Monica Tranel represents us

On Jan. 17, I enjoyed my first experience attending The Fish Tank podcast in the Montana Tap House in Whitefish.

Owner Ed Docter provides a venue for candidates and/or anyone with important community information to share in a civil, non-threatening, cozy setting. First, Ed spoke with Monica Tranel, running for the U.S. House of Representatives in our western district, for a very enlightening half hour. He maintains banter with nonpartisan, equal-opportunity insulting, bashing, and praise. Levity ruled the environment.

In Monica, I witnessed a relaxed, confident, friendly, smart, funny, seriously on-a-mission, likable woman. She feels we’re all more alike than different, which is refreshing in this mega polarized world. And believes that if we take the time to communicate with each other, we can get things done. Most important is the fact that, unlike her opponent, she will always show up. She shares the priorities of most Montanans; maintaining our freedom, good education, access to health care, affordable housing, giving every one of us a voice.

Having grown up in Rosebud County on a ranch in eastern Montana, the 6th of 10 siblings, Monica understands that the middle is often overlooked and left behind. In her rowing career with 2 trips to the Olympics, she was in the middle of 8 in the boat and learned that “any one person can make a boat go slow”. She doesn’t intend to be the one who does that.

Monica would be a champion advocate for western Montana. She lives here, works here, raises her 3 children here and will work for young folks to have the choice to stay here. She believes “we all need to be our best selves” and “politics got us into this mess and politics will get us out, IF people do the hard work of showing up”.

— Carol E. Vande Kieft, Whitefish