HELENA — Chris Riccardo says, when he decided to run for mayor, he knew he needed to hear what Helena residents were concerned about.
“My whole thing is I don't have all the answers, and I don't claim to,” he said. “So I need to hear from people – you know, not just what you think the problems are, but how are we going to come together as a community and solve these issues?”
That’s why his campaign set up events like the one where MTN met with him: at Fire Tower Coffee House in downtown Helena, they laid out a large piece of paper for voters to write what was most important to them.
(Watch the video to hear from mayoral candidate Chris Riccardo.)
Riccardo’s background is as a ceramic artist, and this is his first foray into politics.
“People say, ‘You're crazy, what are you thinking?’ he said. “But I think I was starting to feel myself complain a little bit too much – you know, about things and rumors and being a business owner here in downtown. And I said, ‘You know what? That's all great, and you can complain as much as you want – but unless you step in and try and do something, I'm just wasting my time and breath.”
Riccardo, 57, first came to Helena in 2012 for a summer residency with the Archie Bray Foundation. He moved from Florida full-time in 2014. Eventually, he became executive director of the Holter Museum of Art.
In 2022, Riccardo stepped away from the Holter. The next year, he and a business partner founded Omertà Arts, which now operates a downtown Helena gallery and supports local arts programs through a nonprofit arm. Omertà now organizes the seasonal downtown Helena art walks.
Riccardo says his time with the Holter and Omertà are examples of where he got experience as a leader during his years in the arts world.
“I think I've learned how to deal with my teams and my boards of directors and juggling all that – so, being an artist, yes, that's my main thing, but I think leading a team is something that's meant a ton to me,” he said.
Riccardo says it’s important to keep downtown Helena vibrant. He says he consistently hears from other downtown businesses that are concerned about parking and transportation, and he wants to see the city work on bringing stakeholders together to tackle those issues.
“I'm all about finding partnerships, finding people to know the answers,” he said. “I don't have all the answers to these, but there are people out there that can do that. Just bring everybody together and say,” Okay, this has to happen.”
Riccardo is strongly supportive of Helena Public Schools’ proposed bond issues, saying they’re ways to give students what they need in school. He says he also wants to prioritize open spaces.
Riccardo says he believes all five of the mayoral candidates sincerely want what’s best for the city, but that he feels he’s the one who can push and get things done.
“I've gone through a lot in these 30 years,” he said. “I know confidently that I can get in there and kind of push the issues and say, ‘Hey, let's talk more about this and make Helena a better place for all of us.”
(Watch MTN's full interview with Chris Riccardo.)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth of our five profiles on the candidates running for Helena mayor. The profiles are being published in alphabetical order based on the candidates’ last names. On Friday, you’ll be able to see our final profile, on candidate Andy Shirtliff.
Ballots will be mailed out to Helena voters on Friday. They must be returned by Sept. 9.
