Governor Steve Bullock has hit the campaign trail and is met with the media less than a week after he announced running for president.
Bullock spoke to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday where they talked about abortion laws, Citizen’s United, and the Mueller report — but Bullock says he’s focused on other issues.
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“I just spent three days in Iowa, and not one individual brought up the Mueller report. What they brought up is the fact that they lost their doctor, or they have concerns about the continued viability of their jobs, or what’s happening to farmer and ranch prices because of these trade wars,” Bullock said.
“I think that’s where folks are focused. And that’s where I’m going to be focused for the next year-plus,” the Democrat added.
Bullock announced his run last Tuesday, making him the 22nd Democrat to run in the 2020 presidential elections.
Born in Missoula and raised in Helena, he eventually became governor in 2012. In 2016 — the same year Donald Trump was elected president — Bullock won re-election by 4%.
He’s focused on progressive issues like expanding Medicaid and banning dark money.
Bullock pointed out that he has spent his career working with Republicans, adding that’s how Democrats can make progress nationally, too.
“We have to win back places that we have lost. I have done that. But we also have to bridge some of the divides,” Bullock said.
“I was the only Democrat in the country to get reelected statewide in a state where Trump won. In 2016, 25 to 30% of my voters also voted for Donald Trump. And we need to make sure that we can win back places we lost,” he concluded.
Bullock still needs to make the cut at the first Democratic debate next month. He hopes to be included, but he must meet the polling or fundraising criteria set by the Democratic National Committee.
-information from Katie Miller and Kent Luetzen included in this report
