Valynda Holland did not reply to our request to answer questions.

Candidate Profiles

Mark Winters
My name is Mark Winters, and I am running for Senate District 11, as a Kennedy Democrat.  I was born and raised in Great Falls, graduated from CMR in 1981 and from MSU with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1986.

I am running for office because I believe the Montana Legislature has failed to meaningfully address issues that are important to everyday Montanans. 

Questions

What are the top two challenges you think our community, state, and your district are facing and how you would address those issues?

The biggest issues facing Great Falls are affordability and living wage jobs.  Regarding affordability, I will work to eliminate the Montana State income tax on low-income earners.  The recent cuts in income tax rate passed by the Legislature are irresponsible.  They have not reduced the tax on low-income earners who need the tax reduction the most.  I will work to stimulate living wage jobs by making Cascade County an enterprise zone for light to medium industrial manufacturing.  Manufacturing industries used to pay more than half of the tax in Montana and now that number is below 25% and shrinking.  This tax burden has shifted onto working Montanans in the form of property taxes, income taxes and other fees.  We desperately need to build the light to medium manufacturing base.    

What is you political party and why are you running?

Editors note: Mr. Winters did not answer this question

Do you support tax credits for charter schools or private schools?

I don’t support tax credits for charter or private schools, because tax credits take money from public schools or other services.  Before retiring, I lived and worked in the Chicago area.  There I saw the need for government funding of private and charter schools because some public schools were in crime-ridden neighborhoods and many schools had no students performing at grade level. Fortunately, we don’t have those problems here, so funding should stay with public schools.  My father was a history teacher at East Junior High and then CMR for a total of 26 years.  My sisters and I all received an excellent education in the GFPS system.  With that said, I don’t believe schools should have a blank check.  Performance in schools is not where it needs to be.  Assessment scores for GFPS are too low.  A recent ranking by US News which considered assessment scores along with college readiness, had CMR ranked #10 of and GFH ranked #16 (last) for class AA high schools.  This is a local issue and should be managed by the local community and not the State legislature.   

How would you change Montana tax policy to ease the property tax burden on homeowners? Be specific.

The attempt to correct property tax in the 2025 legislative session was a swing and a miss, with a median homeowner only saving $200 to $300.  This did not solve the problem, which is rapidly accelerating property valuations driving up property tax bills to unsustainable levels.  I believe that Montana needs to adopt a law similar to Proposition 13 in California, where valuations would freeze at the purchase price of the home.  The valuation would only increase when the property is sold or transferred.  Some politicians and lawyers will tell you this is unconstitutional, because neighbors would be taxed differently.  However, that argument has already been undermined by all of the different classifications of property and by different treatment of individual groups.  Something like Proposition 13 is the only way we will keep long-term homeowners from losing their homes due to astronomical property tax increases.  The other legislation that should be considered is requiring counties and cities, the taxing entities, to speak in more understandable language rather than in Mils.   Whether intentional or not, the Mils language is confusing to many who pay property taxes.

What is your specific position on the abortion issue?

I am prolife.  I also believe the government is too involved in social issues.  Our country is deeply divided on the abortion issue and many other social issues.  Fighting with each other, screaming at each other and suing each other is never going to move the needle on abortion or any other social issues.  I would hope that more people would turn to their faith and use that faith as their guide.  With that said, I believe the abortion law in Montana is a settled issue with the passage of CI-128 in 2024.

Do you think the legislature should change current state policy and law regarding recreational marijuana use?

I think legalized marijuana is here to stay in Montana.  I also think that in 20 to 30 years we will find that the damage from marijuana is equal to or greater than cigarettes, which in the 1950s through 1970s people believed were good for them.  I believe laws to better manage producers and dispensaries are badly needed, including the impact on power, water, traffic and the environment along with strict zoning requirements.