Jennifer Allen (Montana)

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

Jennifer Allen

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Colorado, 1977

Graduate

Eastern Washington University, 1989

Personal

Birthplace

New Jersey

Religion

Atheist

Profession

Mental health professional

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Jennifer Allen (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Montana House of Representatives to represent District 11. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Biography

Jennifer Allen was born in New Jersey. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado in 1977 and a graduate degree from Eastern Washington University in 1989. Her career experience includes teaching middle school abroad, working as a case manager in legal offices, and as a mental health professional.

Elections

2024

See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Montana House of Representatives District 11

Ed Byrne defeated Jennifer Allen in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 11 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ed Byrne (R)	75.8	5,214
		Jennifer Allen (D)	24.2	1,665

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,879
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 11

Jennifer Allen advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 11 on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Allen	100.0	644

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 644
= 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 House of Representatives District 11

Ed Byrne defeated Rob Tracy in the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 11 on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ed Byrne	63.0	1,650
	Submit photo	Rob Tracy	37.0	970

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,620
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Allen in this election.

2020

See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Montana House of Representatives District 10

Incumbent Mark Noland defeated Jennifer Allen in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 10 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Noland (R)	71.1	5,371
		Jennifer Allen (D)	28.9	2,178

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,549
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 10

Jennifer Allen advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 10 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Allen	100.0	1,082

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,082
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 10

Incumbent Mark Noland defeated Doug Mahlum in the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 10 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Noland	55.9	1,814
		Doug Mahlum	44.1	1,432

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,246
= 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.

2018

See also: Montana State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Montana State Senate District 5

Incumbent Bob Keenan won election in the general election for Montana State Senate District 5 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bob Keenan (R)	100.0	8,048

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,048
= 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

• Jennifer Allen (D)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 5

Jennifer Allen advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 5 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Allen	100.0	1,296

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,296
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 5

Incumbent Bob Keenan advanced from the Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 5 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bob Keenan	100.0	4,015

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 4,015
= 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.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jennifer Allen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Allen's 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 grew up in Philadelphia, in a Quaker family, but became a Westerner by 10th grade. I graduated from the University of Colorado, summa cum laude, with a BA in Psychology and with a husband,Mark, that I met in calculus class. We moved to Montana in order to live in the most beautiful state, filled with the camping, hiking, and fishing that we loved. After working in the trenches of human services for ten years and having two children, I went back to school and graduated with a Master's in Social Work. I have always worked, and spent my career serving others in the mental health and social work fields in non profit organizations. For the last ten years of my working life, I slid towards a calmer retirement by working as a case manager/informal paralegal in several legal offices. I have always been progressive in my thinking. Since I don't believe it is fair to grouch and not be willing to do the work, I have chosen to run for office three times now, although it's tough for a Democratic to win in our Valley. I had to withdraw from the first race, as my husband of 45 years relapsed with cancer and passed away five years ago. I quilt, garden, jog, play piano and read voraciously. And try to make the world a better place for those who will follow me. I have hit 70 this year, so I am excited to see so many younger candidates running in our area!

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?

• I believe the most important skills to make change are the belief that the world can be better and the willingness to work hard to make it happen.
• I have worked directly with the poorest and most vulnerable of our community members, often at their darkest hours. This has led to my strong dedication to the causes of social justice and democracy.
• I want to work for our future generations.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about defending reproductive freedom, addressing gun violence and rebuilding successful mental health services in Montana. As a woman who grew up before Roe v Wade, I am angry that we have to have women die again before we get these rights back in our own hands. As a mental health crisis worker, I saw the human costs of the failures of inadequate mental health services and gun violence. I have literally hugged gun violence survivors and cried together with them. You simply don't forget and shouldn't.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Gandhi. Not because he was he was perfect because he most certainly was not, but because he was creative, determined, non-violent and hard working. He was brave enough to be different in his actions from everyone else at the time and in the midst of literally violent attacks.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Utopia for Realists - How we can build the Ideal World by Rutger Bergman.

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

Honesty, integrity, a strong work ethic, empathy with others needs, a willingness to make decisions based on science and data over your own ideology, an ability to make decisions even when you don't have enough information as you want, wanting to listen but able to stand up for yourself and say what you mean directly.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

A sense of humor. Sometimes all you can do is laugh, and then pick up the burden again. And sometimes laughter can get us all to calm problem solving.

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

In Montana, state legislators are NOT professional politicians, but rather part time citizen law makers. That means we must be willing to use our areas of expertise but know when we don't know enough. We must seek out experts and listen to them, study and learn. Attending the Montana State Legislature has been described as 'trying to drink out of a firehose'. So I think you have to be bright and a fast reader! In the 70's, our Montana residents chose a delightful and liberal Constitution (because lots of old hippies lived here). Our core responsibility is to keep our state and state residents healthy and growing safely and beautifully into the future.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked as a tourist guide in a southern historical park for the summer before 9th grade. I made $2.50 a day, and spent $1.25 every day on a fantastic southern lunch. I still love fried okra.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. It has a female protagonist that actually learns, grows and is a hero (with a fun fantasy plot).

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I would like the Governor to be one of the checks and balances on the Legislature, but also a negotiator that can help the Legislature focus on the most valuable work for the State and gain consensus.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Climate change. We are an agricultural and tourist based state. Climate change is already hugely impacting these systems, which will also impact our revenue streams to use to make change. We have forests which burn and we need water which is unpredictable for the future. The rural aspect of Montana makes public transportation and infrastructure changes to meet this challenge difficult. We need to end our dependence on fossil fuel energy. Montana has great resources to make this happen, but a Republican majority in Montana is not even convinced yet that climate change is real.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. Even though I don't have it myself, I respect institutional knowledge when it comes to getting things done. I do have experience as an expert witness and policy builder for state government for another state, but not direct governmental experience. In my current race there is not an incumbent and none of the candidates have prior experience, so it's kind of moot for me this time.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely. One thing about being a minority (as a Democrat, a woman, etc) is you value your allies. At the same time, it is vital that you know where your boundaries are and what you can't, won't, or shouldn't bend on. Consensus is great, but being squished out is not.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No. Too old. But if elected I will want to run again as an incumbent.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Before Montana had expanded Medicaid, I was helping a middle aged man who was a small independent Montana logger. He sat at my desk and said he had trouble believing that he would die. But he couldn't afford health insurance and he was ill with prostate cancer, so he did.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

None yet - too early in the cycle for Montana. In the campaigns I have been endorsed by Bold Progressives, Montana Progressive Democrats, Montana AFL-CIO, Montana Federation of Public Employees, and Carol's List (the Montana equivalent of Emily's List)

What committees interest you?

Well, I would love to work on committees that deal with mental health and social services (my expertise) and tax policy and natural resources (my interests), but in Montana, as a junior legislative you don't get to choose. Part of the fun, really, is getting to be involved with areas that are new to you, depending on how you get assigned.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Montana has one of the most transparent processes for financial reporting, limits on private and PAC donations, and a Commission of Political Practices. The detail work is mind-numbing to do as a candidate and I ABSOLUTELY support it.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process. We have just finished watching our state attorney try to sabotage a budding initiative to protect abortion rights in our Constitution.

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.

2020

Jennifer Allen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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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Jennifer Allen campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Montana House of Representatives District 11	Lost general	$19,395	$0
2020	Montana House of Representatives District 10	Lost general	$12,507	N/A**
2018	Montana State Senate District 5	Withdrew general	$6,291	N/A**
Grand total			$38,193	N/A**
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
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

2024 Elections

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Government

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

Montana House of Representatives District 11

Website

Facebook

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Montana House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Brandon Ler

Majority Leader:Steve Fitzpatrick

Minority Leader:Katie Sullivan

Representatives

District 1

Neil Duram (R)

District 2

Tom Millett (R)

District 3

Debo Powers (D)

District 4

Lyn Bennett (R)

District 5

Braxton Mitchell (R)

District 6

Amy Regier (R)

District 7

Courtenay Sprunger (R)

District 8

Lukas Schubert (R)

District 9

Steven Kelly (R)

District 10

Terry Falk (R)

District 11

Ed Byrne (R)

District 12

Tracy Sharp (R)

District 13

Linda Reksten (R)

District 14

Paul Fielder (R)

District 15

Thedis Crowe (D)

District 16

Tyson Running Wolf (D)

District 17

Zachary Wirth (R)

District 18

Llew Jones (R)

District 19

Jane Weber (D)

District 20

Melissa Nikolakakos (R)

District 21

Edward Buttrey (R)

District 22

George Nikolakakos (R)

District 23

Eric Tilleman (R)

District 24

Steve Fitzpatrick (R)

District 25

Steve Gist (R)

District 26

Russ Miner (R)

District 27

Paul Tuss (D)

District 28

Eric Albus (R)

District 29

Valerie Moore (R)

District 30

Morgan Thiel (R)

District 31

Frank Smith (D)

District 32

Mike Fox (D)

District 33

Brandon Ler (R)

District 34

Jerry Schillinger (R)

District 35

Gary Parry (R)

District 36

Greg Kmetz (R)

District 37

Shane Klakken (R)

District 38

Greg Oblander (R)

District 39

Kerri Seekins-Crowe (R)

District 40

Mike Vinton (R)

District 41

Jade Sooktis (D)

District 42

Sidney Fitzpatrick (D)

District 43

Larry Brewster (R)

District 44

Katie Zolnikov (R)

District 45

Denise Baum (D)

District 46

Denise Joy (D)

District 47

James Reavis (D)

District 48

Curtis Schomer (R)

District 49

Sherry Essmann (R)

District 50

Anthony Nicastro (R)

District 51

Jodee Etchart (R)

District 52

Bill Mercer (R)

District 53

Nelly Nicol (R)

District 54

Lee Deming (R)

District 55

Brad Barker (R)

District 56

Fiona Nave (R)

District 57

Scott Rosenzweig (D)

District 58

Jamie Isaly (D)

District 59

Ed Stafman (D)

District 60

Alanah Griffith (D)

District 61

Becky Edwards (D)

District 62

Josh Seckinger (D)

District 63

Peter Strand (D)

District 64

Kelly Kortum (D)

District 65

Brian Close (D)

District 66

Eric Matthews (D)

District 67

Jedediah Hinkle (R)

District 68

Caleb Hinkle (R)

District 69

Kenneth Walsh (R)

District 70

Shannon Maness (R)

District 71

Scott DeMarois (D)

District 72

Donavon Hawk (D)

District 73

Jennifer Lynch (D)

District 74

Marc Lee (D)

District 75

Mark Reinschmidt (R)

District 76

John Fitzpatrick (R)

District 77

Jane Gillette (R)

District 78

Randyn Gregg (R)

District 79

Luke Muszkiewicz (D)

District 80

Melissa Romano (D)

District 81

Mary Caferro (D)

District 82

Pete Elverum (D)

District 83

Jill Cohenour (D)

District 84

Julie Darling (R)

District 85

Kathy Love (R)

District 86

David Bedey (R)

District 87

Terry Nelson (R)

District 88

Greg Overstreet (R)

District 89

Mark Thane (D)

District 90

Curtis Cochran (R)

District 91

Shelly Fyant (D)

District 92

Connie Keogh (D)

District 93

Katie Sullivan (D)

District 94

Marilyn Marler (D)

District 95

Zooey Zephyr (D)

District 96

Bob Carter (D)

District 97

Melody Cunningham (D)

District 98

Jonathan Karlen (D)

District 99

Tom France (D)

District 100

SJ Howell (D)

Republican Party (58)

Democratic Party (42)