Gordon to Challenge Carney, Clampitt

Editor’s note: New additions to the list of individuals filing for county office include Ruth Dowell for Clerk and Recorder and incumbent Christina Hillman for Justice of the Peace.The filing deadline for all open positions is March 12.

Arlie Gordon has filed for the open county commissioner position, joining current county planner Renee Clampitt and Mike Carney in the race. I met with Gordon over a cup of coffee last week to learn a bit about him. With a throaty and deliberate tone, he began to divulge his story. Born in Wolf Point and raised on a hay farm, he has spent most of his life along the Hi-Line. At 70 years old, he now resides in Fort Peck where he started his career in public service. He served two terms as the mayor of Fort Peck and was also city judge for five years. With a no-nonsense and straight-forward approach, Gordon is confident his attitude and experience will serve him and the county well.

As a self-described social and fiscal conservative, Gordon isn’t looking to make any major changes. His goal is to make the county run as efficiently as possible. As mayor of Fort Peck, he says he managed to unite the city council into lobbying for a federal grant to update and expand the public water system.

During my time with Gordon, it was obvious to me that he was “old school” and no stranger to adversity. Our conversation was littered with anecdotes and each one had an overall theme: patience. He describes himself as “brutally honest and brutally frank,” and explains that patience and persistence are essential to all aspects of life and public service is no different.

Gordon is active on social media and has begun reaching out to area voters. Campaigning is already underway, in other words, and there is no better time to learn about your candidates than now. Just expect honesty. Brutal honesty.

Check back next week for a profile of commissioner candidate Mike Carney.