Cooking in the West

As the primary elections loom in Montana next week, I find myself not on the ballot for the first time in 16 years. I have decided to hang up my red pencil after 41 years in education at the end of my fourth term as County Superintendent of Schools this December. Having run for public office, I feel the pain of those running in contested races. It is not easy to run for office any place, but living in a small community makes it even harder!

I remember well the first time I ran for my County Superintendent of Schools position back in 2006. The day I first announced my candidacy in the teacher's...