Thank you for your vote.

Thank you for hosting a yard sign, donating, endorsing, co-hosting events, knocking doors, making phone calls, writing postcards, and showing up in all the ways that keep a campaign moving. Every single contribution made a difference, and we couldn't have built this campaign without it.

We started out with a vision to be the change so many of us have been waiting for. If we want to protect our democracy, we need to do more than react. We need to show up earlier, tell our stories better, reach beyond our usual base, and make people feel like politics belongs to them again.

We did it. Through thousands of doors, 13 events, 2,000 text messages, 22,000 mailers, 700 hand-written peer-to-peer postcards, and many, many conversations.

It was hard work. But it was also more than that. It was proving that a campaign centered on voters, grassroots energy, and the issues we're fighting for really works.

If I didn't see you between the primary and now, please know I appreciate your support from the bottom of my heart, and I promise to keep building on what we've accomplished 💙

What We're Hearing…

Tuning out the noise

Like many of you, I've been inundated with messages about conspiracy theories, political drama, and campaign horse-race odds.

What I think is this: we need to shift quickly from tearing each other down to talking with voters about what we actually stand for.

For me, and for the community I want to help build, that means protecting clean water, expanding affordable housing, ensuring accessible health care, and investing in free, high-quality public education.

Montanans deserve solutions, not distractions. Let's spend less time fueling the outrage machine and more time doing what we know works: listening, organizing, and engaging directly with our communities.

Housing costs that don't add up

I had the honor of participating in the Montana Budget and Policy Center (MBPC) candidate training in Billings. We discussed how critical 2027 will be for public education and the considerable budget deficit driven by income tax breaks and federal funding shortfalls.

MBPC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan resource, also launched an Affordable Housing map. Per their data, it would take a minimum wage worker in Lewis and Clark County 77 hours a week to afford a 2-bedroom home at Fair Market Rent.

I've talked with residents paying $1,200, $1,500, even more than $2,000 a month in rent, in a county where fair market rent is $923. This is why so many people have told me: "I don't know if I can stay."

These rents aren't just high. They're unsustainable for working families, seniors, and young adults trying to build a life here.

👉 See the full housing map

A reminder of what access really means

I'm grateful to Theresa Gardiner for inviting me to attend her testimony before the Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Committee a few weeks ago.

I'm constantly reminded just how diverse and significant Montana's disability community is. Access isn't a side issue, it touches everything we work on: housing, education, and workers' rights. A top priority for Ability Montana is defending Section 504 and ensuring Montanans with disabilities continue to have access to essential services and protections.

Theresa is a reminder of what SD41 residents can do: bring our stories, our experience, and our activism to the Montana Capitol, right here in our own neighborhood.

🎧 Hear Theresa's story on the Let's Talk Disability podcast

Thank you, Theresa, for leading the way!

What We're Doing…

Planning for the general

That means endorsement questionnaires, fundraising, and event planning. In many ways we're starting over, but we're building off a very strong foundation from everything we did in the primary. Stay tuned for details as we strategize the best way to reach voters on what they care about most: housing, health care, clean water, and public education.

On data centers and water

I recently met with the Montana Environmental Information Center to discuss the growing interest in data center development in Montana, and what it means for our water, energy systems, and local communities.

The good news: there's broad, bipartisan agreement that Montana should have clear rules of the road. The question isn't simply whether development should happen. It's how we ensure it happens responsibly. I'll continue encouraging my colleagues to bring practical solutions to the table that protect existing water users, provide certainty for communities and businesses, and ensure growth doesn't come at the expense of what makes Montana special.

What We’re Cooking…

Turmeric Soup

Weather in Montana always keeps us guessing: sunshine one day, snow the next. After a hectic season, there's something restorative about slowing down, settling into routine, and putting a pot of soup on the stove.

This comforting recipe is full of nourishing ingredients, and the turmeric brings warmth and a little extra sunshine to the table.

Pro tip: if you have a parmesan rind, don't toss it, add it to the soup while it simmers. It slowly infuses the broth with a deep, savory richness that makes everything taste more layered and complete.

We're building this campaign person by person, neighbor by neighbor. And you're part of that. Whether you're returning your ballot, sharing this email, or just paying attention, it all counts.

The primary is behind us, but the work ahead is just as important. If you're able to chip in $10, $25, or whatever feels right, it goes straight into reaching voters across SD41 this fall.

Onward!
Erin

Checks can also be made out directly to: Erin 4 Montana, P.O. Box 141 Helena, MT 59624.