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Richard Armerding

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This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Richard Armerding
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2024
Education
High school
Hampden DuBose Academy
Bachelor's
University of Hawaii, 1973
Graduate
University of Pennsylvania, 1979
Graduate
University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, 1979
Military
Service / branch
U.S. Army Reserve
Years of service
1973 - 1990
Years of service
1973 - 1989
Personal
Religion
Christian
Profession
Retired

Richard Armerding (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the Montana House of Representatives to represent District 97. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Armerding also ran for election to the Montana House of Representatives to represent District 98. He did not appear on the ballot for the Libertarian Party primary on June 4, 2024.

Armerding completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Richard Armerding was born in Lima, Peru. He served in the United States Army from 1973 to 1989. Armerding earned a high school diploma from the Hampden DuBose Academy. He pursued his undergraduate education at Rutgers University and the University of Hawaii and his graduate education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His career experience includes working as an international banker specializing in trade, contracts, and industrial finance. As of 2024, Armerding was affiliated with Mountain View Bible Chapel.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Montana House of Representatives District 97

Melody Cunningham defeated Nick Knowles and Richard Armerding in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 97 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Melody Cunningham
Melody Cunningham (D) Candidate Connection
 
60.3
 
3,651
Nick Knowles (R)
 
35.6
 
2,152
Image of Richard Armerding
Richard Armerding (L) Candidate Connection
 
4.1
 
247

Total votes: 6,050
Candidate Connection = 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 House of Representatives District 97

Melody Cunningham defeated Lisa Verlanic Fowler in the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 97 on June 4, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Melody Cunningham
Melody Cunningham Candidate Connection
 
82.9
 
1,348
Lisa Verlanic Fowler
 
17.1
 
278

Total votes: 1,626
Candidate Connection = 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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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 97

Nick Knowles advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 97 on June 4, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Nick Knowles
 
100.0
 
846

Total votes: 846
Candidate Connection = 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.

Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Montana House of Representatives District 97

Richard Armerding advanced from the Libertarian primary for Montana House of Representatives District 97 on June 4, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Armerding
Richard Armerding Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
5

Total votes: 5
Candidate Connection = 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Armerding in this election.

Pledges

Armerding signed the following pledges.

  • U.S. Term Limits

2022

See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Montana House of Representatives District 98

Bob Carter defeated Sonia Shearer-Hiett and Richard Armerding in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 98 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Bob Carter
Bob Carter (D) Candidate Connection
 
59.1
 
2,985
Sonia Shearer-Hiett (R)
 
36.8
 
1,860
Image of Richard Armerding
Richard Armerding (L)
 
4.1
 
208

Total votes: 5,053
Candidate Connection = 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 98

Bob Carter defeated Andy Nelson in the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 98 on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Bob Carter
Bob Carter Candidate Connection
 
57.4
 
994
Andy Nelson
 
42.6
 
738

Total votes: 1,732
Candidate Connection = 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 98

Sonia Shearer-Hiett advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 98 on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Sonia Shearer-Hiett
 
100.0
 
983

Total votes: 983
Candidate Connection = 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.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Richard Armerding advanced from the Libertarian primary for Montana House of Representatives District 98.

2020

See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Montana House of Representatives District 98

Incumbent Willis Curdy defeated Nancy Burgoyne and Richard Armerding in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 98 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Willis Curdy
Willis Curdy (D)
 
58.6
 
3,583
Nancy Burgoyne (R)
 
36.5
 
2,229
Image of Richard Armerding
Richard Armerding (L) Candidate Connection
 
4.9
 
302

Total votes: 6,114
Candidate Connection = 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 98

Incumbent Willis Curdy advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 98 on June 2, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Willis Curdy
Willis Curdy
 
100.0
 
2,141

Total votes: 2,141
Candidate Connection = 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 98

Nancy Burgoyne advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 98 on June 2, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Nancy Burgoyne
 
100.0
 
1,230

Total votes: 1,230
Candidate Connection = 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.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Richard Armerding advanced from the Libertarian primary for Montana House of Representatives District 98.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Richard Armerding completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Armerding's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am an American citizen, born and raised overseas, educated in the United States. I have worked both in the US and abroad and retired after a 30-year career in banking. I believe that libertarian philisophy is the one approach to politics which is consitent with my Christian faith and beliefs. I dreamed of living in Montana for about 50 years and still consider it the Last Best Place (on earth). I want to keep it that way.
  • Control of education must be brought back from Washington and managed at a local level with more emphasis given to supporting teachers instead of the bureacracy that the federal government imposes. Parents must have the final say in curricula and texts.
  • Control of public lands should be in the hands of the people who will benefit from or suffer the consequences of decisions over use. Faceless bureacrats do not have Montana's interests at heart when they decide how those lands will be used. Who will take better care of our lands than we will?
  • Property taxes and income taxes are all a function of demand. When citizens demand more government services, taxes go up. When we become more self-reliant and look for private solutions to services which the government currently provides (inefficiently and expensively), our taxes will come down and our hard-earned money will be well-spent.
Keeping government local. No decision should be made in Washington which can and should be made at the city, county or state level. I will work to keep the federal government out of our homes, our churches, our schools and our pockets.
The Apostle Peter. He was a flawed human being who stumbled occasionally but finished well. In 1 Peter 2:16a, he tells us to “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;” (NIV)
Honesty and transparency are critical to a functioning democracy. Corruption thrives in conditions of secrecy. Open meetings, a free press, freedom to share ideas and opinions are all necessary to maintain our liberty.
Two-way communication with our constituents. We must know what they want and they must know what we are doing. One way I intend to do this is through periodic town-hall meetings with my constituents, whether they voted for me or not.
That Montana will still be the Last Best Place when I'm gone.
The Bible because it offers perfect principles to live by. There are specific does and don'ts but Luke 10:27 summarizes the entire message: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, love your neighbor as yourself.
None. I'd rather be like a real person who has lived a life such that, when they arrive at Heaven, God says, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Patience. I have had to learn to listen to other people and let them have an opportunity to expresss their issues without any interruption from me, even if I think I know where they are going.
Checks and balances. Neither should serve the other but they may have to compromise to serve the interests of the citizens of Montana since they both report to the voters.
Maintaining a physical and fiscal environment in which young people can expect to enjoy the Montana that all of us love, in terms of housing, jobs, educating their children or achieving whatever their goals may be.
It can be beneficial but it is not necessary. The legislature needs a variety of backgrounds so that we hear all the voices that we need for useful inputs. Sometimes, it is helpful to have people who aren't already used to the "way things work" and can think outside the box to achieve solutions which would otherwise be overlooked.
No representative operates in a vacuum. We must work together to find solutions to the problems that face Montana. Having the trust of my colleagues will make my time in the legislature more effective.
Any honest person who does their best to represent the people who have entrusted them with the sacred duty of arranging the affairs of the people of Montana.
If the voters see fit to return me to the State House of Representatives until I reach the term limit, I would be honored to continue to serve in the State Senate.
When I walked my district to meet voters, so many said that they agreed with libertarian philosophy but felt that they should vote for one of the main party candidates just to elect the lesser of two evils. I encouraged each one of them to vote their conscience and trust their fellow voters to do the same so that we will end up with the government we really want.
A bus driver stops to help a man whose truck has broken down. The trucker says he can handle the repairs but asks the bus driver to take his load of penguins to the zoo. An hour later, the bus comes back with the penguins who are now wearing sun glasses and propeller beanies. The trucker asks what happened and the bus drivers replies: "Well, I took them to the zoo like you asked and now they want to go to the beach."
The legislature should never consider granting any powers to anyone unless they are spelled out in the U.S. and/or Montana constitution.
Making the Board of Medical Examiners deliberations public so that people can evaluate the medical care they are receiving and paying for.
I have not asked any organizations or individuals to endorse my campaign. I hope the voters will read these comments and make up their own minds to vote for me.
All that make use of my training and experience, most of which deals with finance. Also those that deal with education, public lands, healthcare and housing.

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.

2022

Richard Armerding did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

I have been a member of the Libertarian Party since the 1970s and have voted Libertarian in every election since then. I fully support the party's pledge not to use force or fraud against anyone. I am also a Christian and believe that Libertarian principles are totally consistent with the Bible's injunction to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength ... and your neighbor as yourself. I apply these principles to every political issue.
  • Less government is better than more.
  • Policy decisions should be taken at the lowest level of government possible.
  • Taxation is theft; if it were not, the tax courts would allow reference to the US Constitution.
Foreign policy. I was born and raised overseas and have lived many years in other countries. I believe that the United States should not interfere in the politics of other nations just as we do not want them to interfere in ours. Except to defend against an immediate and direct threat to our nation, we should avoid conflicts which only cost American lives without achieving any lasting benefit to our nation.
My parents, now deceased. They provided me with a loving, stable home and a good education but, most importantly, they demonstrated how honorable people live.
Honesty and faithfulness to the founding principles of the United States of America as embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Listen to my constituents and do my best to protect the freedoms that our ancestors fought for.
My first real job was working in my father's temporary office help firm as a salesman and bookkeeper. I joined him in 1970 and stayed until 1978 when I started my graduate degree.
The Bible because it tells me where I am from, what I am doing here and where I am going.
Because House members are elected by smaller districts, their focus is on very local issuses and their obligation is to represent primarily the people in a small geographic area. Senate members have a broader view and can take into consideration the needs of larger constituencies in making decisions.
While there is an argument for experience, it is also important to have new blood on a regular basis in any organization whether public or private. My many years of experience in business is directly applicable to the job of legislator.
Bringing the citizens of Montana together to solve the problems we face, whether threats to our health or management of the land. As long as we are so sharply divided on so many issues, we cannot deliver to our constituents the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness to which we all have a right.
Checks and balances means just that so there really is no "ideal" relationship. They have different roles which coincide mainly when considering legislation. If they differ enough to veto or override a veto, that simply means that they have not yet arrived at the optimal solution for the citizens whom they represent. A "good" relationship does not necessarily protect citizen's life, liberty or pursuit of happiness.
While each of us represents a specific constituency, we act together in ways which affect all citizens in Montana. Therefore, we must communicate effectively with each other to arrive at solutions which are not only in the interests of the largest number of citizens but which are consistent with the Constitutions of the United States and the state of Montana.
Committees which handle the State's finances and those which deal with Montana's businesses.
The Montana Libertarian Party does not yet have sufficient presence in the Montana Legislature to deal with this issue. It is hoped that the voters will see fit to send us to Helena in sufficient numbers both to provide good government and to require a leadership structure.
Ron Paul, United States House of Representatives; the most Libertarian legislator that has ever been elected in the United States.
I am willing to serve in whatever position and at whatever level the good people of Montana see fit to trust me.

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 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.


Richard Armerding campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Montana House of Representatives District 97Lost general$47 $0
2022Montana House of Representatives District 98Lost general$200 $0
2020Montana House of Representatives District 98Lost general$1,050 N/A**
Grand total$1,297 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 24, 2020


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