Whitefish businesswoman enters race for U.S. House seat

by Whitefish Pilot
| November 4, 2011 9:28 AM

Whitefish businesswoman Diane Smith announced Thursday she has entered the race for Montana’s open congressional seat in the U.S. House.

Smith, 52, says her business experience gives her an edge over the other candidates.

“Montana needs Congress to focus on creating jobs,” she said in a press release, “and that is what I have spent my life doing.”

She is the fifth Democrat to file for the 2012 election to fill Rep. Denny Rehberg’s seat. Rehberg is challenging U.S. Sen. Jon Tester for his seat in the Senate.

Smith co-founded Avail-TVN, a digital video company based in Kalispell. She left the company in 2008 after overseeing its merger with another firm. The company boasts more then $150 million in annual sales.

She grew up in Virginia and has a degree from George Mason University in Washington D.C. She worked as a senior vice president for the Alltel wireless company before moving to Montana in 2002. Smith currently lives in Whitefish with her husband of 31 years, David Pickeral. Their daughter, Ally Pickeral, is a senior at Whitefish High School.

“Like a lot of parents, my husband and I are concerned about what kind of future our 17-year-old daughter will face,” Smith said. “As I travel around our state, I am awed by the spirit and entrepreneurship of Montana’s people. But over the past several years, policies in D.C. have become impediments to our innovation and prosperity, and our elected leaders are either unable or unwilling to stop the political games and focus on results.”

Smith serves on the Whitefish City-County Planning Board, and is currently active with the City - County Planning Jurisdiction Interlocal Agreement Committee regarding “doughnut” planning negotiations. She is also a founding member of the Flathead 911 Foundation.

The four other Democrats in the race are attorney Rob Stutz, state Sen. Kim Gillan of Billings, state Rep. Franke Wilmer of Bozeman and Missoula City Councilor Dave Strohmaier. The lone Republican candidate is businessman Steve Daines of Bozeman.