women in montana politics

Ladies: On Your Marks, Get Set, Run

By Dana Green, 4-05-06

	Caption: At 26, political newcomer Michele Reinhart is hoping to become the youngest woman in the Montana State Legislature.

Lobbyist Michele Reinhart was peering down at the gallery at the Montana Legislature during a key vote.

Reinhart suddenly realized she was counting bald heads – 40 of them in all, shining up at her.

Reinhart doesn’t have anything against bald guys, she’s quick to note. But the pivotal moment made her keenly aware of how few women were in Helena – making the laws that would affect Montanans for years to come.

With some quick math, Reinhart counted 7 women out of 50 senators – and 27 out of 100 in the House – not very encouraging numbers.

“I realized the Legislature is not representative of the general population,” Reinhart said. “We are half of the state – and those who show up make the decisions.”

Reinhart, 26, had three legislative sessions under her belt as a field organizer and lobbyist for Northern Plains Resource Council, a Billings grassroots environmental organization. She had successfully lobbied for state laws that required food to have Country-of-Origin labeling, and set renewable energy standards for utility companies. She knew how to work with both parties to get legislation out the door.

But she is also only 26 – a full-time student at the University of Montana, getting a certificate in environmental mediation through the law school and environmental studies program. With bills and student loans to pay, and not much spare time on her hands.

Despite the challenges, she went ahead and filed for office in House District 97, a rural area just west of Missoula city limits.

“There’s never a good time,” Reinhart said. “But I wanted to set an example that anyone can do this. It’s a citizen Legislature, and it’s an important time for women to have representation.”

The problem is most young women don’t visualize themselves getting involved in politics, Reinhart believes.

“They’re not encourage to run or they don’t think they can,” she said. “They self-select themselves out of the process. Men just do it.”

She found mentors, two women incumbents in the House, to ask for advice and help. She agrees that women new to politics need to turn to older women who have been there and know the ropes.

“(Campaigning) is a lot of work,” she said. “You need to know who to ask for help.”

Last Saturday, in the pouring rain, Reinhart spent her free day going door to door in her constituents’ neighborhood. She asked questions, listened to their concerns, and explained her background. Campaigning – and touting her own skills and political background – doesn’t come naturally, she admits.

“It’s harder for women than for men to sell themselves,” she said. “I had a friend tell me I’d be a great legislator – but not a good campaigner.”

Still, Reinhart is prepared to work harder to prove herself to the voters. If she succeeds, she would like to help mentor other women and create training opportunities for them to enter the political arena.

Reinhart would like to see other young women file for office in Montana – and try their hand at running the state in Helena.

“Big business has their lobbyists there in (Helena) on a daily basis,” Reinhart said. “Citizens need to do the same. They need representatives who will stand up for the people and their concerns. It is a busy and difficult time in our lives – but it is a critical time for women to have representation.”

Michele Reinhart can be reached at michelereinhart@gmail.com. She is running as a Democrat for House District 97.

[End of article]

Way to go Michele! I love it. We need more women like you in Montana.

Courageous. Good luck.

Door to door is important and hard.

Having your phone number on the flyer for people to call you back if they want is a good alternative if they are not there or busy at the time (this might add up to probably 70%+ of the people?). I have wondered if it might lead to more good conversations to flyer drop or mail a day or two in advance of walking the neighborhood (especially areas most likely to support you based on past district voting patterns for similar candidates by the issues or gener).

mail out and request people interested in talking one on one to phone in and leave a number you can return their call or give a time they will be home is an option for ground you cant reach on foot (areas where your level of support might be more diffuse).

Hope you figure out the best way for you to be efficient and effective with your time on this part of the campaign.

gener in last post should be "gender"

mail option in second paragragh would be option for ground you "cant completely" cover on foot going to all doors or all doors of likely voters estimated by past voting records

you may well already know all this, in which case pardon my repetition; perhaps someone else will see it and gain a sense that wise targeting / time management is part of successful campaigning. if you are going to work yourself to the bone, at least get the most out of it and get the comfort, confidence of doing it well and maybe allow yourself a few moments rest as a reward for being smart/efficient.

If you have well respected and liked supporters you can ask them to help cover ground door to door in their immediate neighborhood as long as they are tactful, sharing news of their support for you and only softselling and gathering information about their neighbor's views.
The candidate can come by to make second pitch to the undecided but perceived to be winnables and can make second visits to the favorable to try to motivate contributions, joining the campaign or at least informal netwroking with friends. or visit late in the cycle to try to increase certainity they are going to the polls. and so on.

MIchele,
Go, Fight and Win!!!!!!!

The bald head reference has humor and colorful story attraction value but can be seen as a sexist put down too despite the quick claim not to mean any harm by it. The Utah writer of "Where my girls at?" objected to being called a "fat ass" by folks who thought different than her; calling male legislators "bald heads" perhaps carries some of the same unnecessary gender slapping stuff. But as a bald head, I'll note my objection and then make a quick claim to being willing to let it go. That works right?

I am not ultra PC just noting that stereotyping and jabs go both ways.

Thanks for your insightful comments, JW. Ms. Reinhart was brave enough to share an honest story with me, about the exact moment she realized how few women were represented in the state Legislature. After some thought, I decided to pass it along to readers, not to be offensive or sexist but truthful. If I offended any men, I take the full blame.

I am fine with it. It is a solid story and she sounds like a good candidate. I pointed the small quibble out after several posts supporting the cause merely as a reminder that we all have work to do seeing and hearing individuals and working at better relations between the sexes. The representative imbalance is the bigger issue and I support activism to address it and recruitment and personal courage are necessary to do that and it is good New West is giving voice to that. Rallying women to the cause maybe men get stereotyped or jabbed some along the way to shake the pattern of deference or reticience or merely caution in the faced of obstacles and uneven treatment (if so, it is only a small cost as long as it doesnt become a habit, a hardened perspective) but there is plenty to call us in general on. But in the end we should work together for all of us.

I am somewhat remorseful for raising it but I would not recommend repeating the story exactly the same way and maybe this will serve as an alert to adjust or be prepared to defuse it if it comes up.

(If the moderator wishes to remove the comments in this case I am quite willing to support that.)

One more, since I am already in this deep, to provide greater context. On this very day I saw an article that a conservative press released a book intended to harm Hillary Clinton's presidential aspirations (raised in the Utah woman in politics story) by using her own words against her. She is more cautious now especially in public but some damage was done before that probably can't be reversed.

Another very experienced woman politician showed unawareness of potential damage in this particular vein when as a joke (or to stoke the fires of female power with the women in the audience)to open a speech on TV in her run for Governor, she told a joke about how her husband got her lost on a hike as their first date. It got a laugh but it might not have been a wise choice and so I shared that with her campaign. After expecting to win the race handily she barely hung on. I dont think many people were bothered by that particular incident but it showed some lack of awarness of presenting an image that could be seen unfavorably by some swing (in this case male) voters.

I dont really care that strongly about the words used. And men shoudnt be immune to tweaks and real criticism. But I care much much more about the potential that it might unwittingly and unnecessarily cost votes in a subltle background but important way for progressive politicians capable of doing good. I have seen a number of female candidates lose where this was a significant factor. Not fair maybe but real I think.

Perhaps an overdrawn case but an attempt to be helpful, take it for what it is worth to you.

But your mentors can offer you more advice from their direct experience if you wish and I'll stop there.

Congrats Michelle! Apparently a lot's changed since we talked at Mansfield-Metcalf. I'm really happy you chose to file. Let me know if you need anything.

Dana -- thanks for a thoughtful article. JW - thanks for the tips. JG, Kate, and Nick D -- thanks for the encouragement!