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MISSOULA - State Republicans are gathering in Missoula for their convention and over the next three days, the GOP will consider changes to its platform and elect delegates to the Republican National Convention.

The meeting kicked off Thursday night with the Republican Secretary of State and Attorney General candidates. Tim Fox ran for Montana Attorney General in the last election and lost to Steve Bullock, but he said this election will be different.

"We need an attorney general who doesn't vote against responsible natural resource development," Fox said. "We need an attorney general who knows that we can generate tax revenues to do things for schools to do things for law enforcement to make a great place here in Montana for our children to stay and work here."

Former secretary of state Brad Johnson hopes to get his job back in a rematch of the 2008 election, when he lost to Democrat Linda McCulloch. Johnson said the overseeing elections is the most important role of state secretary.

"I submit to you that if we fail in our responsibility to preserve and to enhance the integrity of the elections process in this state, and if we fail to preserve the confidence that the people of Montana have in the outcome of that process, all of these other debates become moot because the wheels come off of this great democracy of ours without an elections process that we can believe in," Johnson said.

Montana's News Station will continue convention coverage tomorrow, when U.S. House candidate Steve Daines and Congressman Denny Rehberg are scheduled to speak.

Former U.S. Speaker of the House and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich takes the stage on Saturday.