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Reilly Neill

Reilly Neill
Member of the Montana House of Representatives
from the 62nd district
In office
January 7, 2013 – January 5, 2015
Preceded byDan Skattum
Succeeded byTom Woods
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic Party

Reilly Neill is an American politician from Montana. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first candidate to file for governor of Montana in the 2020 Montana gubernatorial election.[1] Neill served in the Montana House of Representatives for one term, from 2013 to 2015.

She defeated Dan Skattum in the 2012 elections but lost her re-election bid to Republican Debra Lamm in 2014.

Career

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Neill served briefly as the interim executive director of the Park County Environmental Council in Livingston, Montana in 2015.[2] Neill founded and published Livingston Current, a weekly newspaper that covered the arts, entertainment, and culture of Park County, Montana.[3] from 2003 until 2012. She also published The Montana Press, a statewide arts and entertainment journal, from 2019 until 2021, which won numerous Society of Professional Journalism awards.

Montana House of Representatives

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In 2012, Neill defeated Republican Dan Skattum for the state House District 62.[3][4] While in office, she was a member of the Business and Labor Committee and Transportation Committee.[5] She was active in climate change issues, succeeded in the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to consider climate variability and climate change as a number two priority when developing the state's 2014 20-year water plan and introducing legislation to study the effects of climate change on Montana's agricultural sector.[6][7]

Post-legislative life

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Neill published a book about her experience serving in the Montana State Capitol in Helena, “On the Floor: Tales from the Montana House.”

In June 2019, Neill filed paperwork for a 2020 bid for the Montana Governor's seat.[8][9] She ended her campaign in January 2020.[10]

Neill facilitated and organized numerous events for the Montana March for Reproductive Rights across the state and online both before and after the Dobbs decision. She continues to administer this non-profit group.[11][12]

In 2024, Neill ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana's 2nd congressional district as a write-in candidate.[13] After the election, she announced her candidacy in 2026 U.S. Senate election.[14]

Publication(s)

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Political positions

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Neill, a Democrat, describes herself as a moderate Democrat and open-minded candidate with political philosophies and interests spanning traditional partisan lines.[3]

Personal life

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Neill lives in Livingston, Montana. She has a 15-year-old son, Caen Klipp.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "First Democrat Announces Bid For Montana Governor". Montana Public Radio. June 11, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  2. ^ "PCEC aims to make sense of railroad cleanup information". The Livingston Enterprise. June 26, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Newspaper owner runs for Legislature". The Livingston Enterprise. October 9, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "Democrat Reilly Neill unseats Republican Dan Skattum". The Livingston Enterprise. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "- Montana State Legislature". uat.leg.mt.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Boyce, Dan (January 8, 2014). "What a new water plan could mean for state climate policy". www.mtpr.org. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  7. ^ "Montana HJ28 | TrackBill". trackbill.com. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  8. ^ "Former Democratic legislator to run for Montana governor". Helena Independent Record. Associated Press. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  9. ^ "Former Democratic legislator to run for Montana governor". The Missoulian. Associated Press. June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  10. ^ Phil Drake, Great Falls Tribune. "Democrat Reilly Neill drops from Montana governor's race". Greatfallstribune.com. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  11. ^ "More than a thousand march on Montana Capitol opposing Roe v. Wade overturn". KTVH. June 26, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  12. ^ "Three extreme bills restricting abortion signed by Montana governor". The Independent. April 27, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  13. ^ https://www.livingstonenterprise.com/news/park-county-resident-runs-for-u-s-senate/article_ab8f7c38-a65f-11ef-be7b-4fff72cbb547.html
  14. ^ "Park County resident runs for U.S. Senate". The Livingston Enterprise. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
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