Jesse Mullen, Democrat candidate for Secretary of State, speaks at the Mansfield Metcalf dinner in Helena on March 2, 2024. (Photo by Nicole Girten/Daily Montanan)
The Montana Democratic Party printed a political flyer with candidates running for statewide office — but without Secretary of State candidate Jesse Mullen.
Mullen is running against incumbent Republican Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen.
Earlier this year, he resigned from the Montana Democratic Party executive board citing a lack of financial detail and internal transparency.
On Sunday, a Missoula County Democrat posted a picture of the leaflet without Mullen on X with a comment and an angry red face: “Really @mtdems Really ……. Leaving @jmullen2 for Secretary of State off the Big Sky Victory flyers for canvassers ….. really.”
In a phone call this week, Mullen himself sounded less upset than his supporters on social media — and in an email, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party said Mullen is the best candidate for the job.
Mullen said Tuesday he wasn’t too surprised to see his candidacy was omitted on the flyer, and he’s running his campaign his way regardless. Mullen is founder and co-owner of the Mullen Newspaper Company, which represents 21 publications in six states, including 10 outlets in Montana.
“Ultimately, it’s my responsibility to run this race, and if the Montana Democratic Party chooses to help, they’re welcome to,” Mullen said. “If they choose not to, it’s not going to make any difference one way or another to me.”
In his departure from the executive board, Mullen had called for more guardrails to “prevent the misuse of donations” coming into the Democratic Party, although he had not alleged unlawful activity or any misallocation of funds.
However, he said this week he understood he would pay the price for his criticisms: “I was told there would be consequences from resigning, especially for the reasons I resigned.”
The flyer that omitted his name said it was paid for by the Montana Democratic Party. The Democratic Party did not answer a question about the number of flyers it printed.
On one side, it shows headshots of candidates under a “Big Sky Victory 2024” headline and this note: “Vote by November 5th for candidates who will defend Montana values.”
Big Sky Victory is the Montana Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign.
The flyer shows pictures of Ryan Busse and Raph Graybill, for governor and lieutenant governor; Shannon O’Brien, for superintendent of public instruction; Ben Alke, for attorney general; John Repke, for auditor; and Erin Farris-Olsen, for clerk of the Montana Supreme Court.
But Mullen’s picture is missing, and the flyer doesn’t mention the Secretary of State’s office as being on the ballot this year. (One flyer had a state House candidate on the other side.)
In an email, Gaby Krevat, spokesperson for the Montana Democratic Party, said Mullen had withdrawn from the group the flyer was representing, although she also praised him.
“The Montana Democratic Party honored Jesse Mullen’s request to withdraw from the coordinated campaign, Big Sky Victory,” Krevat said in an email. “Montanans deserve someone in the Secretary of State’s office who will work for them and to keep Montana the Last Best Place, and Jesse is that candidate.”
Mullen declined to comment on the reason he withdrew.
The Democratic Party did not address how the omission would benefit the recipients of the flyers or the party’s message or cause. However, in May, head of the party Sheila Hogan expressed confidence that Democrats would put in the work to be victorious in November.
“Montana Democrats know how to win in this state: by burning shoe leather and speaking with voters face-to-face,” said Hogan at the time. “Big Sky Victory is a well-resourced, juggernaut organizing effort that will ensure we are getting every eligible voter out to the polls in 2024. We’re fired up, and we’re ready to re-elect Jon Tester and elect Democrats up and down the ballot.”
U.S. Sen. Tester is campaigning to keep his seat from Republican businessman Tim Sheehy of Bozeman in a race that’s drawing tens of millions of dollars and national interest. Green Party candidate Robert Barb and Libertarian Sid Daoud are on the ballot as well.
In the phone call this week, Mullen declined to share any other consequences he may have experienced related to his resignation.
However, he said many Montana Democrats are backing him, even if the party steps aside at times. He also said his positions won’t change if they upset “the couple people” making decisions for the state party.
“I’ve received tremendous support from Montana Democrats, the county committees, and Democrats all across the state,” Mullen said. “What the Montana Democratic Party itself chooses to do or not to do doesn’t really influence my decision-making, and it never has.”
Montana has gone from purple to more red in recent years, and this year, some Democratic candidates appear to be struggling to connect with Montanans, if recent polling is an indication.
A poll released by the Montana Republican Party last week had no statewide Democrats ahead of Republicans, and in the Secretary of State’s race, it had Jacobsen leading 48% to Mullen’s 31%.
The most recent campaign finance reports had Jacobsen leading as well; she had raised $162,000 in the general election, and Mullen had raised $37,600.