| One of the bigger primary battles in Missoula involves HD 94, Dave McAlpin's vacated seat, and it features two candidates with high public profiles and a long record of public service: Lou Ann Crowley and Ellie Hill. Crowley sat on the Missoula city council from 1996 to 2006, is the former executive director of the Missoula Urban Demonstration project (MUD), was a 2005 Missoula mayoral candidate, and is a board member of the Missoula Farmers' Market. In Idaho, Hill practiced law for the Nez Perce tribe and served as an assistant district attorney, before moving to Missoula, where she's served as the executive director of the Poverello Cetner since 2007.
Still, the issue is clear. Ellie Hill is the best candidate to represent Missoula's HD 94 in the Montana state legislature.
A glance at Hill's issues page shows a lengthy and bold list of progressive issues, including promising to be a strong advocate for public education, for clean, renewable energy and a clean and healthful environment, for civil protections for same-sex couples, and an ally in fighting climate change through energy efficiency. She's also an unabashed supporter of women's rights, including a supporter of women's reproductive rights. Hill also vowed to fight for Montanans' universal access to health care. Hill's position as co-director of the New Leaders Council only underscores her progressive credentials, as do her endorsements, from organizations such as DFA, Montana Conservation Voters, NARAL Montana and Planned Parenthood, as well as from the full constellation of Missoula's leading elected progressive "lights": John Engen, Ron Erickson, Michele Reinhart, Greg Lind, Kevin Furey, Roy Houseman, Bob Jaffe, Marilyn Marler, Stacey Rye, Pam Walzer, and Jason Weiner.
During her campaign, Ellie's been knocking doors tirelessly. She's been one of the hardest working campaigners in the city.
But that's not all! As Jhwygirl noted in her endorsement of Hill:
No one can dispute Ms. Hill's tenacity and hard work. As executive director of the Poverello Center, Hill has done a superb job ensuring that necessary services are provided to our communities neediest - a large percentage of which are veterans. Her work has even been recognized in Washington D.C., where Sen. Jon Tester recently spoke at length in the Senate Veteran's Affair Committee to the important services the Poverello Center is providing.
While it's true, as others have noted, that Crowley's long years of service earns her respect, it's also true that Crowley had some troublesome votes on the city council, opposing a sewer line to the Rattlesnake, opposing some conservation issues, and supporting occupancy standards that sought to discriminate against the LGBT community, unmarried couples, renters, and U of MT students. More telling is that Crowley's sole endorsement from a Missoula elected official comes from city council member, Jon Wilkins.
Some call Crowley a "centrist." I say that's settling. Those Montana Democrats willing to truck with the policies of regressive Republicans representing monied interests and the dismantling of our public infrastructure already exist. With Hill, Missoula has a chance to send a passionate, hard-working lawmaker to Helena to represent the voters of HD 94 and their interests. Anyone who's had the singular experience of meeting and befriending Ellie Hill - as I have - knows this implicitly.
This year in HD 94, you don't have to settle. Ellie Hill for the Montana legislature. |
