2013 Primary Candidates

President of the Senate Candidate

Jay Bueter

By: Sarah Manry and Nichole Tyson
Jay Bueter, from Gardiner, will make a great, obvious choice for president of the Senate. He is running to make the Senate a better place, and get important tasks accomplished. He is inspired by many, but Steven Colbert is high on the list. His game plan is to get votes, like a boss. He also promotes recycling.

Governor Candidates

Jace Kuntz and John Bodnar

By: Aidan Goodman
Jace Kuntz and John Bodnar, both from Dillon High, are running for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The duo seem perfect for the positions as they both have a terrific understanding of parliamentary procedures. When asked why they are running, both Kuntz and Bodnar responded that they “have the tools and experience to lead”. They are both very interested in politics and have experience from National FFA competitions. Both candidates prefer a more serious approach to Youth Legislature and are inspired by politics of America. They see a potential for change. Kuntz believes that he deserves the Governor position in the 2014 Youth Legislature session because he knows what he is talking about and has read Robert’s Rules of Order, a 700 page book on parliamentary procedures. Not to mention his suit is very classy. The game plan for their campaign is “No Jokes. Youth Legislature needs more serious, effective, and efficient leadership”. All good interviews need a good ending so: Jace Kuntz’s celebrity crush is Emma Stone, and John Bodnar’s is Jessica Alba.

Dan Peters and Noah Johnston

By: William Westfall
Noah said the reason that he is running is that you can do more with Youth Leg if you are in a high position, Dan said that it will put you in a position of power. Noah's inspiration is Nikola Tesla and Dan's inspiration is Nicholas Cage. The plan for their campaign is to win with whatever means necessary. Noah and Dan might look like they don't take Youth Leg seriously they are 100% ready to take on the position that they have chosen for themselves, Their celebrity crushes are for Dan is Robert Downey Jr. and Noah's is Shakira. And a side-note: they are both from Butte

Gabe Chilson and Miranda Bishop

By: Jackie RalphGabe is from Dillon parties. However, Miranda and Gabe believe that this could be that by being on different sides means that they can bring both beliefs of their parties into the office.

Layne Johnson and Jordan Smith

By: Shawnee Swanson

Jordan Smith and Layne Johnson, from Froid/Med Lake are running for Governor and Lit Governor this year. Their campaign slogan is “Vote for Smith he’s big Johnson” They think that they can improve the quality of Youth Legislature experience. Their inspiration is John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. They want to make Youth Legislature classier, but mostly fun. They both have a huge celebrity crush on Selena Gomez. They want to inspire the people and at least “try to get a couple votes”

Speaker of the House Candidates

Mitch Black

By: William Westfall
Mitch is running because he wanted to. His inspiration is Lil B, The reason Mitch is the best for the position is because he has been speaking for a while. Mitch's celebrity crush is Jake Gyllenhaal. His plan for running his campaign is to show up for Youth Leg.Mitch is a fun loving person, heloves to speak and that is whyhe is running for Speaker of the House.

Chief Justice Candidates

Erin Olivieri

By: Jackie Ralph
Originally from Bohemia, New York, but here representing Butte YMCA, Erin Olivieri is hoping to be elected Chief Justice to create unity between Legislature and the Supreme court. She feels that she can help bridge the gap and help everyone to have fun while doing so. Erin believes that she is the best for this position because of her year of experience on both sides (One year as an attorney and one year as a House member), her “Craptons—yes thaat is a unit of measurement” of leadership abilities, and her overall awesomeness. When asked who her inspiration was, Olivieri jokingly replied that Morgan Freeman was her idol because of his “angelic voice.” Erin's celebrity crush is Michael Weatherly, “Dinozo from NCIS! If you don't know him, well—shun!” And her game-plan for her campaign is to “...connect with people, and just be awesome in general. I really want people to vote for me—not because theyare my friends or because they are from Butte, butbecause they feel I would be best for the position.”

Levin Mullaney

By: Derek Ralph

Levin Mullaney, a man amongst boys, is running for chief of Justice and trying to get his second year in the justice system. His absolute love for the justice system has driven him to hit the campaign trail. After a heart breaker in the selection for the best brief in the state second place is just not the way that Levin wants to role. His only inspiration is himself because there is truly nobody better. He is hoping that with winning the election Levin can pull in his dream girl, Kate Upton. When asked to rank himself on a scale of one to ten all he said was “Levin”. The upper hand he has on the election is that he fools the opponents with his shy personality but slams it home with his witty intelligence. Levin believes the true key to winning is being remembered by the candidates and a catchy slogan.


Blake Casagranda

By: Sath Powers

Blake Casagranda hails from Butte and is excited about this year of Youth Legislature. This year is a little different for Blake; he has aspirations of becoming the chief justice. Throughout his years of high school at Butte High, he has demonstrated strong attributes such as leadership, courage, and his favorite trait: wisdom. He hopes that these fine qualities will help propel him to a victory in his election.Casagranda brings valid experience to the table as well. Blake has been an attorney for two years, which is more than what most others can boast about themselves. Blake strives to be the best he can be in everything he participates in. He has very strong habits that he prides himself on, some of those being organization, time-management, and most of all a great fro. Between his fro and long-love for Caroline Wosniacks, Blake has it all. What more could you ask for in a chief justice? He has got it all, he has done it all, and now he wants to serve all of Youth Legislature as their acting chief justice. A vote for Blake is a vote for style, a vote for confidence, and certainly a vote for the fro!

Secretary of State Candidates

Austin Dreyer

By: Nichole Tyson
When asked why he was running, he answered “to combine small ‘hick town’ schools with that of college city schools”. When asked what that meant he gave a smile and added “ I also want to convince more people to run”. He is inspired by Ghandi’s leadership, Abraham Lincoln’s approachability, and Einstein’s intelligence. He is as equally inspired by current Secretary of State, Rose Cote. His belief in equality among ranks and his experience in both Youth in Government and his current position as Secretary of State are what he feels make him the best for this position. He also believes that his open personality will set him apart from the other candidates. “Good girl” Carrie Underwood is his celebrity crush because she is "all that and a bag of chips”. When questioned about his game plan he answered without hesitation, “Save the Rhinos and Keep the Glitter”.

Braden Fitzgerald

By:Tyson Gerhardt Hirsch

A tall, blonde, aspiring Speaker of the House stands in the dim entryway, anxious to wheedle his way out of an interview. He flashes a winning smile and explains that he’s running late for a Committee Chair Meeting, but agrees to a brief interrogation. His name is Braden Fitzgerald, an avid FFA member from Livingston. Fitzgerald is running forSpeaker because he really enjoys parliamentary procedures. (I mean, who doesn’t?) He’s had trouble sleeping for the last week, with visions of grandeur charging through his restless mind. Of course, he didn’t just wake up one morning and decide that Speaker of the House was the spot for him. He’s spent years practicing parliament with FFA. “You might call it my inspiration,” he chuckles. Fitzgerald’s shining personality and well-tuned skills will undoubtedly make him a formidable candidate. Also, his celebrity crush is Emma Watson, so he just might be a wizard.

Cameron Wertz

By:

Candidate for Speaker of the House Cameron Wentz, here from the Dillon delegation, is on fire! His blonde hair goes well with his bright-eyed, bushy-tailed demeanor. As I spoke with the boy, he told me about his previous experience at the Montana Youth Legislature, as well as current endeavors. His past years have been chalk full of positions such as Committee Chair last session, Vice Chair this session, and a Pro-Temp for the 1st years. He says, “I am well equipped for the position of Speaker of the House”.Wentz plans to pursue a future and career in Politics, though he didn’t specify what position he would like to be. As for his game plan for his campaign; honesty and sincerity are his key factors. If elected, he promises to run the House Chambers with some fun as well as maintain a serious purpose and keep in mind the intentions of this program. Now for the juicy info! When asked who his celebrity crush is, he stuttered slightly and blushed! Apparently he did not have a particular celeb in mind, and spurted Emma Watson (as did many other candidates). After more creative thought and pondering, Wentz decided, with incredible taste, that Natalie Portman is his true celebrity crush. What a choice - His interest in the intelligent and well-rounded actress reflects his own characteristics. Let’s hope this up and coming candidate represents us eventually in the real deal!