County Republicans censure former commissioner candidate Jack Fallon

Flathead County Republicans have formally condemned former commissioner candidate Jack Fallon.

The county Republican Central Committee has passed a resolution censuring Fallon from the group for engaging in “actions not befitting the principles of the Republican Party.” Albert Olszewski, chairman of the committee, said the resolution is aimed at preventing Fallon from calling himself a Republican in the future though he also acknowledges that in Montana candidates aren’t required to register with a particular party when running for office.

“Jack promoted himself as a Republican but took different positions than the platform of the party,” he said. “Some of the committee as precinct captains felt we should make a stand against that.”

Fallon, who was not a member of the county Republican group, said he will wear the censure as a badge of honor. He said the decision indicates that individuality and independent thinking are no longer acceptable in the local GOP.

“This ridiculous, petty stunt is just one more reminder to traditional conservative Republicans that Flathead County central committee has fallen prey to the authoritarians masquerading as Republicans,” Fallon said.

Fallon was one of three candidates challenging incumbent Republican County Commissioner Pam Holmquist in the primary election in June. Holmquist prevailed after initially lagging behind Fallon. With addition of provisional ballots, she won by 42 votes, though that was amended to a 40 vote lead following a recount.

Fallon later registered as a write-in candidate in the general election in November. Holmquist won that contest as well.

The GOP group said its mission is to elect Republicans who support the U.S. Constitution, state constitution and the platform of the Montana Republican Party. The group said it is “revoking [Fallon’s] identification as a member of the Republican Party” for behavior inconsistent with the platform.

In a resolution released last week, the committee claims that Fallon “has manipulated public perception to mask his political liberal principles and disrespected the primary election process by undermining the duly elected primary candidate for his own personal promotion” in the general election.

The committee appears to have taken particular issue with Fallon running as a write-in candidate in November.

“[Fallon] stated first he was a Republican and then he ran as an Independent,” Olszewski said. “It looks like he ran purely as a Republican to get elected because that’s the only way to get elected in Flathead County, as a predominantly Republican county.”

Fallon criticized Olszeski and Don Kaltschmidt, who serves as chair of the Montana Republican Party, saying they implemented an authoritarian brand of leadership. They decided they have authority over any member of the public that “hasn’t kissed the ring and endeavors to exercise their constitutional right to run for office,” he said.

“Neither their club bylaws, state law, nor Robert’s Rules of Order authorize the ability to censure a member of the public, but here they are — just like the liberal left — making up the rules on the fly,” Fallon said. “ I suppose next they will ask me to wear a star or a scarlet letter.”

Olszewski said the committee waited until after the results of the general election in November because it wanted to let the candidates provide their own positions in the election.

The Republican Central Committee in November 2014 censured veteran Republican state Sen. Bruce Tutvedt of Kalispell. At the time, Tutvedt disputed the move.

Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.