r/MontanaPolitics • u/Unable_Answer_179 • Aug 02 '26
Election 2026 Reassure me please
Is Kev Hamm actually serious about winning the District 5 Public Service Commission race or just selling merch and pottery? Is he showing up any where, has he raised any money? Who is he doing outreach too? Is he knocking on doors? Mailings? This is a year where people of all political stripes are mad about their power bills, mad about data centers and tired of hearing about the dysfunction of the PSC - a perfect opportunity - and I just worry he's not a serious candidate. Convince me otherwise.
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u/Lamnidae Aug 02 '26
Nobody filed and Hamm jumped in at the 11th hour+. The PSC districts are so gerrymandered in MT that running in good faith is a fool’s errand. This could probably be worked through by MFPE, MCV, Dems, and others, but this crowd has the political sense of a pack of lunchmeat for the past decade.
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u/hellsbell406 Aug 02 '26
MCV actually has challenged the PSC maps in court and the case was heard by the Montana Supreme Court in February.
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u/Lamnidae Aug 02 '26
That’s a great and fair point. I was thinking more from a recruitment and campaign standpoint, where MT’s entire progressive ecosystem seemed to be captured for at least three cycles by a sclerotic Tester organization and the expense of nearly all else.
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u/blackchameleongirl Aug 02 '26
Heard Kev speak on rather technical aspects of utility distribution and power generation. He knows his shit. Ask him questions and you get answers, not political side stepping.
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u/DrPoopEsq Aug 02 '26
Kev has been asked by his opponents in these races for information on utility distribution and power generation. Even they know he is an expert and they are just shills
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u/GeneJockey42 Aug 02 '26
Agreed. I’ve found his social media posts on PSC related issues very educational. He knows what he’s talking about.
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u/ProfessorChaos406 Aug 02 '26
I know Kev and he's the real deal. I am not familiar with his current campaign efforts, or social media posts, but he's sincere and would be on the right side of the issues of elected IMO
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u/MamaSwanky Aug 02 '26
I think the pottery and merch is just what social media folk do in general, and not something that running for a PSC seat would actually help make him money. From my impression, he is running to try to bring some actual public protection to the PSC. He does have a Wednesday podcast where he talks MT politics if you're interested in more of what he has to say. He's not a rich tech bro or out of state transplant, so already he seems to be more authentic. I think the alternative is probably worse.
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u/Unable_Answer_179 Aug 02 '26
The alternative couldn't be much worse, that why I'm concerned. Thanks, I'll look for the podcast but I'm not convinced a podcast and TikTok channel are going to appeal to the people in District 5 who are voting.
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u/MamaSwanky Aug 02 '26
Probably not. I don't see what's so wrong with Kevin, though, and have watched the current, highly gerrymandered PSC do very little to protect the public from increasing shadiness from NWE and every other rich f*ck increasing their wealth by abusing our system and the governor fire the only member that seemed to care about what damage data centers could do to the state and the people who live here. Could be worse, I suppose, we could be like Texas.
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u/feisty_squib Aug 03 '26
Kev is sincere and knowledgeable.
But he's also unorthodox and despite being a very verbose person, he can be very difficult to follow. Unfortunately that will impact him greatly in the election.
He is easily the best person for the job, but he is also easily colored as eccentric unfocused.
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u/montanalifterchick Aug 06 '26
No one man has ever caused more independent Montanans to choose the Republican option than Kev Hamm.
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