Former state road boss joins gov. race
Former Montana Department of Transportation director and Kalispell businessman Jim Lynch has announced he will be a Republican candidate for governor, joining eight other GOP hopefuls.
Lynch, 57, said in a Thursday press release that he will be focused on economic development and job growth.
“We have ensnared ourselves in the ‘way things are done’ instead of addressing the problems of the state with common-sense solutions and a sense of urgency,” he said. “I’ve demonstrated an ability to transform organizations both in private business and complex public-sector organizations, and look forward to applying similar disciplines across state government to address the critical issues facing Montana.”
After an unsuccessful run as a Democrat for a state Senate seat in 1994 and serving in Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s administration for nearly six years, Lynch insists that he has always been a Republican.
“I am a Republican,” Lynch said in an interview on Friday. “I’ve never voted for a Democratic president, and I started with Richard Nixon at 18 years of age.”
Asked if it would have been easier to run as a Democrat against fewer opponents, he said, “I never thought about which would be easier. I think more about who I am and the party I represent.”
Having nine candidates on the GOP primary ballot is good for voters, he said.
“I think that’s great that there’s a lot of candidates,” he said. “We hear a lot about having people to choose from and we do.”
Lynch resigned as transportation director in August at the request of Gov. Brian Schweitzer, after the governor confronted Lynch about his daughter being hired by the Department of Transportation. Lynch has maintained he was not involved with her hiring and he did nothing wrong.
In his tenure at the transportation department, Lynch said he refocused the agency to be more accountable to taxpayers and deliver projects and services on time and within budget. He touts that transportation infrastructure project activity grew from $240 million a year to $400 million a year without an increase in the state gasoline tax.
“Most of these projects had been approved and planned, but were bogged down in the bureaucratic process,” Lynch said. “Construction jobs are a critical element of Montana’s economy, and we needed to get these projects delivered.”
In addition to his nearly six years at the helm of the state’s second largest agency, Lynch maintains his business credentials will help set him apart from the rest of the crowded GOP field. Lynch cites executive experience in the private sector, including leadership in bringing the Kalispell-based NUPAC construction company from the verge of bankruptcy to profitability in a year.
“In the private sector, there’s a sense of urgency and efficiency,” Lynch said. “We need to bring that same sense of urgency to state government, be accountable to our citizens as customers, and aggressively meet their needs.”
A Montana resident since 1986, Lynch holds a degree in management science from Kean University in New Jersey. He has had leadership positions with the ALERT air ambulance advisory board, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Flathead Industries and the Kalispell Rotary Club.
He has received awards from the city of Kalispell, Kalispell Police Department, Montana Department of Justice, Montana Highway Patrol, Rotary and United Way.
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.