The Chairman of the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) is battling cancer.
Here’s a press release sent out Tuesday from PSC Chairman Bill Gallagher (R-Helena):
MT Public Service Commission Chairman takes on a Battle with Cancer
HELENA ‐ Bill Gallagher, Chairman of the Montana Public Service Commission and the third highest ranking elected Republican in Montana announced today that he has been diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer.
Chairman Gallagher will begin immediate treatment and will likely undergo surgery at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
Voters in 2010 elected Gallagher, a relative newcomer to Montana politics, by a sweeping margin to the District-5 seat on the Commission. Twice elected to chair the agency, Gallagher also ran for Lt. Governor as running mate with Ken Miller in the 2012 Republican primary. He is considered by many to be a rising star in state politics.
“I ran for office because there is battle going for the direction of our nation, state and local governments. I wanted to be a part of that battle. Nearly every day I skirmish with environmental and other special-interest groups that seek to treat us like cattle, take our money, destroy jobs, stifle our economy and raise our energy costs.” said Gallagher. “Now I must fight another battle not of my choosing and beat this despicable disease so that I can get back to the work that people sent me to Helena to do, bringing common sense to our state energy policy.”
Gallagher is focused on the positive. “I am grateful for my physician and the staff of St. Pete’s in Helena for helping me to discover the tumor in time for a real opportunity to fight back. I will apply the same battle field strategy I use to campaign and do battle on behalf of the people of Montana. A positive attitude, surround myself with the best in the field and hit the problem hard and fast. My goal is to be cancer free in six months so that I can concentrate on my re-election campaign in 2014 and continue serving Montana. As I have been every day since my election I shall be especially grateful for your prayerful support.”
The only attorney on the Montana Public Commission, Gallagher also serves as Montana’s delegate on the State-Provincial Steering Committee on transmission planning, the Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation, and he sits on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner’s International and Water sub-committees.
Bill Gallagher is 53 years old, married to his high school sweet heart, Jennifer. They have two grown children and four very above average grandbabies.