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Matt Jette
Matt Jette (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Montana's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on June 7, 2022.
Jette completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
He was also a 2012 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 6th Congressional District of Arizona. Jette left the Democratic Party and ran as an Independent after the primary.[1]
Biography
Matt Jette was born in Seattle, Washington. Jette earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Montana in 1996, an M.P.A. from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 2009. His career experience includes working as a professor and teacher.[2]
Elections
2022
See also: Montana's 1st Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Montana District 1
Ryan K. Zinke defeated Monica Tranel and John Lamb in the general election for U.S. House Montana District 1 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ryan K. Zinke (R) | 49.6 | 123,102 |
 | Monica Tranel (D) | 46.5 | 115,265 | |
 | John Lamb (L) | 3.9 | 9,593 | |
| Total votes: 247,960 | |||
 = 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 U.S. House Montana District 1
Monica Tranel defeated Cora Neumann and Tom Winter in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Montana District 1 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Monica Tranel | 64.9 | 37,138 |
 | Cora Neumann | 26.9 | 15,396 | |
 | Tom Winter | 8.2 | 4,723 | |
| Total votes: 57,257 | |||
| = 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 U.S. House Montana District 1
Ryan K. Zinke defeated Albert Olszewski, Mary Todd, Matt Jette, and Mitch Heuer in the Republican primary for U.S. House Montana District 1 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ryan K. Zinke | 41.7 | 35,601 |
 | Albert Olszewski | 39.7 | 33,927 | |
 | Mary Todd | 10.4 | 8,915 | |
 | Matt Jette | 5.8 | 4,973 | |
| Mitch Heuer | 2.3 | 1,953 | ||
| Total votes: 85,369 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Lynn Hofland (R)
- Allen McKibben (R)
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. John Lamb advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Montana District 1.
2015
The city of Phoenix, Arizona, held elections for mayor and city council on August 25, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was May 27, 2015.[3] Four of the eight city council seats were up for election. In the mayoral race, incumbent Greg Stanton defeated Matthew Jette and Anna Maria Brennan.[4][5]
| Phoenix Mayor General Election, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
 Greg Stanton Incumbent |
65.3% | 85,629 | |
| Anna Maria Brennan | 29.1% | 38,118 | |
| Matthew Jette | 5.6% | 7,356 | |
| Total Votes | 131,103 | ||
| Source: City of Phoenix, "Official election results," accessed September 15, 2015 | |||
2012
Jette ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Arizona's 6th District. He defeated John Williamson in the Democratic primary on August 28, 2012. He lost to incumbent David Schweikert (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[6][7]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Schweikert Incumbent |
61.3% | 179,706 | |
| Democratic | Matt Jette | 33.3% | 97,666 | |
| Libertarian | Jack Anderson | 3.5% | 10,167 | |
| Green | Mark Salazar | 1.9% | 5,637 | |
| NA | James Ketover | 0% | 1 | |
| Total Votes | 293,177 | |||
| Source: Arizona Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election," accessed July 13, 2015 | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Matt Jette completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Jette's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
I was raised in a family in which love of country preceded a love for oneself. I was taught character was forged in discipline and hard work, and that what you do matters more than what you say. It is that upbringing I overcame over forty surgeries, organ failure, three types of cancer, and three learning disabilities to earn four degrees, going on to Harvard and a Ph.D. Now, I return to Montana because I understand America is in distress and this election and this campaign is the first step to save America.
I am the only candidate to be on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. I am the only candidate to devote one's life to understanding America and to serve America in the public arena as a teacher and professor. I returned to Montana to bring back civility and pride and to protect Montana and America from those who prey on them with selfish and unethical motives. I run so that we can feel good about America and younger generations will once again aspire to serve America as they once did. America is exceptional, and if we work together, a new dawn will rise!- I support a market-based economy that provides mobility and space for people to adapt and excel.
- I believe America is exceptional and the world is better when America, built on classical liberalism and classical republicanism, is better.
- I aim to limit government in ways that unleash American creativity and innovation, but to help ensure the American people can prosper.
I am also inspired by my wife, who is the best example of patience, an inquisitive mind, and kindness. I am blessed far too much than I deserve with her.
1. Iliad
2. Odyssey
3. Aeneid
4. The Republic
5. Nicomachean Ethics
That doctrine is built upon the following principles: virtue, wisdom, goodness, hard work, discipline, honesty, and courage. Virtue is the primary principle for which all others are built upon, for it directs one towards the other principles, determines character, and provides a clear path to success, more importantly to a well-lived life.
I am running for Congress, not as a job or for one particular issue, but to help save America. My aim is to restore her, champion her, and ensure that her best is still yet to come.
Second, the framers were wise and did not believe with full heart and mind in democracy itself. That is why all members in the House are up for reelection every two years, unlike the US Senate, originally elected by state legislatures, the President, and members of the US Supreme Court. The design of the US House is to safe guard against the whims and passions of the people, of democracy itself. Today, due to the fact of the electoral advantages of being an incumbent, we are in peril! That is, what we have today is not what was intended, that the passions of the people now have a long-standing voice and our democracy is now threatened.
Having won an elected office previously does not mean that one has the necessary experience. The skills necessary to win elections are not the same skills necessary to govern well. Thus, what we have today are those with "experience" in elected office, not because they were wise and good at governing, but because they were good and effective at raising money. This type of experience is not good.
Other challenges include the growing ineptness of of electoral system. Ranging from money in elections, redistricting, and 24/7 news cycle leads to poor, in terms of quality and in excellence, candidate seeking elected office. This is exacerbated by the fact American voters have become increasingly apathetic, ignorant, and extreme. In the end, regardless of the challenges and threats that we face, we will be found unable to meet them if we simply cannot debate, deliberate, and discuss with one one another. Moreover, the threat to our democracy is now squarely in front of us, as recent events highlight. This will be the undoing of our political system and most do not even acknowledge their own role in its demise.
2. Joint Economic Committee
3. Appropriations
4. Rules
5. Budget
Moreover, to compromise we first must have a firm foundation of primary or first order goals. These are essential and I do not believe these can be compromised with. However, second order goods or goals I think there is room to compromise. For example, I do not think a first order good of liberty is to be comprised with, but the manner in which a policy centers on how best to regulate commerce to maximize liberty while adhering to other first order goods, such as increasing social capital, can be debated and ought to be debated among wise elected officials. If the discussion centers on liberty and only liberty, as if no agreement can be found, then we can never get to the practicalities of creating a just and good society and government.
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.
Campaign website
Jette's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Health Care After years of being in and out of hospitals, with my parents driving hours to drop me off and again to pick me up weeks later, I found myself at the age of twenty going into the operating room to be placed on dialysis — I had a heart attack and my kidney had completely failed. Over forty surgeries, three types of cancer, a transplant and medical bills that were more than most mortgages, have given me a unique and I believe a well-rounded perspective on healthcare. After all, because of my experiences, I have experienced what millions have already, including thousands of Montanans. Being on Social Security Insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, and welfare programs, has granted me unique access to life on the “other side.” When companies spend more on their employees’ health care than resources, when the system is designed around third-party payments, when demand (due to chronic illnesses) outstrips supply and is directed towards an unhealthy reliance on technology versus life choices, the healthcare system becomes unsustainable. Regardless of one’s belief in what healthcare ought to be (i.e., a right or a privilege) responsibility still matters, incentives are critical in managing healthcare utilization, and expectations are fundamental. My plan places healthcare back in the hands of physicians and out of the boardrooms of insurance executives and the conference rooms of government bureaucracies. It places the practice of medicine back in the hands of doctors and places proper incentives to live better and healthier lives back the hands of patients. Healthcare should not be attached to employment. Our current system places chains on the employer and employee—trapping the employee in work they do not want to do and burdening employers with employees who are not loyal past the benefits they receive. My system places greater emphasis on mobility in the market place and replaces the current structure, that is large, confusing, expensive, obtrusive, and long, with one that is simple to navigate, simple to understand, less expensive, and unobtrusive.
One thing is certain about the American economy…it is dynamic, changing, and evolving with increasing speed. Frictional, cyclical, and seasonal unemployment were once our chief concerns. Today it is structural unemployment. We are seeing jobs both disappear due to the exportation of jobs and the deletion of jobs as a result of technology. In the end and regardless of the reasons, a growing number of jobs are not returning. Worse, we see more and more qualified people unable to find work due to glitches and the narrowing of job descriptions, forcing people to become underemployed and over qualified for many of the jobs they reside in. We need to adapt with the market, create a more flexible and ready labor force and ensure human and social capital is as mobile as financial capital. Innovation and investment are essential in moving the economy forward. States that do well, states that can survive and perhaps thrive in economic downturns are states that have anchor industries. Montana needs to create an anchor economy built on a diverse set of commodities and energy. A stronger physical infrastructure, that includes for example fast rail, will serve as a foundation for industry to build and expand in Montana. However, we need to protect our public lands and resources during this process, to protect what makes Montana, well, Montana.
I grew up in a military family. My father is a highly decorated retired marine, earning two Purple Hearts and a Navy Cross. My mother is a former librarian (first at the public library, driving a book mobile to the poorest communities in North Carolina, and second at the University of Montana). My parents raised and supported a family of four boys, three of which are triplets, and two of those with health and developmental concerns. Much like their own lives, the lives of their sons have been American success stories. My father walks with integrity and courage, while my mother carries authenticity and a love of history. Both provided for me the love of country and of public service. For it is simply not good enough to vote, one must put some work into it in order to vote well. America for all of its glory and benefits requires a lot of work and care. One cannot simply complain, one must join the effort and help build something better, something lasting, something we can be proud of. I have dedicated my life to a promise, made while in a hospital bed when I was five, and I try to live that each day. My love of country is grounded in my love for virtue, honor, dignity, respect, and duty.
Education in America can perhaps be summed up best with a story of two students. The first, a student who struggled in high school, failing some of his classes, and graduating by the slimmest of margins. This student was written off by many as a consequence of a failed education system. Whether the teachers failed or the schools, or worse the family, this student would live a life of hardship and never really touch the level of his potential. The second student graduated and went on to earn four degrees, including a BA, two Masters, and a PhD, went on to schools like the University of Montana, Arizona State University, and Harvard. He overcame three learning disabilities and countless surgeries to not only graduate, but to excel. Looking at this student one would praise his teachers, his schools, and his family. What is revealing about education in these two stories and how they each relate to education rests on the simple fact they describe the same person. Too many factors go into a child’s life and whether that child, any child, will succeed by reaching his or her full potential. To simply state it is school funding, classroom curriculum, teacher pay, or the like is to ignore the complexity of the issues surrounding education. And we have spent far too long ignoring at our own peril with greater and more far reaching consequences than ever before the complexities of education. We have come to treat education as the catch all to all of our personal and societal problems, placing then greater emphasis on schools and classrooms, rather than what schools and classrooms are designed to do. Education is about learning, not merely teaching and under this notion time is needed both in and outside the classroom. I would argue one of the most significant variables that leads to inequality is the amount of time a student learns outside of the classroom. Thus, we need an education system that does not reinforce bad habits or merely keeps students busy. I am calling for a education system that provides for the fundamentals and then from that point helps the student identify and develop their interests. Most students do not go onto the university, thus high schools need to be much more flexible giving students much more mobility to excel. The structure of our schools should not be a one size fits all, not even within the same school, for the student develops throughout high school and the high school structure should develop along-side the student. We need quality teachers that know their subject more than they must know education lingo, where a doctor in medicine can teach science without having to earn a degree to learn how to teach science. Education then is not about the brick and mortar, the name of the school, even the curriculum…it is about good teachers, beginning with the most important and influential teachers who are found in the home. School teachers as well as university professors, managers, and business owners all serve a role in educating those to follow us. It is important then that all are included in the conversation to make education better and that is measured by how well prepared our students are to live good, happy, and productive lives.
The lawn chairs came out, the drinks were often made, and the neighbors would begin their migration to the Jette front yard. There under the fading sunlight were adults sitting together talking, laughing, and even at times disagreeing. These evenings were supplemented by evening card games with neighbors. Although I did not understand much of what I heard, I saw what a healthy discussion looked like, it was the art of communication that matter, not one’s opinion, or even one’s effort to change the mind of another. These evenings are becoming completely extinct in America today. Now, families are watching social media and cable news organizations to get their news, with no feedback, only reinforcement, cementing then any and all opinions. This needs to end.
The default setting throughout history has been poverty, dictatorships, hardships, uncertainty. As a country, as a nation, we have become increasingly complacent in what we are, and in what our unique experiment is and, in that complacency, we are seeing our physical, human, and social capital deteriorate along with our moral fortitude and our community awareness and care. We are rare and exceptional, regardless of our flaws. It is up to us, whether this experiment, beginning in 1776, reconstituted several times, can endure and to be built stronger moving forward. Not only do we have enemies abroad, but a growing number of enemies who, along with those taking strides to make this a more perfect union, are from the inside attempting to dismantle who we are. History is not in our favor; in fact, history has shown countries like our own have routinely failed, having short life expectancies. We are the last, the longest lasting example of how men can govern themselves. Rare in history do we find men governing their affairs successfully, so having troubles is to be expected. However, the difficulties we are witnessing today places us on dangerous ground, showing the world, if we fail at this moment, that men cannot do this type of work. Worse, if we fail, we essentially raise the flag and permit strong men rule. We cannot let that happen. We need and can do better. Start by turning off the hyperbolic news, regardless of what party you belong. We are mere consumers for large corporations and it is of little wonder that the more divisive we become as a nation the more money and the more profit these media giants earn. It is time we speak to one another, to build a lasting and healthy dialogue in America and that begins here in Montana. I ask that you instead join Jette’s Front Yard![8] |
” |
| —Matt Jette's campaign website (2022)[9] | ||
2015
Jette's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[10]
The Economy
- Excerpt: "Healthy economies are founded on and help build a strong and educated labor force and support small businesses that are able to innovate, grow, and hire. Healthy economies need a government that aims to reduce duplicate and wasteful regulations and promotes technological advancements. Enduring economies are built around a collaborative partnership between private enterprise and public investment, between manufacturing and technology, and between innovation and opportunity."
Education
- Excerpt: "Our educational system is being choked by regulation and standards that measure a student’s ability to test well than to think effectively. Too many strings are attached, too many steps required, and too many guidelines have put great strains on the teaching and learning process from the district, state, and federal levels."
Veterans
- Excerpt: "It is time we secure an open city to veterans and move to pursue policies that address employment, housing, and health care for our veterans."
Health Care
- Excerpt: "We disagree with the new health care plan, not because of its aim, but of its consequences. Our duty is to keep health care expenditures in check while increasing quality by focusing on the supply side of health care."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate U.S. House Montana District 1 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Arizona Capitol Times, "Arizona’s 6th Congressional District Democrat Matt Jette leaving the party, "April 27, 2012
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 31, 2022
- ↑ City of Phoenix, "Important Dates Flyer," accessed February 13, 2015
- ↑ City of Phoenix, "Elections Information," accessed September 19, 2014
- ↑ City of Phoenix, "Official election results," accessed September 15, 2015
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed August 28, 2012
- ↑ Associated Press, "Primary results," accessed August 28, 2012
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jette 4 Montana, “Policy Positions,” accessed April 8, 2022
- ↑ mattjette.com, "Issues," accessed July 13, 2015
