Loni Conley
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Loni Conley (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Montana House of Representatives to represent District 96. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Conley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Loni Conley was born in Miles City, Montana. She obtained a bachelor's degree from Western Washington University in 2004 and a second bachelor's degree from Montana State University in 2011. Her professional experience includes working as a registered nurse (R.N.), as an assistant director, and as a compliance officer. She is involved with the Montana Nurses Association, the Montana Federation of Public Employees, Carol's List, 4-H, the FFA, and Scouts.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Montana House of Representatives District 96
Kathy Whitman defeated Loni Conley in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 96 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kathy Whitman (R) | 51.3 | 3,709 |
 | Loni Conley (D)  | 48.7 | 3,519 | |
| Total votes: 7,228 | |||
| = 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 96
Loni Conley defeated Dakota Hileman in the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 96 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Loni Conley | 56.8 | 1,038 |
 | Dakota Hileman | 43.2 | 791 | |
| Total votes: 1,829 | |||
| = 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 96
Kathy Whitman advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 96 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kathy Whitman | 100.0 | 1,617 |
| Total votes: 1,617 | |||
| = 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
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Loni Conley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Conley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am Nurse and single mom. I grew up in House District 96 of Missoula and live here now. I believe the way to campaign is getting to know my neighbors better and being involved in my community. In addition to my baccalaureate in Nursing from MSU, I also have a BA in Psychology. I have worked acute care, healthcare administration and mental health. I know the payers and players of healthcare and the strategies to get things done.
- Fighting for Quality Affordable Healthcare options for Montanans
- Continued access to public lands
- Supporting public education
I am passionate about finding a way to make health insurance liberated from employment circumstances. Changing jobs shouldn't mean changing benefit plans, providers, and pharmacies. In healthcare we value continuity of care, however, under current payment structures care is disjointed and interrupted.
I look up to Senator Elizabeth Warren. Her books are a crash course in politics, economics and history. Every topic is interwoven with stories of real Americans. She was also a single mother who worked hard to advocate for others. Senator Warren gets fired up and passionate about what she values.
I would recommend the book "This Fight is Our Fight" by Elizabeth Warren. I would also recommend all books by Atul Gawande as he investigates the intricacy of healthcare systems and modern medicine.
"Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss, the audio version is great!
"Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss, the audio version is great!
A core principle for someone in elected office is to make sure they truly are representing the needs of their community. This means not being bought by lobbyists or voting for what's popular but may not be in the best interest of the people.
I use critical thinking in every aspect of life. Critical thinking with my patients means I am looking at them and interacting with them while taking into account their lab values, medications, and history. A holistic picture of a patient helps achieve best outcomes. All body systems work in correlation with one another. For example a deficit in the pulmonary system can put extra strain not the cardiac system. This is the perspective I will take with me into legislature. I will look at all aspects of an issues, listen to all parties involved and make informed benefit versus risk decisions. The branches of state government need to rely heavily on each other, bipartisan leadership will be necessary for systems to flourish and hearing from voters will give contextual insight to issues.
The core responsibility of an elected official is to show leadership values. I have spent years reading books, attending seminars and practicing leadership skills. I was a graduate of Leadership Missoula High School. My children are in 4-H, FFA and Scouts where leadership and community stewardship values are taught.
The legacy I want to leave is having raised my children to know the value others and showing stewardship for their community.
I remember being in the music room at Hellgate elementary. We all stared at the wheeled in tv screen in anticipation of the Space Shuttle Challenger launch. The next few minutes where shock, confusion and deep sadness.
My first job was as a nanny during summer breaks and after school, I did that all through high school. After my first child was born, I opened a successful infant only childcare. That business utilized my Pysch degree focused child and family development and taught me a lot of business administration. I have been a nurse for 9 years. I have always felt like a nurse, it's my calling.
Educated by Tara Westover, because I can relate to her character and admire how she was true to herself despite intense opposition.
"Wild Hearts Can't be Broken" by Pink
I have struggled with anxiety and depression ever since I can remember. This is why mental health nursing is my favorite. No one ever asks for mental illness, but everyone deserves holistic healthcare that includes mental health resources. It confuses people sometimes as to how I became a single mother of two children. I was married for 17yrs, the last 12 of which were extremely controlling, mentally and spiritually abusive. I had to fight like hell, but I made it out. It has taken much therapy to regain a sense of who I am, work through life long depression and manage anxiety. I want people to know there are always resources. I want others to have access to safe houses, therapists, affordable medications, family assistance, and a way to feed their children.
I don't believe it's beneficial for every state legislator to have previous experience in politics. We need younger generations and working class Montanans in politics alongside seasoned veterans. As a nurse, I love teaching each new batch of young nurses. In turn they help keep me up to speed on evidence based practice and the newest medical research.
Montana is a state with many rural and underserved communities. I think our greatest challenge will be providing affordable healthcare and mental health resources to those areas along with our urban populations.
Absolutely! I have been having a great time getting know community leaders and other legislators or candidates. Everyone brings valuable experience and insight to the table. Collaboration is the only way we can make true progress.
I would like to be on the Appropriations committee. Budgets and numbers fascinate me and determining the best use of limited resources is something I have become skilled at as a single parent. I have managed large healthcare budgets, FTE's and had my own S-Corp.
I prefer state and local politics.
I am currently working with a local mobile home park to ensure the terms of their lot leases are upheld. This includes safe roads and emergency access points, safe drinking water and septic systems brought up to code. Many residents fear asking for these basic terms of their agreements will cause their lot rents to increase drastically or their park to be sold, forcing them to relocate. This is one example of affordable housing we need to maintain and protect. Watching these tenants form a union and collaborate with each other is truly rewarding.
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
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 23, 2020
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
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
District 17
Zachary Wirth (R)
District 18
Llew Jones (R)
District 19
Jane Weber (D)
District 20
District 21
Edward Buttrey (R)
District 22
District 23
Eric Tilleman (R)
District 24
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
District 35
Gary Parry (R)
District 36
Greg Kmetz (R)
District 37
Shane Klakken (R)
District 38
Greg Oblander (R)
District 39
District 40
Mike Vinton (R)
District 41
Jade Sooktis (D)
District 42
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
Vacant
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
District 98
Jonathan Karlen (D)
District 99
Tom France (D)
District 100
SJ Howell (D)
Republican Party (58)
Democratic Party (41)
Vacancies (1)
