Ann Brodsky

Sen. Janet Ellis has served in the Montana Senate since 2019 and is now “termed out,” so residents of Helena’s SD 41 will have two choices for Janet’s successor in the June Democratic primary: Erin Farris-Olsen and Dana Toole. Both are friends, and I admire each for their work making Helena and Montana a better place to live and raise a family.

Given my friendships, I hesitated to endorse one over the other but recently decided to speak out for Erin for one primary reason: I believe it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation.

In the past year, I’ve gone to rallies, political dinners, and fundraisers. These events are attended primarily by people in my age bracket, who grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s and lived a lifetime of political activism. In contrast, Erin is a generation younger than me and has two children under 10 attending Helena public schools. She’s devoted her professional life to public service and nonprofit leadership, and cares about you and me. Erin will pick up the torch for a new generation, while fighting for so many things I care about — affordability, public education, public lands, and Montana’s Constitution, to name a few.

Erin’s already working hard to win your support, and you can count on her to serve as a tireless leader helping our community once elected. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Erin Farris-Olsen in the June primary for SD 41.