Alex Gray (Montana)

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Alex Gray

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 2, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Helena College, 2011

Personal

Birthplace

Great Falls, Mont.

Religion

Native American

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Alex Gray (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Montana State Senate to represent District 46. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 2, 2020.

Gray completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Gray (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Montana House of Representatives to represent District 91 in 2018. Gray was defeated in the primary election on June 5, 2018.

Biography

Alex Gray was born in Great Falls, Montana. Gray earned an undergraduate degree from Helena College in May 2011. His professional experience includes working in politics.

Elections

2020

See also: Montana State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Montana State Senate District 46

Shannon O'Brien defeated Niki Sardot in the general election for Montana State Senate District 46 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shannon O'Brien (D)	66.1	8,362
		Niki Sardot (R)	33.9	4,296

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,658
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 46

Shannon O'Brien defeated Alex Gray in the Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 46 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shannon O'Brien	68.2	3,519
		Alex Gray	31.8	1,644

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,163
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 46

Niki Sardot advanced from the Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 46 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Niki Sardot	100.0	2,126

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,126
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2018

See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Montana House of Representatives District 91

Connie Keogh defeated Aldo Sardot in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 91 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Connie Keogh (D)	84.1	5,285
	Submit photo	Aldo Sardot (R)	15.9	998

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,283
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 91

Connie Keogh defeated Nancy de Pastino, Alex Gray, and Eric Love in the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 91 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Connie Keogh	52.4	1,520
	Submit photo	Nancy de Pastino	37.3	1,082
		Alex Gray	8.5	246
	Submit photo	Eric Love	1.7	50

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 2,898
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 91

Aldo Sardot advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 91 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Aldo Sardot	100.0	342

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 342
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Alex Gray completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gray's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a member of the Little Shell Tribe here in Montana and a Blackfeet descendant. My main passions have always been history and the natural world. My involvement in politics comes from wanting to help us not repeat the mistakes of the past and protect our environment.

The occupy Wallstreet movement was my first involvement in politics. I truly believe in our democracy and want it protected from the large corporate interests that seek to subvert what is best for the majority. Our lack of masks and ventilators during this Covid-19 crisis illustrates how narrow minded greed can harm society at large. I want to fight for what's best for everyone.

Recreationally I love to hike, swim, folf, float, fish and do just about anything outdoors. I attend North American Indian Days on the Blackfeet Nation each year and plan on regularly attending the Little Shell pow wow. Public lands are an essential part of these activities and cultural celebrations so protecting our public lands is a top priority for me.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Get corporate money out of politics
• Fight for Native issues like the Missing and Murdered Indigenous women epidemic
• Legalize cannabis and use the tax revenue to lower property taxes

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I want corporate money out of politics. Each individual should be able to donate to a reasonable limit but no business or corporate entity should be able to donate to a candidate or issue campaign. I joined the Occupy Wallstreet movement because of my passion for this issue. In order to be able to properly do something about it I have been getting experience the past 7 years working in the legislature and canvassing for the Montana Conservation Voters.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Politically FDR has to be our best President because he got us Social Security and other safety nets. I admire Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ro Khanna for fighting against corporate greed, advocating for Medicare for all and supporting cannabis legalization. In Montana I think both Mike Mansfield and Lee Metcalf were great Senators because of their work on Civil Rights.

No leader is perfect but I hope to emulate the best qualities from our boldest leaders in order to help my district and the entire state of Montana.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The movie Bullworth is a great one that touches on healthcare, campaign finance, outsourcing. I highly recommend watching it.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Legislators who listen to their constituents are the best. Also an ability to separate issues and feelings so that someone who was your opponent one one bill can can be your ally in passing another.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I listen to people but also have core values. I'm also patient and determined.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To listen to their constituents do they can pass a budget that serves everyone's needs and policies that help us fullfil our wants.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to get Montana to pass a resolution joining other states in overturning Citizens United.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the 1992 Olympics from when I was 6. I thought it was cool that all the countries got together to play with each other.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was bagging groceries when I was 16. I kept it for almost a year before finding a better paying job working with a good friend at a Mexican food restaurant.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The book Aztec. It is a historical fiction piece that accurately portrays Aztec culture and history.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Finding my passion has been a struggle. I took Advanced Placement government in highschool but didn't think that was what I was supposed to do with my life. Not having that direction led me to become depressed and overeat. Depression and weight are issues that many Montanans suffer from. Addressing these will go a long way towards improving our collective health and happiness and it's something I can speak to personally.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

The Senate gets french vanilla coffee creamer and the House just gets plain creamer. Anyways that's how I saw it as a staffer. All jokes aside the most important difference is the executive oversight that the Senate has. In theory the House has more power over the budget but in practice it doesn't seem to happen that way. The power of confirmation for Governor appointments is a big bargaining chip that House members don't have. The Senate being only 50 members as opposed to 100 for the House means that each member gets more speaking time. The disadvantage is that your constituency is twice as big and so it takes more time and effort to effectively hear from all of them or get information to them.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. As a staffer I heard many legislators from jobs as varied as CFO, attorney, Doctor, teacher and more day that nothing in their work experience is like being a legislator.

It's true, being in a legislative body is unlike anything else and having direct experience is a major advantage over someone who doesn't. Knowing the process including all sorts of dates that certain bills must be submitted by is crucial. Knowing how to organize good testimony from experts on the issue or those most affected by it in a hearing is important. And knowing some of the key legislators and staffers can be a big leg up when things are moving fast.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our state is currently funded in large part by taxes on fossil fuels like coal. This is both harmful to the environment and unsustainable. We must find new sources of energy and revenue if we are to thrive into the future. Hard conversations and choices are unavoidable, better to have and make them now.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

Checks and balances. I believe the Governor has a right to veto legislation he doesn't approve of and the legislature doesn't have to pass bills or budgets just because the governor requests them. In addition the Senate gets final say on key Governor appointments. They should advise and inform each other always, veto and vote down sometimes and refuse to work with one another never.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, but you must separate your friendship from the issues. Building relationships with other legislators helps when building support for your bills and issues. However there is a danger of being lured into the "club" where everyone they know has power, money or both and in time that is the only people they represent. If elected I will be friendly with my colleagues but remember my true friends are the ones back home who sent me there.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Yes. I would want to be on Business and Labor, natural resources and state administration.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

Yes, I would be interested in a whip position, or committee chair should my party gain the majority.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I want to treat everyone with the same respect as former Rep. Tom Berry and have the same give em hell attitude as former Rep and Sen. Carolyn Squires.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

If elected I would want to serve the two full terms allowed.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Yes. There are many. There is the older gentleman who had his son die and now can't visit his grandchildren. The woman being evicted so they can turn her trailer into an Airbnb.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

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External links

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Footnotes

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Current members of the Montana State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Matt Regier

Majority Leader:Tom McGillvray

Senators

District 1

Mike Cuffe (R)

District 2

Dave Fern (D)

District 3

Carl Glimm (R)

District 4

John Fuller (R)

District 5

Matt Regier (R)

District 6

Mark Noland (R)

District 7

Greg Hertz (R)

District 8

Susan Webber (D)

District 9

Bruce Gillespie (R)

District 10

Jeremy Trebas (R)

District 11

Daniel Emrich (R)

District 12

Wendy McKamey (R)

District 13

Joshua Kassmier (R)

District 14

Russel Tempel (R)

District 15

Gregg Hunter (R)

District 16

Jonathan Windy Boy (D)

District 17

Bob Phalen (R)

District 18

Kenneth Bogner (R)

District 19

Barry Usher (R)

District 20

Sue Vinton (R)

District 21

Gayle Lammers (R)

District 22

Daniel Zolnikov (R)

District 23

Emma Kerr-Carpenter (D)

District 24

Mike Yakawich (R)

District 25

Dennis Lenz (R)

District 26

Tom McGillvray (R)

District 27

Vince Ricci (R)

District 28

Forrest Mandeville (R)

District 29

John Esp (R)

District 30

Cora Neumann (D)

District 31

Pat Flowers (D)

District 32

Denise Hayman (D)

District 33

Christopher Pope (D)

District 34

Shelley Vance (R)

District 35

Tony Tezak (R)

District 36

Sara Novak (D)

District 37

Derek Harvey (D)

District 38

Becky Beard (R)

District 39

Wylie Galt (R)

District 40

Laura Smith (D)

District 41

Janet Ellis (D)

District 42

Mary Dunwell (D)

District 43

Jason Ellsworth (R)

District 44

Theresa Manzella (R)

District 45

Denley Loge (R)

District 46

Jacinda Morigeau (D)

District 47

Ellie Boldman (D)

District 48

Andrea Olsen (D)

District 49

Willis Curdy (D)

District 50

Shane Morigeau (D)

Republican Party (32)

Democratic Party (18)