Dear Editor: Thank You Voters for Your Support

Dear Editor,

Thank you to the supporters and donors to the Lien for Montana citizen campaign for the Jefferson County district in the Montana House of Representatives. Your activism is the lifeblood of our democracy. The county’s concern about the future of Medicaid expansion and public dollars for public schools was notable, and I will continue to lend my voice to these important local issues.

I entered the race to provide voters a choice, and in my congratulatory call to Representative Bertoglio, we agreed that the campaign could be a model for the entire country in political civility. I summarized my reason for running as the three P’s. Privacy, the voters took partial care of this with the passage of CI-128. Property Taxes: the 2025 Montana Legislature is mandated to correct the tax realignment passed two years ago. Public Schools: pending Court cases may determine if public funds can be diverted from public education. I trust the Legislature and Representative Bertoglio will continue to have the interests of Montanans at the heart of their deliberations.

Although the positives of the campaign far outweigh the negatives because people are awesome. I was dismayed at the number of voters who judge candidates on party affiliation with very little interest in the policy content, often to the detriment of their chosen occupational or socioeconomic interests. A state candidate is colored by national news talking points with no or little application to issues within the purview of the state legislature.

In the aftermath of this election, I must confess my broken heart. Not for HD75, but for America, for our brown, transgender, LBGQT, disabled, or marginalized neighbors. There is a place in our democracy for opposition voices, and we must continue the righteous fight for “equality for all.” Thank you, Jefferson County, for the opportunity to lend my voice to the discussion.

NANCY JANE LIEN

Candidate - Montana HD 75

Whitehall, Montana