Announcing our 2nd round of endorsements!
We’re endorsing 21 candidates in this second round, bringing our total number of endorsements this year to 50 — the most women Carol’s List has ever endorsed in one election.
Montana is tracking with trends nationally: This year even more Democratic women are running for Congress than they did in 2018, and this is a record year for women of color running for national office. It’s also a record year for women vs women elections nationwide. And this week’s selection of the qualified, talented Sen. Kamala Harris as vice presidential candidate — the first Black woman to get that nod — seems to fit the 2020 trend, of women continuing to shatter records and continuing to make our political system reflect the people it represents.
We’re pleased to endorse these Montana women who are part of this nationwide momentum.
Billings + Red Lodge
Anne Giuliano - HD51 - Billings
Anne Giuliano is board certified physician practicing in Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology. Dr. Giuliano moved to Billings in 1999 and has been practicing in the community ever since. She has in depth knowledge of the healthcare system - not only as a provider, but also as a small business owner, as a patient and a caregiver. She knows how poorly the system functions and how frustrating it can be to navigate insurance, doctors and administrators to get needed care.
In 2018 Anne joined the Riverstone Board of Health and helps look after the community healthcare needs of Yellowstone county.
In addition to a healthcare agenda, Anne is a champion of public education, small business, unions and renewable energy.
When not helping Montanans, she spends her time volunteering at the local animal shelter, knitting, spinning yarn and engaging in all things in the fiber arts field. She shares her life with her husband of 30+years (Jim) and 3 cats.
Hannah Olson - HD52 - Billings
Hannah moved to Billings in 2013 and is a resident of the Billings Southside. She has a master’s in public relations, works in nonprofit development, and is an avid community volunteer. Hannah has a four-year-old daughter with her partner, Ben. She’s running because she is devoted to finding solutions that empower her community and create a better future for Montana.
Qualifications:
Education:
Master of Science in Public Relations
Bachelor of Art in English
Associate of Art in Secondary Education
Has worked for local nonprofits in fundraising and development
Volunteer Experience & Community Involvement:
Board Member on the Board of Community Development for the City of Billings
Board Member for Chinook Horses, a local equine therapy nonprofit
Board Member for the Montana State University Billings Alumni Association
Member of the Junior League of Billings
Court Appointed Special Advocate for CASA of Yellowstone County
Valerie McMurtry - PSC District 2
Throughout the years, I have worked to elect men and women who will put the needs of working Montanans before the shareholder profits of corporations. I have never aspired to be a politician, but when I saw the failure of the current Public Service Commissioners to protect Montana ratepayers from unfair and unnecessary rate increases, I was moved to act. Honesty, service and integrity have been the hallmarks of my life. I will stand up for what is right and fair. I believe citizens have a responsibility to make a difference for others, if it is within their power to do so.
It is time to put the “public” back into the Public Service Commission.
Jessica Karjala - HD48
Jessica is a previously endorsed incumbent in Billings, and has served on education, human services, and state administration committees in the Montana House. She beat a Republican incumbent in 2014 and has served in the Legislature since.
Kris Spanjian - HD40 - north of Billings
I'm a retired physician who practiced for over 30 years, caring for critically ill patients and their families with dedication, compassion and honesty. I know the importance of our rural clinics, critical access hospitals and first responders in this vast state. As a fisherman and a hunter, I also understand the importance of clean water, wild spaces, access to public lands and how these affect our physical and mental well-being. As a former medical educator, I value quality public education. And as a rancher's wife, I appreciate the economic challenges confronting agricultural communities.
Qualifications:
Intensive Care Unit physician, retired – St. Vincent Healthcare
Montana Board of Medical Examiners – our state medical licensing board, member and past president, 2006 – 2017
Faculty – University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Montana Family Medicine Residency
Owner, Blue Grama Ranch
Fly-fishing instructor/aide – Casting for Recovery (program for breast cancer survivors), Trout Unlimited Youth Camp
Betsy Scanlin - HD58 - Red Lodge
I have been both the mayor of Red Lodge and a city council member. I am currently a member of the Carbon County Planning Board and the Carbon County Historical Society Board, and served on the Montana Board of Housing for eight years.
I attribute my commitment to community service to my late parents, Rev. Donald Scanlin, a minister, and Millicent Preissel Scanlin, a public school teacher, who participated in over 50 years of the Red Lodge Festival of Nations. My father was an elected delegate to the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention.
I served many area folks with water rights claims, estate planning and probates over the course of 40 years, and I appreciate their reliance and trust in me.
As a former mayor, I understand government budgets. It’s just a matter of priorities, identifying our needs, and honoring the obligation to be fair. My husband of 46 years, Jeff Anderson, and I have two adult children. Among my volunteer and other activities, I enjoyed playing in the local Veseli Tamburitza (Slavic) Orchestra for 34 years.
Bozeman area
Alice Buckley - HD63 - Bozeman (university district)
Alice is running because she wants to have a voice in the conversation when decisions are made that affect her health, her future, and her community. She's motivated by creating space for everyone to have a voice in the political process and the ability to make choices about their bodies and futures, particularly those who have been silenced or marginalized. Alice works for a firm in Bozeman that specializes in convening and facilitating peer communities, and has served on the boards of both conservation and domestic violence prevention organizations.
Colette Campbell - HD67 - Belgrade
I am living proof that public services and public education lift people up and change lives for the better. On the job training with the Belgrade Head Start program gave me the skills and knowledge I didn’t gain from my own mother-daughter relationship to raise two amazing well-adjusted contributing members of society. The teachers in those classrooms are pillars of strength for struggling families. I quickly joined their ranks as an HRDC Early Childhood Educator. I served hundreds of families in the Belgrade and Bozeman communities.
Still a loyal public employee, I now work with college students at Montana State University at the School of Film and Photography in the checkout facilities. We produce award-winning documentary and fiction filmmakers and photographers determined to make a difference in the world.
I am a champion of the working people. I serve my fellow workers as president of MSU Bozeman’s Local Federation of Classified University Staff (FOCUS). I am a District 4 MFPE Board Director and MT AFL-CIO Director At Large.
Emily Brosten - HD 68 - west of Bozeman
Brosten, 29, is a fifth-generation Montanan who grew up on a farm in the Flathead Valley. She moved to Bozeman seven years ago to attend Montana State University where she earned a degree in graphic design. Since graduation, she has worked as a graphic designer for Seacat Creative in Bozeman.
Brosten said she decided to run for House District 68 because she wants to have a say in how the Gallatin Valley changes as it grows.
“As a Montanan, I really have a deep passion and respect for this place, and I want it to be around for future generations,” Brosten said. “If I can take actions toward that goal, I want to try.”
If elected, Brosten intends to focus on conservation, preserving and promoting agriculture and developing responsible growth plans that address issues like the shortage of affordable housing in Gallatin County.
Great Falls + Hi-Line
Helena Lovick - HD26 - Great Falls
Growing up, Helena’s family sometimes struggled and had to rely on social safety nets like food stamps to get by. But thankfully that support was there. Through education and hard work, Helena was able to break the cycle of poverty. Now she is a scientist, raising her two children with her husband in Great Falls. Helena is running for office because she wants to help ensure her neighbors have the support they need to succeed.
Qualifications
Scientist, PhD chemist
Wife and mother
Melissa Smith - HD20 - Great Falls
I’m a fourth-generation Montanan, a professional pianist, and a teacher, currently living and working in Great Falls, MT. I was raised in Havre, with my summers spent with my grandparents in the Flathead Valley. I received a first-class education here, from Kindergarten in Havre through my BA from the University of Montana. I have been involved in community organizing, running individual campaigns, and non-profits of all kinds since my University days. I have enjoyed that work immensely; however, I am now seeking a seat at the table that makes Montana laws and passes the budget, since our values are reflected by where our money gets spent. My campaign focuses on three core issues: conservation and preservation of public lands, with an emphasis on clean air, water and wildlife habitat; quality public education including pre-school education for all Montana students; and reimagining public safety, wherein we protect our communities by emphasizing public health, food security, inclusion, and diversity.
Krystal Steinmetz - HD28 - Havre
A fourth-generation Montanan, Krystal (Spring) Steinmetz is a community advocate and former journalist who now works for the Boys & Girls Club. As a mother of two elementary school-age children and wife of a small business owner, Krystal believes investing in quality public schools, affordable healthcare and infrastructure improvements, are vital to creating a thriving community for all Montanans.
West-central Montana
Sara Novak - HD77 - Anaconda
I am an educator, who takes pride in earning all my degrees from right here in our Montana University System. I have a B.S in education from UM Western and a Master of Education in Counseling from MSU Northern. I went on to earn my Special Education Administration licensure from a collaboration between U of M and MSU Billings.
I am the Special Education Director for Great Divide Education Services, based in Deer Lodge. I am a fierce advocate for Public Education and specifically for Special Education.
I was born and raised in Butte, and live in Anaconda. My husband, Daren, and I have three children. SheaLee is 12 years old and our twins, Hunter and Gage, are 9. We enjoy spending our free time exploring our great state of Montana. We spend the majority of our summers in the mountains of southwest Montana, camping and fishing on our public lands.
Bryher Herak - HD75 - Boulder area
Bryher (rhymes with “fire”) is a Welsh name. Herak is Croatian. Bryher’s grandparents were Irish and Croatian immigrants who worked in mines in Butte and Anaconda. They moved to the Mission Valley north of Missoula, in the early 1900’s to farm and raise their families. Her parents continued that tradition and taught their nine children the value of hard work.
After graduating from Carroll College and completing law school in Washington, DC, Bryher moved to Seattle, where she owned businesses and worked in civil and legal rights and mediation. In 1992 she was chosen as Seattle Woman of the Year. In 1994 the Greater Seattle Business Association selected her business as the Business of the Year. As a member of the Seattle Women’s Commission, she advised the mayor and city council on women’s issues. She worked with trade unions and contractors to increase women and minorities in trades and construction.
Bryher moved to Basin in 2000 to be near her twin brother, George, a long-term resident of the Montana Developmental Center (MDC) in Boulder. She visited him often and eventually became involved in MDC’s Human Rights Committee. Governor Schweitzer appointed her Chair of the Governor’s Disability Advisory Council in 2005. She was at her brother’s side when he died in 2014.
Bryher owned the High Note coffee shop and art gallery in Basin between 2004-2008. From 2008-2014 she worked as a mediator for the Montana Human Rights Bureau, helping small businesses across Montana resolve disputes and conflicts.
Bryher believes in small business and community. She knows how to make government work. She was a facilitator with the Boulder community circles that aided in establishing the Boulder growth plan She is a member of the Boulder Development Fund Board. She understands how laws are made and how compromises can be win-win. Bryher is an effective mediator. She has worked as a professional mediator for 20 years, helping families, communities, and businesses resolve conflicts and avoid lawyers, courts, and costly legal battles. She will work across the aisle to find common-sense solutions. Bryher listens and cares and she loves Jefferson County.
Missoula area + Bitterroot
Lisa Pavlock - HD93 - St. Ignatius
Lisa Pavlock is a lifelong educator who lives in St Ignatius with her family. Lisa's father served in the military, and her mother was a nurse. Lisa's upbringing taught her to believe deeply in public service. As a Founder of Glacier Lake School, Lisa is accustomed to bringing people together to work through issues, and building bridges to get things done. Lisa is running to be a voice for Lake County, and advocate for affordable healthcare, for good jobs, and for public education and educators.
Educator – past 20 years working in public, private, inner-city and rural schools
Entrepreneur – Co-founder of a school in St. Ignatius serving the local community, in charge of financial management
Board member and treasurer of League of Women Voters, Missoula
BA in Government from Smith College
LouAnn Hansen - HD97 - Lolo
Born and raised in rural western Montana, I’m a Montana girl with Montana values! Montana State University - Bozeman provided the backdrop for my Bachelor of Science degree. My Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction was completed through Lesley University. At the University of Montana - Missoula I completed my Elementary Education endorsement as well as my Educational Leadership and Administration endorsement. For 35 years I happily served students in Montana’s public schools and three years ago I retired after 31 years of teaching for MCPS.
Qualifications: > Montana public school teacher for 35 years > Served on the Missoula Education Association Board of Directors and Executive Board > Served on the Missoula Area Central Labor Council as a Delegate representing all of Missoula’s public school certified staff and served as a MACLC Trustee > Community leader, volunteer and activist
Laura Merrill - HD87 - north half of Ravalli County
I’ve had the great fortune of living in the Victor-Stevensville area since 1990. I’ve built a successful 30-year real estate career, working on behalf of hundreds of families and learning first-hand how local issues affect Montana lives and livelihoods.
I grew up in Colorado, one of five daughters in a family that is still growing! I attended Colorado State University, earning B.S. and M.S. degrees in Forestry and Plant Pathology. I’ve worked as a Forester and Forest Pathologist for the U.S. Forest Service in 10 different states, including western Montana.
I believe strongly in volunteering to give back to my community. I’ve had the pleasure of serving on several non-profit boards and in local organizations such as the Bitter Root Water Forum, the Bitter Root Land Trust, the Bitterroot Valley Board of Realtors®, the Bitterroot Human Rights Alliance, the Bitterroot Forest Restoration Committee, and currently as President of the Bitterroot Performing Arts Council.
My career path and volunteer work have uniquely prepared me to serve a diverse Ravalli County electorate in the Montana Legislature. I have the skill set to listen to differing perspectives, find common ground, and negotiate win-win solutions for critical issues affecting Montanans. My background in forestry and plant pathology equips me to scientifically evaluate public health and natural resource management policy.
Margaret Gorski - SD44 - north half of Ravalli County
I was raised by a military father and a school teacher mother who taught me to study hard, work hard, and be caring of others. I earned a B.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Washington and a M.L.A in Planning and Landscape Architecture from the University of California-Berkeley. Being the first generation of women who had new access to any career they wanted, my working career started as a summer seasonal park ranger which later led to a 30 year career in Natural Resources Management in the Forest Service, serving in several Regions in the west. I was the first woman to be hired in a number of the positions I held over the years, now I am working hard to earn Senate Seat 44, increasing the number of women serving in the Montana Senate.
My legislative priorities are focused on making Ravalli County a healthy and prosperous place to live and raise a family:
Health care
Support for public education and workforce training.
Infrastructure to support economic development, including more broadband internet access.
Reducing wildfire risk, improving access, and keeping public lands in public hands
Flathead area and northwest Montana
Jennifer Allen - HD10 - Flathead area
I grew up in Philadephia in a Quaker family but became a Westerner by 10th grade. I graduated from the University of Colorado, summa cum laude, with a BA in Psychology. After working in the trenches of human services and raising a family, I went back to school and graduated with a Master’s in Social Work. I have spent my career serving others in the mental health and social work fields in non-profit organizations.
I have worked directly with the poorest and vulnerable of our community members, often at their darkest hours. This has led to my strong dedication to the causes of social justice and democracy
I have extensive experience and skills in management and administration and in building competent and accountable programs, including working with stakeholders and gathering and analyzing data to help guide new social service policies.
I have trained law enforcement and school staff and participated in legislative committees and work groups to develop and implement laws that impact persons with mental illness.
Gerry Browning - HD12 - Flathead area
Along with my husband and three daughters, we have lived in Montana for more than 30 years. As a Home Health RN, I had the opportunity to interact with many different people in their homes. Then, for the past 23 years, I owned and operated two businesses on Main St. in Polson. These work experiences have given me a unique perspective into my community.
Qualifications include:
School Board member
Providence St. Joseph Hospital Board member
President of Polson Business Community
Diane Magone - SD7 - Thompson Falls, Sanders and Mineral counties
Diane is a retired MSW and school counselor whose main reason for running for the Montana Legislature is to strengthen Medicaid expansion. There are two rural critical access hospitals in her district and it is essential that the doors of these hospitals remain open, not only for patient care, but also as huge contributor to the economy of the area as they are major employers. She also supports keeping Montana public lands public and accessible, investing tax dollars in public schools only, and doing all we can to responsibly preserve our great Montana way of life by supporting both a clean, healthy environment and equal rights for all. Diane has also been endorsed by the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE).