Republican state senator Al Olszewski visited Libby to speak with Libby residents about his run for governor May 30 at the Venture Inn.

Olszewski, a senator for Montana’s district 6 in the Flathead Lake area, started his run on April 3.

Listening to people and what they desire out of state government is important, he said. “I really think, to be successful, you need to listen and ask for the consent of the people.”

Making healthcare affordable for everyone at the state level is a goal, he said. Another goal is to open access to public lands for recreation as well as for timber harvest and mineral extraction.

Landowners of conservation easements should be responsible for the land and its health, he said. It should not be a 25 year process where they can just leave it alone.

Olszewski is from Great Falls and said he is putting a lot of “focus and attention” on northwest Montana for the first part of his campaign for governor.

“What better place to start then your backyard,” he said.