11 June 2019 — 1015 mdt

Finally — a Democrat announces a run for governor

Updated below. Former Livingston legislator Reilly Neill, 45, who served in the MT House in the 2013 legislative session, threw her hat in the ring for governor over the weekend, filing a C-1 form, opening a campaign website, and distributing a press release.

Asserting that “We’re better together…,” Neill says her priorities are:

• Balancing the budget and upholding the constitution;
• Using sound science and innovative research to face the future;
• Celebrating the bounty of Montana's natural resources; and
• Carrying on Governor Steve Bullock’s legacy.

Neill publishes the Montana Press Monthly and the Livingston Current. According to Vote Smart, she received a BA in geophysics/education from the University of Montana.

In 2012, Neill won House District 62 in Livingston, defeating Republican Dan Skattum 2,431 to 2,097. After redistricting took effect in 2014, she ran in HD-60, losing to Republican Debra Lamm 1,894 to 2,030. HD-60 is now represented by Laurie Bishop, who defeated Lamm in 2016 and whupped Skattum in 2018.

Neill is the first Democrat to announce for governor, but probably won’t be the last. Thus far, however, Democrats, perhaps implicitly conceding that a Republican will be elected governor next year, have evinced perishingly little urgency in fielding a candidate for the state’s top elective office.

Update. Rep. Casey Schreiner announced this morning that he’s also running for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Meanwhile, six Republicans, at least four of A-team caliber (Greg Gianforte, Al Olszewski, Tim Fox, and Corey Stapleton), have filed C-1s.