Welcome to The Wednesday Read. Here are the topics we’re diving into today—with a healthy dose of common sense:

• 2026 Campaign News
• Jeremy Carl Nomination
• Governor, AG, & Fox News
• One More Thing

2026 CAMPAIGN NEWS:

Tuesday was an exciting day for political junkies like me, as it was the first day to file for elective office in Montana. When I started writing this column last night, I checked, and there had been 148 candidates filing for office on the first day. 

You can keep track of who files for office by clicking HERE.

One interesting piece of news is that Republican Montana State Senator Wendy McKamey of Great Falls (SD-12) has decided not to run for reelection due to health reasons. I would like to thank McKamey for her years of service and for putting up with the MAGA asses in the state. 

The Daily Montanan is reporting that Republican State Representative George Nikolakakos is running in her place. He seems to be a moderate, which is good in my book (I also reside in SD-12). Nikolakakos is a retired Senior Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force. 

I saw that Public Service Commissioner Randy Pinocci (R) has filed to run in SD-12. 

The Electric in Great Falls has an article posted about those who filed for elective office in Cascade County by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One name that stood out was Rina Moore, who is running for Clerk and Recorder, a seat she held for many years before the MAGA nutjobs took over the country. 

JEREMY CARL NOMINATION:

There’s more news about President Donald Trump’s nomination of Bozeman resident Jeremy Carl to be the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. 

Carl appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations last week. Carl was introduced to the committee by U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), who said he had “gotten to know Jeremy well over the past few years.” Daines also said Carl “has had a distinguished career,” and Daines closed his remarks saying he looks “forward to him serving in this important role.”

After the introduction, all hell broke loose. Carl drew sharp, bipartisan criticism from senators over past social media activity and public comments. Lawmakers specifically questioned his promotion of “white replacement theory” alongside controversial remarks regarding Israel, the Holocaust, and Jewish people.

KZBK in Bozeman reported on the controversy, adding that in 2023, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte appointed Carl to the board of Humanities Montana.

In the video of the story, the reporter said she reached out to Gianforte, Daines, U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy, and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke for comment and has not heard back yet.  

I would be surprised if the nomination gets out of the committee. I do hope the committee has a vote, so Daines will be even more on record about Carl. 

Daines and Gianforte should be ashamed. 

GOVERNOR, AG, & FOX NEWS:

I saw that Montana Governor Greg Gianforte was mentioned on the Fox News website recently in an article about him and Attorney General Austin Knudsen investigating the city of Helena under SB 200. Remember a week or so ago when they held a little press conference to get some publicity. 

I said their stunt was a big nothingburger. 

The headline from Fox News was red meat for the Montana MAGAs: 

Montana governor launches sanctuary crackdown, probes capital city over ICE limits

Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen launch investigation under state ban that permits fines against violating jurisdictions

History will not be kind to officials like Gianforte and Knudsen. 

ONE MORE THING: 

The older I get, the more I understand why roosters just scream to start their day…

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