Jason Gunderson

Jason Gunderson was born in Libby, Montana. Gunderson's career experience includes working as a police sergeant. He earned a bachelor's degree from American Public University in 2021.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Libby, Montana, in a small business family, where I was taught the value of hard work, honor, and common sense. For the past 23 years, I have protected and served my community as a firefighter, EMT, and law enforcement officer. I currently serve as a Police Detective, President of our department's nonprofit association, and Vice President of our employee association.

During my years in Montana, I have watched party politics crowd out practical, common sense solutions. I have also seen families priced out of their homes and communities. And I have watched our Montana way of life, built on hard work, independence, and strong local communities, steadily erode under growing political division.

I am running for Senate District 29 because we deserve a Montana with fair, transparent taxes. A Montana that protects property rights and preserves the freedom to live, work, and enjoy our beautiful state. We need policies that keep ownership secure and life affordable, a government that safeguards both our land and the people who call it home.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

“There are no perfect solutions, only trade offs.” We need representation that understands this reality and gives every decision made in Helena the careful, critical thought legislation requires. Montana deserves pragmatic political leadership, and I am the candidate to bring common sense to Helena for a people first Montana.Montana deserves a fair, transparent tax code. Today, we are burdened by one of the most complicated systems in the country, one few people understand and even fewer believe is fair. We need a simpler, clearer system that taxpayers can understand and trust. Fairness means rules that apply evenly to everyone, not policies that single out certain people, industries, or communities.High taxes are driven not only by how they are assessed, but by how government spends. Spending is the true source of tax burden. Montana should operate with an efficient, lean government, where every dollar is justified, carefully managed, and fully accounted for. Government should live within its means, just like Montana families do. Montana needs a Taxpayer Bill of Rights to ensure taxpayers have a direct voice, clear protections, and firm limits on taxation and spending.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Tax relief is a major issue in Montana and one of my top priorities. I also strongly support improving our emergency services and infrastructure. Montana needs economic growth that protects our lands while serving the people who live, work, and recreate here. We are also facing new challenges, including the rapid expansion of data centers and changes in our financial system. Montana must make thoughtful, balanced decisions that protect our resources, strengthen our economy, and ensure long term benefits for our communities.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Senator John Esp

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Montana and I have twenty years of public service experience. I have served a number of communities as a firefighter, EMT, and police officer. Currently I am a Patrol Sergeant for my local police department and President for the Livingston Police Protective Association. The LPPA is a non-profit organization tasked with improving the quality of life for our officers and funding benevolent acts in our community. I grew up in the Scouts where I have earned the rank of Eagle Scout and I have earned six commendations, a life saving award, and a fire unit citation during my career. I am running for House District 58 because I was tired of sitting back and complaining about politics and the direction my home is headed. Serving is in my blood and I believe my First Responder experience gives me a unique perspective to the representation of House District 58 that will be influential in Helena.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am the common sense candidate for House District 58. We all have been suffering at the hands of extreme agendas and ideology simply not rooted in reality and I aim to restore common sense and reasonableness in Helena. Radical agendas such as Critical Race Theory and Extreme Environmentalism have no place in our schools. Are children need to be taught HOW to think, not WHAT to think.I will continue to honor the oath to the Constitution I swore as a Police Officer and ensure that legislation in Montana is legally sound. Many of the issues we face in this State can simply be resolved by honoring the laws we have, by following the Constitution. We are also a nation of laws and our society can only function with respect to the laws. I believe this respect starts in the Legislature.Part of my common sense approach is ensuring that we are conducting business in a financially sound manner. My constituents have expressed a number of conflicting desires and at the end of the day, we simply cannot continue to slash revenue sources while increasing State spending. Our State is in a good financial position and I aim to keep it that way by not going on a shopping spree with taxpayer money.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I want to lower our Property Taxes. The tax burden has been forced onto property owners and it is just not sustainable. This can be fixed and I am open to all solutions.

I want to tackle the drug and mental health crises. As a Police Officer, I have witnessed first hand the impact of cutting mental health resources. I have also seen the impact that preventative services can have on this issue and to me, it is money well spent.

Veteran and First Responder Housing Relief. I want to see Montana adopt a Good Neighbor Housing Program. Of the many people struggling with this issue, I believe our Veterans and First Responders are deserving of a hand up. Safe communities are the only way to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I would recommend "Are We Good Enough for Liberty" and " A Bear Walks Into a Libertarian". The first book is a simple read that gets right to the point and speaks of the character of man and government. The second is an entertaining story that appeals to the Libertarian in me and makes, what I believe to be, an argument for balance in freedom and governance.

For anyone suffering from insomnia, I would suggest the audio book version of Democracy in America. It has been an enlightening read but also is pure acoustic Ambien, that will render even the most dedicated listener unconscious in a matter of minutes. In all seriousness, it is a tougher read but is rich with political education gold.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Their ability to be educated and collaborate with others is key. Being a House Representative is a complicated endeavor and no one person has all the answers. We need representatives who are willing to hear subject matter experts, gather the facts, and make informed decisions. Representatives also need the ability to balance out their head and their heart when making decisions. Logic and reason is important, but we also need compassion to make humane decisions. Not every decision made by a representative can only revolve around money. A representative also needs to be of strong moral and ethical character. Any person in power needs to be trust worthy and accountable. I believe with my two decades of public service experience I posses the above character traits to best represent House District 58.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Representatives create laws and appropriate money for the State. More importantly than creating new or better laws, a representative's more important responsibility is to prevent bad laws from coming into effect.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I think politicians shouldn't get a legacy, its not why I am here. I am here to work on behalf of others who cannot or will not do the work themselves.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working for my parents. From the time I was old enough to pick up a shovel, I dug water and sewer lines and lots of fence post holes. I bucked hay bales and stacked firewood. At the time I hated it but it was a valuable life lesson in work ethic that I believe has contributed to my success in life thus far.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The relationship between Governor and State Legislature should be one of respect and cooperation. The Governor is not our CEO and I have been critical of our Governor on this issue. However, having a conversation with the Governor, I am aware of many good things that he has done for our State. He has made really wise, critical decisions that has greatly impacted our State. It goes to show that we do not always agree with one another but we need to keep cooperating and working on behalf of our citizens.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Taxes and Natural Resource and Energy production. In decades past, we did not take care of the environment which caused a lot of damage. We are smarter, more mindful, and technologically advanced than we ever have yet we have slashed our Natural Resource utilization. That deficits created by out of state extremists and legal loopholes has destroyed our economy and forced our State to resort to higher and higher taxes to make ends meet. Property ownership is no longer ownership, its renting from the government. We are breaking the backs of property owners and it needs to stop. We need common sense solutions and cooperation to create profitable, environmentally sound projects to fund the needs of the People. More taxes is not the solution, we are sounded by the solution, we just need to put it to use.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think that Legislators should come from all walks of life and do not have a preference over one field to another. Strength through diversity as they say, because creating laws and appropriating money for our State is a complicated endeavor that requires knowledge.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I believe that campaigning, is like a trial run or preparation for legislating. As candidates we have to seek people out, demonstrate exceptional communication skills, and create a following to get a certain objective or agenda complete. It takes a community and without cooperation with our communities and our legislators, nothing would get done in Helena. Relationships are critical to success and this fact cannot be understated.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Most of the Legislators that I have had contact with are good examples of what I do not want to be. There are a few good ones that I look up to and have the utmost respect for those but I think change is a good thing regarding politicians.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

At the moment, House District 58 is my focus and I have no idea what the future will bring. I want to have an impact for the greater good and will continue to pursue politics in whatever capacity I can.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I spoke to an elderly female who was in tears concerning taxes and her living situation. Given the number of taxes that have been forced upon her in the past year, she was forced to move out of her home in Livingston and seek housing in a neighboring community with a lower cost of living. She is on a fixed income and could not keep up with State and local government taxes being levied against her. It made me angry to hear her story. Our community was sold on an overpriced luxury rec center using misleading advertisements to sway voters. I later spoke to the head of the marketing campaign for that project who was very proud of their work to get the rec center passed. I shared that elderly lady's tragic story with the marketer and was able to put a real face on the damage they had caused. Taxing the fixed income out of homes they have lived in their whole lives should be a serious consideration when making frivolous purchases with tax payer money.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

I would like to learn more about this topic as it have not been brought to me by constituents as a primary concern.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

Correcting the Marijuana Tax which in my opinion is a complete dumpster fire. Appropriations is the purview of the House of Representatives and how that money is dispersed does not work. In my bill, a significant portion of the Marijuana Tax money would be going back to Cities and Counties for the purposes of road maintenance, fire/EMS, and police services. Specifically, there would be a lottery system to divvy up funds in a way that would not allow local governments play the Shell Game with these funds. They would be required to use the funds to improve the above mentioned services only, with one time expenditures, and above and beyond what has already been budgeted.

What committees interest you?

Having a law enforcement background, I am interested in law and justice or natural resources.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency and government accountability is high on my list of priorities. Specifically, we are struggling right now with our Judicial Branch. I believe they have too much power and that they are wielding that power inappropriately. We are supposed to be a system of checks and balances, yet the relationship seems a bit one sided at the moment.