Elena Evans

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Elena Evans

Independent

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Monona Grove High School

Bachelor's

Macalester College, 2007

Graduate

University of Montana, 2011

Personal

Profession

Geologist

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Elena Evans (independent) ran for election to the Montana Public Service Commission to represent District 4. She lost as a write-in in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Evans completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Elena Evans graduated from Monona Grove High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in geology from Macalester College in 2007 and a master's degree in geosciences from the University of Montana in 2011. Her career experience includes working as a geologist and as the executive director of the Montana Association of Conservation Districts.

Elections

2024

See also: Montana Public Service Commission election, 2024

General election

General election for Montana Public Service Commission District 4

Incumbent Jennifer Fielder defeated Elena Evans in the general election for Montana Public Service Commission District 4 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Fielder (R)	54.7	69,903
		Elena Evans (Independent) (Write-in)	45.3	57,897

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 127,800
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 4

Incumbent Jennifer Fielder advanced from the Republican primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 4 on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Fielder	100.0	31,855

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,855
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Al Dunlap (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Evans in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Elena Evans completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Evans' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m not a Democrat or Republican. I have the independence to do what’s right. I will defend Montana’s constitution and protect our public lands from being sold to corporate interests. We need an Independent voice who will reduce our power bills, hold special interests accountable, and bring transparency to the PSC. I’m a working mom with two kids, and I signed up for budget billing last year because my power bill is too high. As a lifelong public servant, I value professional conduct, honesty, and transparency. I’m a trained geologist, a water quality expert, and the former Director of the Montana Association of Conservation Districts. I know how to build a budget and stick to it. I always read the fine print.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• AFFORDABILITY: No family should ever have to choose between turning on the heat or buying a gallon of milk, but double-digit increases on our power bills are forcing families to make that choice. Everywhere I go, from Tarkio to Trout Creek, people want to spend more of their money on the things that matter most. Montanans are burdened with the 4th highest energy costs in the nation, and our PSC has to do a better job providing affordable power for all Montanans. My opponent Jennifer Fielder is one of the worst offenders. She is a profiteer for NorthWestern energy who voted against a $9.1 million rebate for ratepayers in 2021 after NorthWestern overcharged its customers during the pandemic.
• Affordability: NorthWestern also needs to do more to expand programs for low-income families. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Weatherization Assistance Program are both essential programs, run by the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, that help Montana families avoid impossible decisions between essential needs. I support the expansion of these important programs. But right now, these low-income families are not a priority for NorthWestern, whose CEO made $3 million last year. Participation by eligible families in the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program has declined by 25% over the last decade because NorthWestern Energy does not promote it effectively.
• TRANSPARENCY: Democracy is impossible without transparency and public participation. Right now, it’s clear that transparency and public participation are not priorities for the current Public Service Commission or NorthWestern Energy. Recently, our state legislature discovered that some members of our current Public Service Commission were making biased decisions in rate cases, that one commissioner had stolen another’s emails, and that other commissioners had sent out unauthorized press releases. Then, just last month, we learned that NorthWestern is refusing to disclose balance sheets to justify their request for another huge increase in our power bills.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm passionate about ensuring that the government works for the people. I want to serve the citizens of Montana by doing the job that is needed at the Public Service Commission. I can't afford someone in the job rubber stamping rate increases and neither can our economy.

I am committed to a transparent and responsive government that serves Montanans. I want to build a Montana where my kids don't move away and can build thriving lives right here.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The Public Service Commission sets the stage for the Montana economy and who is able to participate or who is having trouble making ends meet.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, transparency, and hard work

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

They need to weigh the needs of ratepayers to ensure that monopoly utilities provide services that are affordable, reliable, and sustainable.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to set the stage for Montana to be a leader in setting up their ratepayers for success and setting the stage for economic success across large and small communities in Montana.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Right now the stage is not set for affordable, reliable and sustainable service. The PSC has not been doing its job and we are behind in fulfilling the mission of this office.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The safety of our communities is also impacted by decisions that the PSC makes.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

It's more important that they are dedicated to the job and have the ability to work on complex rate cases.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I have an undergraduate and masters degree in Geology. I'm invested in putting in the work and learning all there is to this complex job.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

These are of the upmost importance and particularly important when monopoly utilities are not revealing who is participating on boards that help them in making decisions.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Elena Evans campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Montana Public Service Commission District 4	Lost general	$112,987	$0
Grand total			$112,987	$0
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Candidate

Montana Public Service Commission District 4

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