Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Amanda Curtis made her first campaign swing through the Flathead Valley this week, slinging some barbs at her Republican opponent, Rep. Steve Daines.

“My main message is that Congressman Daines is wrong for Montana,” said Curtis, a first-term Montana House representative from Butte who was picked by the Democratic Party to replace Sen. John Walsh on the ballot. 

Walsh, who was appointed to former Sen. Max Baucus’ seat, withdrew from the U.S. Senate race amidst a plagiarism scandal.

Curtis was in Kalispell for a meet-and-greet at the KM Building and she stopped by the Inter Lake for a brief interview.

She said one issue for which she takes Daines to task is his opposition to women’s reproductive health issues. Montanans want to make their own health-care decisions without government involvement, she said.

“As a woman, I trust women to make their own health-care decisions,” she said.

When it was pointed out that Daines has been a staunch opponent of the Affordable Care Act that he regards as a huge government intrusion on the health-care decisions of Americans, Curtis responded, “I’m not one to say the ACA is perfect, but I’m also not one to throw the baby out with the bath water.”

Curtis challenges Daines for supporting a movement among conservatives to transfer management of some federal lands to states.

“Congressman Daines wants to take our public lands to the pawn shop,” she said, adding that such transfers would result in privatization of public lands.

Curtis said she, like many other Montanans, is an avid outdoors enthusiast with a great appreciation for federal public lands.

The 34-year-old math teacher also criticizes Daines for opposing legislation that would have cut student loan interest rates and for supporting legislation that would have slashed the federal Pell grant program. 

Curtis was asked about her view of political analysts who have deemed her a longshot in the Senate race, partly because of Daines’ campaign funding advantage.

“Money can’t buy the grassroots support and excitement that this campaign has generated,” she said, adding that some of those analysts don’t live in Montana and won’t be voting for the state’s next senator.

Curtis said she has been campaigning hard and will be on the road for the remaining 70 days of the race with her husband, Kevin, their two dogs and eventually their cat. She regards her appointment as the Democratic candidate as “an amazing opportunity.”

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