Democratic congressional candidate John Lewis said Wednesday he’s pleased with the tone of his race with Republican Ryan Zinke because it has been centered on issues rather than attacks.

“There’s been very little negativity — so far,” Lewis said. “People are really refreshed that this race is really focused on the issues.”

Lewis, a Helena resident who was a senior staffer for then-Sen. Max Baucus, was in Kalispell Wednesday as part of a 10-day campaign tour that was focused on highlighting businesses that provide good jobs.

He visited Fun Beverage, which employs about 100 people. The day before, he was at CORE Outdoor Power, a new company in the Polson area that manufactures small, cordless electric engines with magnetic technology. The engines are largely used for lawn maintenance equipment.

Lewis, 36, noted how there are many well-paying jobs in Montana, typically with dynamic and innovative employers who often can’t find enough people with the skills they need.

Lewis said people across Montana are highly frustrated with the partisan divisions and gridlock in Congress, and he believes that there are plenty of nonpartisan issues that could be pursued to break the gridlock, such as workforce development endeavors that would help businesses in Montana.

“That’s one reason I am running,” he said. “I want to be part of the solution here.”

He cited the success of Flathead Valley Community College in developing programs to train people for specific needs of employers in Montana, and he believes more can be done in that regard. He noted that Congress has not passed an education bill since 2001.

Another issue that Lewis and other Democrats in Montana have been campaigning on is resisting a movement among conservatives to transfer some federal lands over to the state.

“There’s a lot of bad ideas going around,” he said.

Advocates of a transfer contend that the state does a better job of managing public lands than agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service.

But opponents warn that the state is ill-prepared to bear the costs of wildfire suppression, and the state would be vulnerable to selling off public lands to private interests.

Lewis said the federal government needs to do a better job of managing public lands, but in many cases federal managers’ “hands are tied” by budget cuts and legal restraints.

He warns there are wealthy people who would jump at the chance to purchase large swaths of public land in Montana, a state where public lands are a major attraction not only for tourism but also for businesses that are established Montana.

“One of the components of [economic activity] is public lands. People want to be here,” he said.

Lewis said he is proud that his campaign has been supported mostly by individual contributions from Montanans. He has raised roughly $1 million, with about 70 percent of the contributions coming from individuals in Montana.

Zinke, by contrast, has raised about 28 percent of his campaign funds from Montana individuals.

Zinke’s fundraising efforts continued Wednesday night with an event in Whitefish featuring U.S. House Speaker John Boehner.

A closed roundtable discussion cost $10,000 per couple, while a general reception was $1,000 per person. The event was held at the home of a Whitefish resident.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.