By CHELSI MOY
Missoulian

There's a perception that Missoula is a bunch of "liberal dope-smoking hippies," Wilson said. Candidates "start with a black mark" and must work hard to prove they are politically moderate "and not a tree hugger."

It's been more than eight decades since a person from Missoula served as the state's governor.

Republican Joseph Dixon, for whom the town of Dixon is named, served one term in 1925.

The image of the liberal Missoulian has been perpetuated by its legislators, said James Lopach, a UM professor of political science.

"Missoula's delegation is regarded as solid liberals," said Brown, a longtime Republican lawmaker from Whitefish who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2004 against Democrat Brian Schweitzer.

Missoula's legislative delegation consists of 14 Democrats and one Republican.

Sen. Carol Williams, D-Missoula, the state's first female Senate majority leader, has heard the comments: "Oh, that's a Missoula bill," or "You can get away with voting that way. You're from Missoula."

But to say Missoula legislators contributed to the stereotype, "I don't know if that's fair," Williams said. "We are more progressive. The Missoula delegation are leaders in the Legislature."

Missoula has a strong environmental record, a thriving arts and entertainment community, and is home to many nonprofits and social service agencies. It caters to a diverse group of people, Lopach said.

Then there's the marijuana initiative that voters passed in 2006, which makes misdemeanor marijuana offenses law enforcements' lowest priority offense in the county.

"Missoula has been an open campus and an open community. It may be negative to other parts of the state, but I think it's a positive thing," said Mike Halligan, a longtime Missoula lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 1992 with gubernatorial candidate Dorothy Bradley. "It's a badge of honor and not something we should ignore or try to hide."

To what extent Montanans still view Missoula as a liberal, hippie town is debatable.

"It's an old worn-out theme that holds no merit," said Bradley, the Bozeman Democrat who lost her bid for governor in 1992.

"If it exists, I think it is far, far less," Lopach agreed.

Credit may go, in part, to the Grizzly football team, said former Missoula mayor and state legislator Daniel Kemmis.

"In some quarters, there is prejudice about Missoula," he said, "but there are all kinds of prejudices people bring to electoral politics."

Another possibility for the lack of statewide candidates from Missoula is that people here prefer to engage in local politics rather than in state or federal races, Williams said.

Until recently, Missoula lawmakers were "people in my age group," said Williams, 64. "People who come to the Legislature and like it don't use it as a stepping stone."

Despite the rough go for some recent local candidates, there are benefits to running for a statewide office and calling Missoula home.

Missoula Democrats may suffer politically in a statewide general election, but the same cannot be said for a Democratic primary in Montana, Kemmis said.

"If they are dealing with a crowded field, being from Missoula is an asset," he said.

Missoula also is changing. Its borders are expanding. People everywhere are more environmentally conscious. Out-of-state residents are moving in, and bringing with them a wide variety of personalities and attitudes.

With most of Montana's voters increasingly concentrated in Western Montana, the rural Montana vote will hold less weight, Lopach said.

Running as a candidate from Missoula may not be "the handicap it maybe once was," he said.

All considered, it seems likely that that pattern may reverse, and Missoula may produce more wining statewide candidates in the future, but that remains to be seen.

Published on Wednesday, December 26, 2007.
Last modified on 12/26/2007 at 12:19 am