Montana Free Press: Candidates for governor on track for debate

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Republican Greg Gianforte, left, and Democrat Ryan Busse, right, represent their respective parties in the 2024 race for Montana’s governor seat. Photo illustration by Stephanie Farmer / Montana Free Press

Gianforte, Busse debate back on the table

The prospect comes after Busse releases tax returns to The Associated Press.

Monday, September 9, 2024

By Tom Lutey

Montana Free Press

montanafreepress.org

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and Democratic challenger Ryan Busse appear to have agreed to debate, after Gianforte’s campaign said last week the Democrats lacked a credible candidate worth debating.

Busse’s campaign last Tuesday announced that it has released 10 years of the candidate’s income tax records to The Associated Press, something Gianforte’s campaign last week criticized the Democrat for not having done.

“If this is the singular reason why Gianforte will not debate, I’m not going to let him have that excuse,” Busse told The Associated Press.

A week ago, Gianforte’s campaign announced to the press in an email that there was no point in debating Busse, whom campaign manager Jake Eaton called “unhinged,” lacking credibility, and unlikely to participate in an exchange of ideas on public policy.

“Hosting a debate with an unserious candidate, who has no credibility, who actively dodges transparency, and who makes unhinged comments comparing Republicans to Nazis and fascists, would neither be informative nor advance the public interest,” Eaton wrote last week. “The governor is prepared to debate a serious, credible Democratic candidate for governor, but unfortunately, there isn’t one.”

On Tuesday, Eaton told AP that Gianforte, who released his tax records to The Associated Press several weeks ago, is glad to see Busse onboard the “transparency train.”

“As the governor made clear, now that Mr. Busse, after repeated prodding, released his tax returns, he welcomes a debate,” Eaton told AP.

Two gubernatorial debates were originally scheduled to take place on the Montana Television Network October 1 and on Montana PBS and public radio October 7. It isn’t clear as of last Tuesday which, if either, of those debates Gianforte might participate in. MTN News reported that it isn’t sure whether its previously planned debate would include both candidates.

Note: This story originally appeared on Montana Free Press. It is published under a Creative Commons license.