Hey there – It is Tuesday, July 11, and there was a lot of news in the past 24 hours!

Here are the topics that I am providing some common-sense commentary about today:

• Tranel Announces
• My Old Kentucky Home
• Laurie Esau
• Senate President Jason Ellsworth
• One More Thing

TRANEL ANNOUNCES:

In a press release sent to The Western Word, two-time Olympian Monica Tranel announced that she is running for Montana’s 1st congressional district to continue her 25-year career fighting for Montana’s working families, ranchers, and small businesses. After dramatically overperforming the 2020 presidential ticket in this district and running one of the most competitive races in the country, Tranel says she has proven she has what it takes to win. Tranel launches her campaign with endorsements from 21 Montana legislators.

In 2022, Tranel lost to Republican Ryan Zinke 49.6% to 46.5% or by about 7,800 votes.

Tranel is probably the best candidate to take on Zinke since she has name recognition and ran a competitive race. Now the folks in the first congressional district will have to decide if Zinke has done a good enough job for reelection or if they want to give Tranel a chance.

You can visit the Tranel campaign website HERE.

MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME:

Montana Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy made his first big mistake of the short campaign. Reports say that Sheehy used a photo to show his support for Montana agriculture and that he knows “firsthand the challenges we face with the over consolidation of corporate agriculture,” pointing to his co-founding of a cattle company to showcase his “direct participation and investment in production agriculture here in Montana.”

Business Insider reports:

But the photo he originally used to illustrate that “direct participation” — a sunny, green pasture filled with grazing cattle — was actually taken by a photographer hundreds of miles away, in Kentucky.

It didn’t stop there:

The photo that Sheehy originally used to illustrate his support for border security was taken in Russia, while a photo in his “Forest Management” section originates from Ukraine.

I think it was possible Republican Senate candidate Matt Rosendale who said after the Sheehy announcement, “Congratulations to Mitch McConnell and the party bosses on getting their chosen candidate.”

Since McConnell is from Kentucky, maybe he loaned Sheehy the photo.

Sheehy will have a tough time shaking off this mistake. He’s already being painted as just another rich outsider moving to Montana to try and beat a native Montanan by using his personal wealth. He is following in the footsteps of other notable non-native Montanans who used their wealth to get elected (Steve Daines, Matt Rosendale, and Greg Gianforte).

LAURIE ESAU:

I did not know who Laurie Esau was before today. Up until about 24 hours ago, she was Montana’s Commissioner of Labor and Industry – a position in Montana Governor Greg Gianforte’s administration.

MTN News is reporting that Esau resigned from her post, one day after an alleged DUI in Missoula.

I commend Esau for resigning. I respect that. When you are placed in a position like the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, you have to have higher standards. She failed the people of Montana, so it was appropriate for her to resign. I hope she gets her life back on track and realizes that she could have killed or injured people.

There are far too many people who would not do the right thing and resign for such an infraction.

You can read the full report from MTN News HERE.

SENATE PRESIDENT JASON ELLSWORTH:

Lee Newspapers is reporting that Montana Senate President Jason Ellsworth is under orders not to contact or come near Lewis and Clark County resident Lindsey Murolo, after she filed a petition for an order of temporary protection against him, accusing the Hamilton Republican of physically abusing her during their six-year relationship. It was also reported that Murolo is listed as Ellsworth’s partner in the Legislature’s official roster,

It is also being reported by Lee Newspapers that Murolo’s petition alleges that Ellsworth shoved, choked and pushed her down a flight of stairs during the course of their relationship, both in Lewis and Clark and Ravalli counties, where Murolo and Ellsworth respectively live. She wrote that the last instance of alleged abuse she recalled occurred at her house in October 2022.

This is a sad deal and Murolo should be commended for coming forward. Of course, all this will be sorted out by a judge when a hearing is held on July 17. If any of the information in the petition is found to be correct, Ellsworth should resign from the State Senate.

Read the full report from Lee Newspapers HERE.

ONE MORE THING:

SUPER FUN FACT: Republicans can’t impeach Joe Biden without admitting he’s president. – @MiddleAgeRiot

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