by phone last week or this week.
Montana Conservation Voters political director Molly Bell said her organization supported Evans, and it received indirect help from the groups.
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In August, a consultant with Ship Creek Group, a creative and political agency in Alaska, contacted Montana Conservation Voters to see if it wanted to pool resources in conjunction with a poll, Bell said.
Ship Creek received support from the Montana Ratepayers Association, funded mostly by American Jobs and Energy Security, according to campaign finance reports.
The consultant on the project did not return a request for comment from the Daily Montanan.
Late last week, Bell said she didn’t know much about the groups that were also wanting to support Evans and clean energy, although she was pleased to hear they shared similar goals.
Bell had hoped to see Evans declare victory, but she said the aim from her organization is a PSC that supports new energy and commissioners who won’t be a “rubber stamp” for the fossil fuel industry.
Montana Brown showed off her blossoming baby bump in a series of vacation snaps on Thursday.
The former Love Island star, 29, who is expecting her second child with fiancé Mark O’Connor, displayed her growing bump in a stylish green bikini which consisted of a triangle bikini top and a pair of tie-side bikini bottoms.
Cradling her bump, the TV star further accessorised her pool-side look with a pair of cool shades.
The mother-of-one captioned the gorgeous snaps with: ‘Not long Babygirl (heart emoji)’
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Fans and close friends of the star then flocked to the comment section to pay their compliments.
One fan wrote: ‘A real life angel!!!’; ‘Gorgeous glowing mama’; ‘Feels like yesterday baby Jude was in there!!’
Pregnant Montana Brown showed off her blossoming baby bump while wearing a bikini in a series of vacation snaps on Thursday
The former Love Island star, 29, is expecting her second child with fiancé Mark O’Connor
Montana announced she was pregnant with her second child in July and took to her Instagram to share the happy news with her 1.1 million followers.
She displayed her tummy in a chic knit dress and cradled her stomach as she smiled for the camera in the clip.
Confirming that she is expecting again with her rugby player fiancé Mark, Montana wrote: ‘Two under two let’s go!’
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Montana and Mark welcomed their first child, a son named Jude, in June last year and announced they were expecting again just 13 months later.
The couple travelled to Santorini after they enjoyed a week-long holiday with their son Jude in Montenegro and shared updates from their sun-soaked trip.
The reality personality was flooded with congratulatory messages from her famous friends and Instagram followers.
Gabby Allen, who appeared on her series of Love Island, wrote: ‘Omgggg.’
While fellow Love Island alum, Tasha Ghouri said: ‘Ahh!! Congratulations!’
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The mother-of-one captioned the gorgeous snaps with: ‘Not long Babygirl (heart emoji)’
Samira Mighty penned: ‘Ahhhh.’
Food influencer Emily English posted a series of clapping hands while Tiffany Watson and Natalya Wright both said ‘congratulations’.
Other stars who shared their support included Vicky Pattison, Danielle Lloyd, Grace Beverley, Kendall Rae Knight and Elle Brown.
Earlier this year, Montana celebrated the joys and sorrows of motherhood as she paid tribute to her baby son Jude in a heartfelt Instagram post.
Montana reflected on her pregnancy journey seven months after her little one was born – as she shared her emotional thoughts with her followers.
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She detailed the highs and lows of the ‘humbling’ experience, admitting she was always ‘one comment away from having a meltdown’ but it also made her ‘respect her body so much more’.
Sharing a throwback picture of when she was seven months pregnant, she showed off her baby bump in a red bikini.
Montana was seen posing on a lavish terrace while soaking up the sun, adding a stylish straw hat and chic shades.
Montana announced she was pregnant with her second child in July and took to her Instagram to share the happy news with her 1.1 million followers
Montana and Mark welcomed their first child, a son named Jude, in June last year and announced they were expecting again just 13 months later
In the second shot, she displayed her growing baby bump in the same beach set while smiling happily in a mirror selfie.
The TV star added a few heart-melting pictures of little Jude to her carousel, accompanied by a lengthy caption: ‘7 months in vs 7 months out.’
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‘I actually LOVED being pregnant, it was such a special experience and it really made me respect my body so much more I’m still in awe.’
‘This chapter has been hard, the lack of sleep etc is so tough, I legit cried when someone beeped me in the car recently and I always feel one beep or one comment away from having a meltdown but it’s such a humbling experience.’
She went on saying: ‘I am in awe of the mums that do it on their own, don’t have family around to support and who just don’t get a break because I am so fortunate to have support around me and I am STILL in the thick of it..’
The Love Islander finished gushing over her tiny one: ‘But despite how tired I have been, Jude gets me through, his smile first thing in the morning is just priceless.’
HELENA — It is open enrollment for health insurance through the HealthCare.gov Marketplace.
People can apply or reapply for coverage until January 15, 2025, or they may have to wait until November 2025 to apply again.
Last year, 30 percent of Montanans got a plan for $10 per month through the marketplace.
Cover Montana is a project of the Montana Primary Care Association, a nonprofit organization with a federal grant to help underserved communities, consumers, and small businesses find and enroll in quality, affordable health coverage through HealthCare.gov, the Health Insurance Marketplace.
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Olivia Riutta, the director of population health of the Montana Primary Care Association shared the importance of open enrollment for Montanans.
“It is the annual opportunity to update your applications and make sure your income is correct and then to ensure that you have a plan that really meets both your monthly budget and your health needs for 2025,” Riutta says.
Cover Montana Navigators can provide phone and virtual assistance statewide through the Cover Montana Help Line: (406) 634-3105 or (844) 682-6837. In-person enrollment assistance is available in many areas, including Billings, Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, Dillon, Kalispell, and Miles City.
BILLINGS — Emotions were high as Montana State prepared to leave team headquarters for Toyota Stadium on the morning of the 2021 FCS national championship game in Frisco, Texas.
Waded Cruzado, the much-revered president of the university and a preeminent champion for unprecedented growth and development at Montana’s land-grant institution, couldn’t help but be swept up in it all.
Montana State University
Montana State University president Waded Cruzado is pictured during MSU’s First-Year Student Convocation at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman on Aug. 20, 2024.
“I was the last person to leave the hotel,” Cruzado recalled during a recent video call with MTN Sports from her office at Montana Hall. “When I got to the lobby and the doors opened, there was head coach Brent Vigen. And tears came to my eyes.
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“Everybody was so happy and so proud and everybody was rooting for the Bobcats.”
It’s a subtle anecdote, but it serves as a symbol for all the things Cruzado has tried to instill on the MSU campus since becoming president in January 2010 — pride, passion, identity and belonging.
And Montana State athletics has been one of the greatest beneficiaries.
The Bobcats didn’t win that championship game in 2021, but the fact that they were there underscored how far they’d come. It had been 37 years since the football program had advanced that far, and there were times in the late 1980s and certainly the 1990s that suggested it might never happen again.
It takes talented players, dedicated coaches and forward-thinking administrators to achieve sustained success. It also takes a president that has bought in. Cruzado has been that in spades. But now she’s on her way out.
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Cruzado announced her retirement in August, effective next summer. As she gets ready to watch the annual Cat-Griz rivalry for the 15th and final time as MSU president, nostalgia can be added to a thorough list of emotions she’s feeling.
“After my appointment … it became evident to me that Cat-Griz was a very important event in the life of both universities,” Cruzado said. “I could feel the passion. I could feel the rivalry, which was far more intense than what I had (seen) at my previous institutions. Every year it’s a great cause for celebration and anticipation.
“Even when I have been in Missoula, fans have been so kind to me, so nice to me. And I really appreciated that.”
That doesn’t mean Cruzado didn’t want her Bobcats to kick the Grizzlies’ butts.
Montana State University
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Montana State University president Waded Cruzado poses with members of the football team during MSU’s annual downtown Cat Walk in Bozeman on Aug. 16, 2024.
Cruzado has without question lifted Montana State’s academic profile and points out that the university has more research expenditure dollars on an annual basis than all the other public and private universities in the state combined.
But her impact on MSU athletics cannot be overstated.
Ninth-year athletic director Leon Costello said Cruzado’s support “completely exceeded my expectations. It was unlike anything that I’d ever been a part of.”
Diminutive in stature, Cruzado bursts with immeasurable love for the university. She’s channeled that into doing whatever it takes to raise the bar for an athletic department that seemed to be stuck in neutral in terms of fundraising and infrastructure for several years prior to her arrival in Bozeman.
On the whole, as everyone knows, football — the opiate of the masses — is the primary driver of revenue in Division I sports. But how did a native of Puerto Rico, who had no relationship with American football in her youth, come to realize its importance?
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“Baseball in Puerto Rico is sacred. Just need to say one name — Roberto Clemente,” Cruzado offered. “So I grew up watching a lot of baseball. When I turned 13, 14 years old, I became (a fan) of men’s basketball, and Puerto Rico had a very decent national team. So there is a lot of enthusiasm for sports in Puerto Rico.
“In my adulthood, of course, I was in the U.S., and you cannot escape football, the allure and what it brings. And in the state of Montana, football speaks for our culture. It’s a very important thing for us. I was blown away to see how long people will drive in the state just to join us for a game.”
Early in her tenure, Cruzado saw the improvements that had to be made to Bobcat Stadium. She noticed fans leaving during games, especially students. There had to be a transformation.
It began with the south end zone project in 2010, an undertaking Cruzado spearheaded with a fundraising challenge to the Bobcat Quarterback Club that ultimately collected $11 million.
The Sonny Holland end zone, completed in time for the 2011 season, bowled in the south side of the facility and was the proverbial jolt the department needed to achieve future goals.
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Montana State University
Montana State University president Waded Cruzado is pictured with students during a Bobcats football game against Northern Colorado in Bozeman on Oct. 5, 2024.
In the years since, the stadium has added lights, and it now boasts an $18 million athletic complex and a state-of-the-art 30-by-100-foot Daktronics scoreboard on the north end.
MSU has also upgraded its track and field facility, made improvements to Worthington Arena and Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, and is now erecting a $26.5 million indoor practice facility to benefit all programs, not just football.
For everything that’s happened at MSU on Cruzado’s watch — the 33% growth in enrollment, the 133% increase in research dollars, the more than $600 million in construction projects on campus, etc. — her backing of athletics is immense.
Montana State fell behind rival Montana in athletics in the ‘80s and ‘90s. But that gap doesn’t exist anymore. And students are no longer walking out of the stadium prematurely.
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“She’s done nothing but support our vision — my vision — even when maybe we had differing opinions,” said Costello, whose own exuberance has given the Bobcats a certain dynamic they seemed to lack in years prior. “That partnership is the benefit that you now see in Bobcat athletics.”
Bill Lamberty, MSU’s assistant AD for communications, has been with the department since 1990. He’s had a front-row seat to the transfiguration.
“The easiest ways to gauge president Cruzado’s impact on Bobcat athletics are to look at an aerial overlay comparing the athletic physical plant of today to 2009, and to compare our across-the-board success in competition in that time,” Lamberty said. “Those areas are both vastly superior today to when president Cruzado arrived.
“Positive energy, Bobcat spirit, and commitment to supporting MSU students are the cost of admission to being part of the Montana State community, and it all starts with president Cruzado. She’s a transformative person, and her presidency has transformed Bobcat athletics.”
As far as the on-field rivalry with Montana, the Bobcats are on much better footing than they were not that long ago. The series is even at 10-10 since the Grizzlies’ 16-game winning streak was halted in 2002.
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Cruzado even made mention of “The Streak” when talking about all this growth, saying she noticed upon her arrival that it still pained fans and boosters — even though it ended eight years prior to her appointment.
Montana State University
Montana State University president Waded Cruzado is pictured with Bobcats mascot Champ on the MSU campus in Bozeman on Aug. 21, 2024.
When she met with the Quarterback Club in June 2010, Cruzado said she “let them vent. At the end I said, ‘I hear your passion. I know that you care about this place. But as far as I’m concerned that’s in the past, and I would love for us to turn the page. I want to focus on the future.’”
Thus, athletic growth became one of her top priorities.
Saturday’s Cat-Griz game is the 123rd all-time and the 15th of Cruzado’s tenure. It will be her last as president. Her No. 2-ranked Bobcats, trying to complete the program’s first 12-0 regular season, were 17-point favorites on Tuesday.
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They’re one of the favorites to make it back to Texas for this year’s national title game, especially if they secure home-field advantage with a top-two seed.
Cruzado, for one, would love to go back to experience more tear-inducing moments, to perhaps see MSU’s first football title in 40 years.
But her legacy will be greater than that.
“When the university speaks about excellence, it has to be excellence in every realm,” Cruzado said. “And (our) new facilities speak to that excellence. But the most important thing at Montana State cannot be those buildings. It has to be the people.”
“What I will feel very, very proud of is that we were able to expand that tent. Athletics is a very big tent, and everybody’s welcome,” she added. “I hope that I have been able to add a little bit of, you know, my grain of salt, to instill that sense of identity, of belonging and passion about being a Bobcat.”
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