Kristen Jordan (Missoula City Council Ward 6, Montana, candidate 2025)
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Kristen Jordan is running for re-election to the Missoula City Council Ward 6 in Montana. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Jordan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Kristen Jordan provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 4, 2025:
- Birth place: Medford, Oregon
- High school: Grants Pass High School in southern Oregon
- Bachelor's: The Evergreen State College, 1999
- Graduate: University of Montana, 2020
- Gender: Female
- Religion: Agnostic
- Profession: Analyst
- Prior offices held:
- Missoula City Councilor - Ward 6 Representative (2022-Prsnt)
- Incumbent officeholder: Yes
- Campaign slogan: Real Representation. A Missoula That Works for Everyone.
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
- Campaign Instagram
Elections
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Missoula City Council Ward 6
Incumbent Kristen Jordan and Chris Foster are running in the general election for Missoula City Council Ward 6 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
Kristen Jordan (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Chris Foster (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Jordan received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kristen Jordan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Jordan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Throughout my career, I have built programs and departments from the ground up, managed large-scale grants, and worked across agencies and community partners to deliver solutions to complex problems. From leading initiatives in public safety and crisis response to advancing conservation and infrastructure projects, my experience demonstrates strong leadership, fiscal oversight, and a collaborative approach to building durable systems that serve people.
I hold a B.S. in Environmental Biology from The Evergreen State College and an MPA from the University of Montana. As a Missoula resident and homeowner in Ward 6, I care deeply about conservation, government accountability, and making sure Missoula remains affordable for working families, retirees, and renters alike.- Fighting for Transparency and Accountability: I believe every dollar of taxpayer money should be spent responsibly. That’s why I’ve consistently pushed for greater budget transparency in priority based budgeting using program effectiveness metric, separate votes on large program specific budgets rather than one vote for an entire general fund, and open decision-making that puts constituents first. My focus is on honest government that represents the people, not special interests.
- Championing Affordable Housing and Equity: Missoula’s housing crisis is squeezing workers, retirees, and families, threatening the essence of our community. I’ve championed expanding the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, advanced zoning reforms for diverse housing, and protected renters through action against AI-driven price fixing and by supporting a renter’s right to counsel. I oppose criminalizing homelessness because the legal system cannot solve root causes. I’ve also fought for equitable infrastructure, especially in my ward as it lacks sidewalks, traffic calming, and parks, enjoyed by other wards using the general funds. I'll continue working to ensure every neighborhood has affordable housing and fair access to city investments.
- Standing Up for Working People and a Sustainable Future: I am committed to fair wages, worker protections, and opposing “race to the bottom” practices like right-to-work laws and payroll fraud. I proudly support apprenticeships and workforce development, and I celebrate my own daughter’s success in an apprenticeship program. At the same time, I strongly advocate for Missoula’s clean energy transition, pushing for investments that create good-paying, union jobs while safeguarding our environment for future generations.
What makes the office so important is its ability to translate those lived experiences into policy decisions that immediately shape the quality of life in our community. City Council decides how we plan our growth, where we invest in infrastructure, how we respond to homelessness, and how equitably we distribute resources across neighborhoods. These are not abstract debates; they are decisions that determine whether families can afford to stay in Missoula, whether seniors feel safe walking to the store, and whether our environment is protected for the next generation.
I connect with that example because I, too, have often faced pushback for not conforming to expectations of silence or deference in government spaces. My commitment is to remain approachable, transparent, and real, even when that draws criticism, because representation doesn’t mean going along to get along. It means being willing to ask hard questions, elevate community concerns, and push systems to be more accountable.
I also believe in access, not just access to me personally, but to the process itself. Public meetings should be open, transparent, and welcoming spaces where people feel their participation matters. My approach is to be genuine, approachable, and authentic, because I know that many people have lost trust in government. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I commit to listening, responding, and doing the work in full view of the public.
At the same time, I know that government must serve a greater purpose: to provide a social safety net for people using their tax dollars. That means prioritizing housing, infrastructure, and basic services in ways that protect working families, seniors, and our most vulnerable neighbors. It also means rejecting the idea that government should serve only the well-connected or wealthy.
Fiscal responsibility is also central to this role. I push for transparent, data-driven budgeting that prioritizes programs that work and eliminates inefficiencies. By using data, I’ve helped demonstrate both the necessity and cost savings of initiatives like Missoula’s mobile crisis team, which provides a compassionate and effective response to mental health crises; having gotten the original funding for this program to start. I apply that same approach to addressing homelessness: solutions must be both empathetic and effective, reflecting our shared values while serving the needs of both housed and unhoused community members.
Fifteen years later, I found myself back in that landscape, this time as part of a trail crew working in the blast zone at Mount St. Helens State Park. We camped in old-growth forest, right along a literal line where the blast had stopped. On one side, the trees stood tall and untouched; on the other, the land had been stripped bare. It was sobering to work in a place where lives had been lost, and at the same time, profoundly moving to see resilience right at the edge of devastation.
The second theme is Frankl’s realization that, while the Nazis could control his physical environment, they could not control his inner life. His ability to maintain agency over his own thoughts became a source of strength and resilience. That idea, that our mental environment is our own, even under the harshest conditions, has deeply shaped how I approach challenges.
Like Katniss, I didn’t step into leadership because it was the easy path or because I had privilege on my side, I did it out of a deep sense of duty to represent and protect my community. Katniss is known for refusing to play by the rules of a system designed to silence and control her, and instead choosing to stand firm in her authenticity. I connect with that because, in my own role on Missoula’s City Council, I have often faced pressure to “sit down and be quiet.” But I believe real representation requires the opposite: speaking up, asking hard questions, and pushing systems to be more accountable and fair.
At the same time, I see myself in Leslie Knope. While she is written as a comedic character, her tireless dedication to community, infrastructure, equity, and the nuts-and-bolts of local government mirrors my own priorities. She is approachable and optimistic, yet deeply serious about making her city better for everyone. I strive to bring that same mix of energy, professionalism, and humanity to my service.
One of my biggest struggles in public life has been navigating systems that too often reward silence and compliance over authenticity and accountability. When I raise hard questions or push for greater transparency, I have sometimes faced resistance—not just from institutions, but from colleagues who are more comfortable with business-as-usual politics. It can be difficult to stand firm in the face of criticism, but I believe representation requires it. My struggle has been learning to balance that tension: being approachable and collaborative while also refusing to back down when the public’s trust, equity, or safety is at stake.
Personal Perspective:
Fiscal responsibility is a central duty. Councilors adopt the city’s annual budget, oversee expenditures, and review capital projects to make sure tax dollars provide equitable services and a reliable social safety net. So, if “it’s” important to staff and most of the councilors, “it” will get funded.
The Charter grants councilors unique organizational authority: they can create, reorganize, or abolish city departments and confirm certain mayoral appointments to boards and commissions, providing important checks and balances.
Councilors also make land use and planning decisions, such as zoning, annexations, and growth policies, that shape Missoula’s future and protect its environment. Just as importantly, they represent their wards by bringing constituent concerns about sidewalks, housing affordability, or safety directly to the council floor. Neighborhood Councils and the Community Forum, also established by the Charter, provide formal avenues for grassroots input.
Too often, councils across the country are dominated by individuals who have the time and privilege to serve, rather than those who understand firsthand the challenges of making rent, working multiple jobs, or navigating systems that aren’t built for everyone. Missoula deserves a council that mirrors the diversity of its community, not just a narrow slice of it.
While experience can provide useful skills, it should never be a barrier to participation. Our city is strengthened when people with fresh perspectives step forward; when leaders are driven by the realities of everyday life, not by resumes or titles. What matters most is authenticity, accessibility, and a willingness to bring the concerns of constituents directly to the council floor.
That said, certain skills and experiences strengthen the role. A solid understanding of budgeting and fiscal responsibility is critical, because councilors are entrusted with allocating tax dollars in ways that fund essential services and build the social safety net residents depend on. Strong communication and facilitation skills are equally important, since councilors must bridge diverse perspectives and make public meetings welcoming and transparent.
Councilors also benefit from problem-solving and critical thinking skills that allow them to weigh complex trade-offs, evaluate data, and anticipate long-term impacts of decisions on housing, infrastructure, and climate resilience. Just as valuable are lived experiences, being a renter, a working parent, a low-income homeowner, or someone navigating local systems, because these perspectives connect government to the realities people face every day.
What makes this office so important is its ability to turn resident concerns into concrete action. When constituents raise issues with me, I can bring them directly to the council floor, as I did with my resolution addressing AI-driven rent-setting software. Council decisions also shape how Missoula grows through zoning, budget allocations, and long-term planning for housing, climate resilience, and transportation. These choices define the character and livability of our city.
The City Charter also gives councilors distinct responsibilities, including adopting the annual budget, confirming appointments, and establishing Neighborhood Councils and the Community Forum, formal structures that ensure residents have a voice in government. Few other elected offices provide such a direct connection between constituents and policy.
Will and Clint Whittle-Frazier – friends and constituents in Franklin to the Fort Neighborhood – Ward 6
Montana State Senator Jacinda Morigeau
Kate Wilburn – friend and constituent in Franklin to the Fort Neighborhood – Ward 6
Susan Mason – friend and constituent in Franklin to the Fort Neighborhood – Ward 6
Joseph Hudelson – friend and constituent of River Road Neighborhood – Ward 6
Rachel Pauli – friend and constituent of River Road Neighborhood – Ward 6
Ellie Caplis – friend and constituent of Franklin to the Fort Neighborhood – Ward 6
Stephen Ferguson LCSW, LAC – friend and constituent of Franklin to the Fort Neighborhood – Ward 6
That story deeply impacted me and reinforced what I already knew: we need the right response to meet people where they are. Law enforcement officers are not mental health professionals, and they shouldn’t be put in the position of having to treat a mental health emergency like a crime. It was stories like this that pushed me to work on establishing Missoula’s Mobile Support Team, so that when someone is in crisis, trained clinicians and EMTs, rather than armed officers, can respond with compassion, de-escalation, and care.
This initiative grew out of a strategic planning process I led in 2019, during my time managing the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, where I helped envision and push forward a more compassionate, clinically informed crisis response. By 2020, the Mobile Support Team was officially launched, representing a community-driven shift toward de-escalation, diversion from incarceration, and improved resources for mental health emergencies.
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.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
