Longtime Bigfork businessman Bob Keenan faces retired educator Daniel King in the race for Senate District 5.

Senate District 5 includes portions of Kalispell’s east side, Evergreen, Bigfork, Woods Bay and Swan Lake.

Keenan, 62, is an experienced politician running on the Republican ticket while King, new to the political scene, runs on the Democratic ticket.

Keenan served eight years in the state Senate and four years in the House, and has been a “go-to guy” for answers about state and local politics in Bigfork. He also has been heavily involved in local issues.

“I became interested in running for the Legislature because a lot of issues have come up,” Keenan said naming off some local issues with a green-box refuse site and management of Sliter Park. “I wasn’t getting any legislative help in these situations so I decided, you know what, I’m ready to go back and help.”

King is interested in ensuring citizens have the opportunity to vote Democrat and choose “a voice for the common man.” King said he believes Republicans have been mean-spirited in cutting back on beneficial social programs.

“I just see a lot of people being passed over,” King said.

King is also running on a premise of government efficiency — “not having less government, but a better government for less.”

Both candidates have differing views when it comes to Medicaid expansion, federal management of forests, a water rights compact involving the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and how the state’s cash reserve should be spent.

One issue both candidates agree on is that property tax appraisals are unfair.

“I think that’s going to be one of the biggest and [most] contentious issues,” Keenan said.

He would like to use cash reserve funds to mitigate property tax reappraisals so that “people won’t have the shock of their lives.”

There are a lot of ideas circulating on how to spend cash reserves and King said it could go toward infrastructure. He said it might also be used to find solutions for homeless children.

“I’m not in favor of just returning it to the taxpayers,” King said.

Medicaid is a hot-button issue between party lines and remains so in light of expectations that Gov. Steve Bullock will renew his push for expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid expansion is one of King’s highest priorities and he said he would support the governor’s “every effort” in the initiative.

Keenan said he does not support expansion at this time, but added that is a simplistic answer to a complex issue based on personal experience working on a Department of Public Health and Human Services budget.

“It’s not simply a question of accepting federal dollars,” Keenan said. “Expanding Medicaid isn’t just taking free federal money. It’s a match program. We [the state] have to match a percentage.”

The complexity of the proposed water compact involving the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes also concerns Keenan.

“There are far too many unanswered — if not ignored — questions that have been asked, starting with how much water are we talking about,” Keenan said. “The compact is in a re-negotiation process. I find it incomprehensible that someone could support it or not support it right now, until it is a finalized document. Approving this the way it looks right now would be the biggest mistake since electricity deregulation of 1997,” Keenan said.

While King agreed there were a “few holes” in the compact, he is confident that it can be worked out at the negotiation table and he supports the compact.

Transferring federal forest lands to state control is a move King would oppose.

“We can’t afford that,” King said. “My biggest concern is that it would be sold to private individuals and that bars access to the common man.”

Without a definitive yes or no, Keenan said he finds the lands issue fascinating and leans toward supporting the measure. King’s statement about potential privatization is Keenan’s frustration with the opposition.

“I think the state has a much better track record of managing state lands. We manage state lands with a positive revenue flow,” Keenan said.

Both candidates have their lists of priorities. Keenan’s starts with revisiting the programs and budgets he was instrumental in facilitating while serving the Legislature eight years ago — such as rebuilding the public mental health system and putting in a permanent funding source for water quality monitoring at Yellow Bay.

Infrastructure needs throughout Montana, particularly in the Bakken oil fields and sewer systems for Seeley Lake and Woods Bay are also high on his list.

As a former educator, King lists protecting adequate funding for public education and making college affordable as top priorities. Additionally, he is supportive of creating a living wage for workers.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].