Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte seeks second term

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte — whose administration oversaw a reduction in income taxes and an increase in residential property taxes — is seeking re-election. Gianforte made the announcement Tuesday. Using a historic budget surplus coming out of the pandemic, Montana paid off its debt, reduced the top income tax rate and authorized rebates to individual income tax payers. His campaign says the state created 40,000 jobs and saw a record low unemployment rate. However, critics say Gianforte hasn’t done enough to offset residential property tax increases due to increases in the appraised value of homes. The Montana Democratic Party criticized Gianforte for supporting legislation to restrict access to abortion.