Candidate Profiles
Eric Peterson
I was born in Great Falls, raised in one of the first houses built in the Valley View subdivision, and when I purchased a home, I chose to live in the same neighborhood where I grew up. Living in Montana House District 21 has always been an important part of my life.
I attended local schools, Valley View Elementary, West Junior High School, and Charles M. Russell High School. I graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Film and Television Production and worked in television news and production jobs for nearly ten years.
I served in the Montana Air National Guard for more than 37 years, retiring as the Public Affairs Superintendent in 2018.
Since retirement, I’ve focused my energy on public service. I have been elected four times to Great Falls Neighborhood Council 3 and currently serve as council chair. I have worked more than 1100 hours as a volunteer with the Great Falls Police Department. In 2024, I was elected to serve as the Cascade County Republican Central Committee Precinct 21A Committeeman. I have served as a mentor with the 8th Judicial Court Veterans Treatment Court and attend court sessions each week. I serve on the board of directors of the Great Falls/Cascade County Crimestoppers and the Montana Veterans Memorial Association.
Trevor Funseth
Mr. Funseth did not provide a profile or picture.
Questions
What are the top two challenges you think our community, state, and your district are facing and how you would address those issues?
Funseth: The top challenge our state faces is housing affordability. I have knocked over a thousand doors in our community and affordability gets brought up more than any other issue. As a young person who recently bought my first starter home after years of saving, I get it. There is not a magic solution for affordability – it is many little things. First, we need to cut red tape and burdensome zoning laws so that new housing can be built quickly and efficiently to meet demand and incentivize development. As a property and business attorney, I know this area of law and can get into the weeds to simplify the code. Next, we need to cut taxes so Montanans have more money in their pocket to cover their rent or mortgage. Finally, I believe that Montana law enforcement should work with ICE to deport all illegal immigrants. There are an estimated 20 million people in this country that should not be here, and they are competing with Americans for apartments and houses.
Another major challenge we face is in our public schools. I am a proud graduate of Great Falls Public Schools. Teachers in Montana are the lowest paid in the country and many are leaving the profession to find other work. At the same time, data has shown declining scores in math and reading comprehension. It is vital that we adequately support, pay, and train our teachers. We must also set high standards for educational achievement in Montana and increase programs focused on the trades and real work experience.
Peterson: Public safety and the rising cost of living are two of the top issues I hear from residents living in our district.
Using the latest 2024 figures from the Montana Board of Crime Control Statistical Analysis Center, Cascade County ranks second in the state for offense rates. With 8,779 total offenses, the offense rate in Cascade County was 1,034 per 10,000 residents. This is unacceptable.
As a legislator, I would support law enforcement with laws intended to modernize and strengthen Montana police departments and sheriff’s offices. Grants should be made available for services that will assist the victims of crimes, and priorities should be placed on getting illegal drugs off our streets.
We’ve all experienced the increased cost of fuel at the pump and the rising cost of food at the grocery store. While our state legislature may not be able to affect the national economy, I believe we can find unique ways to save Montana taxpayers money through lower fees, streamlined regulations, and reduced taxes.
What is you political party and why are you running?
Funseth:I am a Republican and I am running to give a voice to young people in our community. Young families are struggling with affordability, and when they look at their representatives, they don’t see people from their age group advocating for them. I am 27 and I want to show young people that our generation can be involved in our government and have a say in our future. Young families should feel confident that Great Falls is a safe, affordability community with world-class education. To be clear, these issues do not only impact young people. I am an elder law attorney and every day I meet seniors on fixed incomes that cannot afford their property tax bill. I meet middle-aged folks who are heartbroken to see their kids and grandkids move away to find affordable housing or job opportunities elsewhere. I am running so that I can contribute to securing the future of Montana for the next generation.
Peterson: As a common-sense Republican, I have traditional values that I do not wish to force upon others. I care deeply for my state, city, and the district where I live. I enjoy serving as a member of Great Falls Neighborhood Council 3 and feel I am ready for the additional responsibility. I would be honored and proud to serve the residents of Montana House District 21 as their next representative.
Do you support tax credits for charter schools or private schools?
Funseth: Yes. I mentioned that we need to do a better job supporting our kids in public schools and our teachers. But we also need to support families who decide that an alternative form of education will be best for their child. At the end of the day, the most important factor in education policy is what is best for the children. Alternative schooling options should not be exclusively available to the rich.
Peterson: Parents know best how to educate their children and should have the ability to select the schools of their choice. Charter and private schools may offer educational opportunities to students that are not available in public schools. However, I would not support redirecting taxes intended to fund our public schools to pay for private schools. I don’t believe the taxpayers of our state should be required to fund another family’s personal choice.
How would you change Montana tax policy to ease the property tax burden on homeowners? Be specific.
Funseth: With the last legislative session, we saw our representatives argue non-stop (and they still are) about how to allocate property tax burdens on different classifications of property. My view is that rather than arguing back and forth forever on allocations of the tax burden, the government should just spend less. This applies to the state government but also to our county and municipal governments.
I also believe we need to re-work how the state values properties for tax purposes. People buy their home and then bureaucrats in Helena decide arbitrarily that it has quadrupled in value, so the owner gets hit with massive increases every other year. It is a tax on unrealized capital gains without any reasonable limits on the appraisal process. You should not have to pay rent to the government for a property you own.
Peterson: The legislature’s job is to exercise financial control over the state government and ensure that taxes are collected fairly from homeowners and businesses in the state. Easing the property tax burden would require reducing taxes collected or shifting tax collection from one taxpayer to another. I would find savings by identifying outdated or unnecessary programs to remove and supporting tax collection efforts that would distribute the tax burden equally across all taxpayers.
What is your specific position on the abortion issue?
Funseth: Life begins at conception and must be protected.
Peterson: I believe life begins at conception and abortion should never be used as a form of birth control. That said, I believe there should be rare instances where this procedure may be used following rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger. It’s really a moot point, as Constitutional Initiative 128, the “Right to Abortion Initiative,” was passed by Montana voters in 2024.
Do you think the legislature should change current state policy and law regarding recreational marijuana use?
Funseth: Recreational marijuana is not a topic or field of law that I have experience in. I have promised my voters that I will always be honest and not pretend to be an expert in everything. This is an issue that I need to do further research on.
Peterson: In my opinion, I don’t believe the voters were aware of the public health and safety concerns that would result from legalizing recreational marijuana when they passed Montana Initiative 190 in 2020. I would be in favor of returning this issue to the voters to reconsider. I would also support legislation that would prohibit the sale of substances such as Kratom and other stimulant and opioid-like products commonly sold over the counter in many convenience stores.