DGA Statement on Greg Gianforte’s Gubernatorial Announcement

Today, DGA Communications Director David Turner released the following statement regarding Greg Gianforte’s announcement that he is running for governor of Montana:
“Greg Gianforte has used his time since losing in 2016 to learn the ways of Washington D.C. As the richest member of Congress, Greg Gianforte gave himself a large tax break resulting in higher health insurance premiums for Montanans. Montanans won’t forget Gianforte lobbied to create a statewide sales tax that would have raised taxes on essentials while cutting taxes for millionaires like himself. He even sued Montana to prevent public access to the East Gallatin River near his property. No wonder fellow Republicans don’t even want New Jersey transplant Greg Gianforte in this race.
“We are ready to hold Greg Gianforte accountable for his failure to stand up for Montanans in Congress and once again show Montanans how out-of-touch he would be as governor.”
BACKGROUND:

• Helena Independent Record Headline: Gianforte tells Montana to take a page from national playbook [Independent Record, 2/14/19]
• Gianforte is the richest member of Congress [Business Insider, 5/6/19]
• Gianforte voted for a tax bill that gave away 83 percent of the tax cuts to the richest 1 percent [House Roll Call 699, 12/20/17; Vox, 12/18/17; Billings Gazette, 11/29/17]
• • Short-term junk insurance plans and repealing the individual mandate in a tax bill raised premiums by an estimated $1,330 for a 40-year-old Montanan and $4,230 for a family of four in Montana [Center for American Progress, 7/24/18]
• Gianforte advocated for a sales tax, calling it an “ideal solution from a high-tech perspective” [Billings Gazette, 11/4/16; Billings Gazette, 5/30/02]
• Missoulian Headline: Governor candidate Gianforte sued state in 2009 over access to river [Missoulian, 5/10/16]
• Members of Gianforte’s own party publicly encouraged him not to run for governor [Missoulian op-ed, 6/5/19]