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Kathleen Gilluly
Kathleen Gilluly (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Montana State Senate to represent District 27. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Gilluly completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Kathleen Gilluly was born in Seattle, Washington. She served in the U.S. Army from 1989 to 1993. Her career experience includes working as a reporter and editor before retiring. She also worked at nonprofits.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Montana State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Montana State Senate District 27
Vince Ricci defeated Kathleen Gilluly in the general election for Montana State Senate District 27 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Vince Ricci (R) | 74.2 | 8,446 |
 | Kathleen Gilluly (D)  | 25.8 | 2,942 | |
| Total votes: 11,388 | |||
| = 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 State Senate District 27
Kathleen Gilluly advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 27 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kathleen Gilluly | 100.0 | 1,155 |
| Total votes: 1,155 | |||
| = 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 27
Vince Ricci defeated incumbent Chris Friedel in the Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 27 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Vince Ricci | 60.6 | 2,519 |
 | Chris Friedel | 39.4 | 1,640 | |
| Total votes: 4,159 | |||
| = 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 Gilluly in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kathleen Gilluly completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gilluly'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 running so that voters in my district can participate in Democracy. Without a choice, they can't. I vow to protect Montanans' right to privacy; especially regarding reproductive and identity care; to preserve and protect our environment; and to listen to the concerns of voters.
- While property taxes for homeowners have risen about 20%, industry has been given a pass. Overall, large industrial taxes have fallen. As an example, NWE, the state’s largest taxpayer, saw a decrease of 20%, paying $36 million less than the previous year. Reform of property evaluations need to be instituted, ensuring homeowners don’t don’t shoulder so much of the burden. To assist elderly and poor homeowners qualify for relief, I would support a system that automatically enrolls them based on their state income tax return or other proof of income.
- Medicaid is vital to the health of our populace, especially children and other vulnerable folks. I would vote to continue Medicaid expansion past 2025. The program not only sustains much of our rural economy, it creates and supports thousands of jobs, all while expanding Montana’s healthcare reach across the state and on Indian Reservations. Everyone benefits from a more comprehensive health delivery system. The best part is that the federal government contributes 90% of the funds for the program, infusing about $900 million into the state annually.
There are two long-time leaders of the Montana Democratic party I would be proud to emulate. Both hailed from Laurel and both left lasting legacies.
Chet Blaylock was born in Joliet. He later lived in and represented Laurel in the legislature. As a teacher for over three decades, he influenced many.
Mr. Blaylock was also the chairman of the Montana Democratic Party and, as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1972, a signer of what is considered the best state constitution in the nation.
While running for governor in 1996, he died of a heart attack. In the state record of his passing, it was noted that, "Chet Blaylock was an educator. He believed that every Montana child was entitled to a free, quality education, a livable environment, a good job and affordable health care."
The other man is visionary James "Jim" Murry, who was born on the Southside of Laurel and was the long-time leader of the Montana State AFL-CIO. Unfortunately, Jim died in 2020.
His obituary acknowledged, "Jim Murry’s commitment to the rights of working people, people of color, the poor and the forgotten, was bred in the bone."
Jim's efforts were central to the election of three Democratic governors, four members of Congress, five United States Senators, dozens of other statewide officials and numerous members of the Montana legislature.
I was lucky enough as both a child and an adult to be privy to conversations between Jim, my father, Richard, and my uncles, Jack and Bob, as they were old friends. I was inspired by Jim's passion for equity, and I still am.
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
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.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 15, 2024
