Viewpoint: Tranel a good neighbor; Zinke might be too but in California

Phil Hamilton

Monica Tranel is my neighbor. The morning after she won the primary, I saw her on the way to get my paper. She was taking out the trash on her way to work.

We spoke briefly. I congratulated her on her win and she commented on my garden. As she drove off, I reflected on the possibility that someone that close to home could represent western Montana in Congress.

Someone who knows what it means to live here and participate in the neighborhood and this community. It’s a comforting thought in these times of conflict and hysteria.

In all fairness, Ryan Zinke may well be a good neighbor too. But that’s something I’ll never experience. I don’t live in California.