Viewpoint: I’m Monica Tranel, and I’d like your vote

Monica Tranel

My name is Monica Tranel. You might remember me, I’m the Democrat who ran against Republican Ryan Zinke. Then, like now, there’s important work to be done. I am running to represent my constituents in House District 92, and all Montanans. I pledge to you, if elected, to work for Montanans across this place I have always called home.

We are at a rough patch. But I don’t agree with those who dismiss violence and chaos as “just politics.” Politics set the rules we live by. Never have the rules mattered more than now.

Over the last two election cycles, you walked with me on the campaign to take Montana’s voice to Washington. We knocked on thousands of doors advancing the American ideal that government is of, by, and for We the People.

I learned a lot from you. When we met in the grocery store you told me about high prices. When we talked at parades and small gatherings you shared your worries about healthcare and whether the local clinic or hospital would be able to stay open. Your stories about our shared Montana home are still with me. You invested in me, and now, it’s my turn to give that back by investing you and HD 92.

Here in HD 92, the work of building bridges is literal as well as metaphoric. It includes repairing

the Sunset Hill Bridge closed to traffic and the Boy Scout Bridge facing total failure.

Property taxes have shifted the burden onto families while the state sits on a surplus, uniquely impacting homeowners in HD 92 and legacy Montana family cabins in the beautiful Seeley and Swan valleys.

This week, voters across Montana delivered mixed results on school funding, giving us a loud and clear message that work must be done to fund our schools better, and now.

As an attorney representing clients across Montana for the last 20 years, I bring the skill set and the experience to get to work on day One. A vote for me is a vote for an experienced voice with a proven track record of fighting for us, the people of Montana. We can, and must, make positive changes now.

Good government requires big ideas and practical work experience. To make sure our bridges get repaired, we need people representing us who know how to follow the money. I’ve done that my entire career, and will do it for all of us, here in HD 92.

Good government is making sure we don’t have gravel pits and data centers and truck stops on the banks of the Blackfoot River. It’s about making sure our schools in Potomac and the Rattlesnake are funded and that our neighbors aren’t priced out of the homes they’ve lived in for decades.

I am bringing the energy, the network, and the experience of my career and my work for Montanans across the state to build solutions for the Rattlesnake, in East Missoula, Bonner, the Blackfoot, Seeley Lake, and the Swan. We need to continue working together on solving high prices that led to closing of Pyramid Lumber. There is much to be done.

The foundation for good government starts with us, focusing on our neighbors, our infrastructure, and our public lands.

I’m asking for your vote. If I earn it on June 2, I will get to work immediately representing the issues and folks in HD 92 that affect us, and all Montanans. Thank you for your consideration.

Monica Tranel is Democrat candidate for HD 92