Montana Shooting Sports Association
General Election 2012
Candidate Grades and Endorsements

KEY
A-F = Letter grade
E/Bold = Endorsed by MSSA
? = No information about candidate  (No Candidate Questionnaire returned and no voting record)



United States Senate
Dennis Rehberg        AE
Jon Tester                  C
Dan Cox                    A

United States House of Representatives
Steve Daines            AE
Kim Gillan                ?

Governor of Montana
Rick Hill                  AE
Steve Bullock            ?

Attorney General of Montana
Tim Fox                    AE
Pam Bucy                   ?



Montana Senate


Montana House of Representatives

Name Office Grade
Gerald (Jerry) Bennett HD01 A
Mike Cuffe HD02 AE
Ronald K McDole HD02 ?
Shawn Guymon HD03 ?
Jerry O'Neil HD03 A+E
Zac Perry HD03 ?
Tim Baldwin HD04 BE
Ed Lieser HD04 ?
James Mahnke HD05 ?
Keith Regier HD05 AE
Carl Glimm HD06 BE
Brenda Talbert HD06 ?
Randy Brodehl HD07 BE
Diane Frances Taylor HD07 ?
Steve Lavin HD08 C
Brittany MacLean HD08 ?
Rodrik Brosten HD09 ?
Scott M. Reichner HD09 B
Mark Blasdel HD10 AE
Alexander William Schaeffer HD10 ?
Greg Hertz HD11 ?
Bud Koppy HD11 C
Daniel R. Salomon HD12 AE
Luke Walawander HD12 ?
Debra J. Achatz HD13 ?
Pat Ingraham HD13 AE
Christine Johnson HD14 ?
Jessie Nichols HD14 ?
Nicholas Schwaderer HD14 AE
"Frosty" Calf Boss Ribs HD15 F
Joe Read HD15 AE
Lila J. Evans HD16 C
Lea Whitford HD16 ?
Christy Clark HD17 AE
Mike Henning HD17 ?
Colter McCarty HD18 ?
Jesse O'Hara HD18 F
Roger A. Hagan HD19 ?
Richard D. Liebert HD19 ?
Steve Fitzpatrick HD20 C
Lindsay Love HD20 ?
Jean Price HD21 ?
Steven R. Sem HD21 ?
George Paul HD22 ?
Casey Schreiner HD22 ?
Carlie Boland HD23 F
Patrick Flaherty HD23 ?
Tom Glover HD24 ?
Brian Hoven HD24 D
Tom Jacobson HD25 ?
Cleve Loney HD25 BE
Tim Martin HD26 ?
Robert "Bob" Mehlhoff HD26 BE
Rob Cook HD27 ?
Roy Hollandsworth HD28 B+
Todd Lark HD29 ?
Ryan Osmundson HD29 AE
Bill Harris HD30 A
Bridget Smith HD31 ?
Clarena M. Brockie HD32 ?
Kris Hansen HD33 BE
Brenda Skornogoski HD33 F
Karen S. Sloan HD34 ?
Wendy Warburton HD34 A+E
Floyd R. Hopstad HD35 ?
Mike L Lang HD35 ?
Austin Knudsen HD36 A
David Halvorson HD37 B
Alan Doane HD38 AE
Jim Hicks HD38 ?
Lee Randall HD39 AE
Bill McChesney HD40 D
Patricia Rae Peppers HD41 ?
Sterling Small HD41 BE
Carolyn Pease-Lopez HD42 F
Duane Ankney HD43 C
Gary Perkins HD43 D
Jonathan McNiven HD44 BE
Wallace Yovetich HD44 ?
Tom Berry HD45 C
Carolee Hagstrom HD45 ?
Clayton Fiscus HD46 A
Dale E. Rumph HD47 ?
Daniel Zolnikov HD47 AE
Douglas (Doug) Kary HD48 AE
Rita Wells HD48 ?
Mary McNally HD49 ?
Tim Stark HD49 ?
Dennis Robert Lenz HD50 AE
Deborah D. Willis HD50 ?
Kelly McCarthy HD51 ?
Taj Mukadam HD51 ?
Virginia Court HD52 F
Kassidy Olson HD52 ?
Dave Hagstrom HD53 BE
Joseph Sands HD53 ?
David Lewis HD54 ?
Margie MacDonald HD54 F
Cary Smith HD55 A+E
Bob Winger HD55 ?
Don Jones HD56 B
Sarah Laszloffy HD57 AE
Sean Whiting HD57 ?
Krayton Kerns HD58 A+E
Cole Olson HD58 ?
Paul Beck HD59 ?
Joanne G. Blyton HD59 AE
Jim Dickey HD60 ?
David Howard HD60 C
Alan Redfield HD61 ?
Reilly Neill HD62 ?
Dan Skattum HD62 AE
Timothy Adams HD63 ?
Tom Burnett HD63 BE
Franke Wilmer HD63 F
Clint Field HD64 ?
Tom Woods HD64 ?
Nick Mahan HD65 ?
Kathleen Williams HD65 ?
Jennifer "JP" Pomnichowski HD66 F
Dave Ponte HD66 BE
Gordon (Gordy) Vance HD67 A
Kelly Flynn HD68 B
Ted Washburn HD69 B
April Buonamici HD70 ?
Christopher Burke HD70 ?
Kerry E. White HD70 B
Kim Miller HD71 ?
Ray L. Shaw HD71 ?
Norma J. Duffy HD72 ?
Jeffrey Welborn HD72 C
Pat Noonan HD73 F
Gary Wold HD73 AE
Ryan Lynch HD74 ?
Max Yates HD74 BE
Ed Zimpel HD74 ?
Edith (Edie) McClafferty HD75 F
Greg Miller HD75 AE
Amanda Curtis HD76 ?
Adam Lythgoe HD77 F
Kirk B. Wagoner HD77 ?
Joe Cohenour HD78 ?
Steve Gibson HD78 C
Mark Diaz HD79 ?
Chuck Hunter HD79 F
Liz Bangerter HD80 D
Kelsen Young HD80 ?
Galen Hollenbaugh HD81 F
Ronald Lassle HD81 ?
Jenny Eck HD82 ?
Samuel J Hunthausen HD82 ?
Marla C Clark HD83 C
Wylie Galt HD83 ?
Mike Miller HD84 AE
Everett G. Sheets HD84 ?
Scott Vandevender HD84 ?
John "Scott" Perkins HD85 ?
Gordon Pierson Jr HD85 ?
Elena Gagliano HD86 ?
Kathy Swanson HD86 F
Pat Connell HD87 BE
Karen Fisher HD87 ?
Jan Wisniewski HD87 ?
Ron Ehli HD88 BE
Pam Erickson HD88 ?
Stephen Rodriguez HD88 ?
Nancy Ballance HD89 AE
Andy Elwell HD89 ?
Peggy Steffes HD89 B
Edward Greef HD90 C
Toby Martin HD90 ?
John D Meakin HD90 ?
Chuck Erickson HD91 ?
David "Doc" Moore HD91 BE
Bryce Bennett HD92 F
Paul Varkuza HD92 ?
Douglas Coffin HD93 ?
Brandon Simpson HD93 ?
Lyn Hellegaard HD94 ?
Ellie Hill HD94 F
Karen K. Meyer HD95 ?
Tom Steenberg HD95 ?
Jon Baker HD96 C
Carolyn Squires HD96 F
Gary E Sanders HD97 AE
Nancy Wilson HD97 ?
Jenifer Gursky HD98 ?
Larry Jones HD98 ?
Kimberly Dudik HD99 ?
Gary Marbut HD99 AE
Dave Andrews HD100 ?
Champ Edmunds HD100 AE


Notes:  MSSA does not endorse candidates in uncontested races.  MSSA grades are based only on voting records of incumbents, and/or MSSA Candidate Questionnaires returned to MSSA by candidates.  MSSA records and tracks votes of incumbents both on chamber floor votes, and in committee votes on selected Right to Keep and Bear Arms-related bills.  That is, MSSA requires an objective basis for its grades.  MSSA does not endorse candidates below a B grade.  MSSA prefers to see a two-letter separation between opposing candidates before endorsing the better candidate, such as an A and a C, or a B and a D.  MSSA does not endorse a candidate unless MSSA has positive information about that candidate - a voting record or a returned Candidate Questionnaire -, even if the opponent has an F voting record.  MSSA does not consider or report political affiliation when making grades or endorsements, although political party platforms on RKBA-related issues may be factored into grades.  MSSA is non-partisan.  MSSA is not a Republican organization, even through the majority of its endorsements go to Republican candidates.  That is because incumbent Democrats tend to have poor voting records on RKBA issues, and non-incumbent candidates running as Democrats often do not complete and return MSSA's Candidate Questionnaire.  Conversely, Republican incumbents usually have good voting records on RKBA issues, and new Republican candidates are much more likely to return MSSA's Candidate Questionnaire.  Given the critical importance of the US Supreme Court to the RKBA, Senate votes on confirmation of Supreme Court justices weighed heavily in MSSA's grade assignment.