A Democrat Who Shows Up

I’ve spent most of my life working in Montana communities—running newspapers, cooking in small-town kitchens, listening to farmers, students, teachers, veterans, and union workers tell their stories.

I’ve served in the Montana Legislature and published newspapers that took on big issues in small places. Through all of it, one belief has remained constant: democracy only works when people show up.

Showing up means more than giving speeches or repeating slogans. It requires asking questions, listening to the answers, and recognizing that no one holds all the answers by virtue of a title or a degree.

This is where the Democratic Party often falls short.

My pride in Democratic values remains strong—dignity, fairness, accountability, and the belief that government can be a force for good when rooted in service. Still, throughout Montana, many voters struggle to hear those values clearly.

In community centers and libraries across Montana, my focus has been on asking, "What matters most here?"

One conversation at a recent roundtable stands out. A woman with a graduate degree in veterinary science shared that she couldn’t find a job in her field that paid more than $10 an hour. She now works as a pet groomer for $25 an hour—work she never trained for but that pays better. She carries $30,000 in student debt and believes she may never leave her family’s home.

Seated nearby was a longtime Republican who had never attended a political event. He listened—not to a debate or talking point, but to a story. A real one. And something shifted.

Montanans hearing from one another in shared spaces makes all the difference.

I don’t believe Democrats need to abandon our principles. We need to communicate them with more clarity, humility, and respect.

If we speak with arrogance, we lose the room. If we show up like a neighbor, they’ll walk with us.

So to my fellow Democrats, I say this: Let’s drop the condescension. Let’s stop treating rural voters like a mystery. Let’s stop handing out talking points and calling it engagement. Let’s do the work—instead of assuming we’ve already done it.

The truth is simple: If we want to govern, we have to connect and if we want to connect, we have to listen.

This isn’t status quo time. It's go time.

Somewhere along the way, the Democratic party has lost its muscle memory for this kind of politics. Insularity replaced outreach. Credentials stood in for connection. Policy began to eclipse people.

I'm a proud Democrat and believe that our values—accountability, equity, and justice—are not just ideals but tools for real change when rooted in local communities and built from the ground up.

As organizations like Indivisible remind us, building a functioning democracy starts with engaging people where they live, respecting their voices, and translating their needs into policy that works.

My focus remains on kitchen-table conversations, not performances. I'm building momentum not on stages but in libraries, co-op buildings, and union halls.

Montanans face real and urgent challenges: access to healthcare, housing shortages, gaps in veteran services, pressures on education, threats to democracy, and the future of public lands.

Candidates earn trust by meeting people where they are—not by waiting for audiences to assemble.

Within the Democratic Party, a shift is overdue. Rural communities don’t need decoding, just constituent service. Talking points can’t replace real engagement.

Connection fuels governance and listening creates connection.

Let the work begin.