Melissa Smith (Montana candidate for state House District 23)

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

Melissa Smith

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Personal

Birthplace

Denver, Colo.

Religion

Protestant

Profession

Administrator

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

This article is about Melissa Smith, a 2022 candidate for District 23 in the Montana House of Representatives. For people with a similar name, see Melissa Smith.

Melissa Smith (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Montana House of Representatives to represent District 23. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Biography

Melissa Smith was born in Denver, Colorado. She pursued her undergraduate education at the University of Montana. Smith's career experience includes working as an administrator for the Lewistown Art Center, the development director and grant writer for a classical music organization, a small business owner, and a professional pianist and educator.

Elections

2022

See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Montana House of Representatives District 23

Incumbent Scot Kerns defeated Melissa Smith in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 23 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scot Kerns (R)	54.6	1,572
		Melissa Smith (D)	45.4	1,306

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,878
= 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 23

Melissa Smith defeated Brad Hamlett in the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 23 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melissa Smith	51.5	319
		Brad Hamlett	48.5	300

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 619
= 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 23

Incumbent Scot Kerns advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 23 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scot Kerns	100.0	843

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 843
= 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.

2020

See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Montana House of Representatives District 20

Incumbent Fred Anderson defeated Melissa Smith in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 20 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Fred Anderson (R)	67.7	4,357
		Melissa Smith (D)	32.3	2,078

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,435
= 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 20

Melissa Smith advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 20 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melissa Smith	100.0	1,392

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,392
= 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 20

Incumbent Fred Anderson advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 20 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Fred Anderson	100.0	2,343

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,343
= 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

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Melissa Smith did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Melissa Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith'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'm Melissa Smith, and I'm a fourth generation Montanan, a professional pianist and teacher, currently working in Great Falls. I was raised in Havre, with my summers spent with my grandparents in the Flathead valley. I received a first-class education here, from Kindergarten to my BA from the University of Montana. Even though I have lived elsewhere, I never really left Montana, where my family and deep roots were. I have a summer family business with my sister, who lives in Belgrade. In 2018, my mother turned 88, and needed more help, closer by, so husband David and I relocated to Great Falls.

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?

• Conservation and preservation of public lands
• Quality education from Pre-Kindergarten to Graduate Level
• Public Safety

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a Conservationist, I've long been a passionate advocate for clean air, clean water, and the preservation of our public lands and national parks. I'm a member of Great Falls-based Citizens for Clean Energy, and had the great honor of presenting an energy conservation resolution (Resolution 10333) at the February 2020 meeting of the Great Falls City Commissioners. We are still working to pass this Resolution, which has been placed on hold by the Commission during the Coronavirus emergency. I will advocate for the creation of more jobs for Montanans through the development of clean energy technologies throughout the state. We have everything we need here to be a national leader in clean energy: water, sun, and wind - combined with Montana ingenuity. I will fight to maintain access to our public lands. Once, in California, a Montanan told me the difference between California and Montana lay in the fences: in Montana, fences are for keeping animals in, whereas in California, they are for keeping people out! That hit home for me; as a consumer of Montana's natural beauty, I knew well that I was extremely privileged to be able to explore that beauty with very few restrictions. In addition, Montana's economy depends in part on clear access to our public lands for tourism, hunting and recreation.

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

"Cadillac Desert" by Marc Reisner

"Liar's Poker" by Michael Lewis
"Empire of Shadows: the Epic Story of Yellowstone" by George Black
"Dark Money" by Jane Meyer

"Exposure" by Rob Bilott

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

Ethical, compassionate, and measured responses to the critical issues our constituents face in their daily lives.

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

To ethically and morally represent the constituents of their district, city, county and state to the absolute best of their ability.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The moon landing in July of 1969. I was 7 years old. My father had worked for Martin Marietta in Denver, Colorado on rocket fuel calculations. We did not have a television in our house (my father thought it would not be compatible with intellectual pursuits). In order to see the moon landing, he borrowed a TV from somewhere and hooked it up with rabbit ears. I might have been more fascinated with the novelty of a TV in our house than the moon landing. Space exploration has remained a passion, nonetheless.

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

My very first job, at age 10, was to accompany the children's choir for the Van Orsdel United Methodist Church in Havre, Montana. I was paid $10. I have been an organist, choir accompanist, worship song leader, and pianist for churches ever since. I have played for almost every denomination of Christianity. I'm currently employed as the worship pianist for Faith Lutheran Church and the Church of the Incarnation in Great Falls, Montana.

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

I think it is valuable for state legislators to have had experience working to solve problems in their communities before running for office. I believe a strong civics background is important, but that you don't necessarily have to be a lawyer. I've worked on campaigns for candidates for many years: fundraising, canvassing (phone and door-knocking), social media presence, data entry, stuffing envelopes and even making coffee. Working on those campaigns has prepared me for what it will require from me to run an effective campaign.

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

Climate change. The changes to our landscape due to warming temperatures is already very apparent. The growing season is shorter, the weather events more extreme, the wildfire season longer and deadlier, and the snowpack in the Rocky Mountains decreasing. The transition from fossil fuels to clean energy will be difficult for Montanans. Montana is a resource state and there has been a great deal of investment in maintaining fossil fuel extraction, even though it has often devastated communities. There is resistance to developing clean energy, although it is also a resource which Montana has in abundance. Wind and solar power generation is possible here, as are innovative battery storage systems using our water resources. We have lacked the political will to perceive clean energy or even energy conservation as a win for our state. Climate deniers have a big megaphone, and they use it.

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

The governor should work in a bipartisan way with the legislature, to pass legistaltion that works in the best interests of all Montanans. We must stop being governed by ideology. Montanans have resisted this practice to some degree, by trying to have partisan balance between the legislature and the governor's office. This has become increasingly difficult to maintain as parties have doubled down on ideological constructs. The saddest part of this strategy is that the average Montanan is the loser. The government is not working for us, but for special interests who are often not Montanans, but out of state.

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

Absolutely. I believe strongly in working across the aisle. For too long, party politics and power-seeking have clouded the legislative process. "Compromise" has become a dirty word and a hated concept. In reality, though, there are really very few situations in simple black and white. Solutions require give and take.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Education, Energy, Telecommuncation, and Federal Relations

Ethics
Natural Resources

Transportation

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Pat Williams

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

Public Service Commission

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

2022 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Montana House of Representatives District 23

Instagram

YouTube

Facebook

Twitter

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)