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MONTANA SENATE DISTRICT 41

State Senator – the office of state senator serves in the Montana legislature’s upper house. There are 50 senators who are elected from districts made up of two House districts. Senators are elected to 4-year terms which are staggered so that half are elected every two years. Senators propose and vote on proposed laws during the legislative sessions that meet for 90 days in odd-numbered years, and provide oversight of state agencies and study issues through interim committees that meet between sessions. Senators are limited to two consecutive 4-year terms.

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  • Candidate picture

    ERIN FARRIS-OLSEN
    (Dem)

  • Candidate picture

    DRU KOESTER
    (Lib)

  • Candidate picture

    DANA TOOLE
    (Dem)

Biographical Information

Q1. Please briefly provide the following information: place (town or county and state) of birth, age as of election day 2026, place (town or county) of permanent residency, occupation/employer, and education. How do these and your other life experiences qualify you to be an effective Legislator?

Q2. What are the most important issues you expect to face if elected to the Montana Legislature, and what are your positions on those issues? How would you prioritize each of the issues you have identified?

Q3. What economic policies will you pursue to help Americans who are concerned about their economic prospects in the coming years, including the cost of medical insurance and care?

Q4. What measures do you support to ensure Montana elections are secure while facilitating the ability of all eligible voters to cast their ballots? What, if anything, should the state government do to reduce the role of money in American elections?

Campaign Website http://www.erin4montana.com
Campaign Twitter Handle @@erinformontana
Other Social Media https://www.tiktok.com/@erinformontana
I was born in Portland, Oregon and will be 42 on Election Day. I am running to represent Senate District 41 in Helena, where I live with my husband, extended family, and our two kids who attend Jefferson Elementary School. I was the first in my family to go to college and found a home in Carroll College. It was in this community that I found the support and opportunity to become an attorney and build a career in public service. I have served in many professional roles and worked on a broad range of issues, including conservation, rural development, and legal services. I am working to earn your vote because I know this community, share its challenges, and I bring the experience, knowledge, and working relationships to get results for SD 41.
I expect affordability to be a major focus of the 2027 Legislature, along with protecting the basic systems families rely on, including public education, housing, and clean water. Our priorities are set in Montana’s Constitution, and we have to deliver on them. Good policy starts with a balanced budget that reflects Montana values, because the budget determines whether we invest in schools, keep communities healthy and safe, and stop shifting costs onto working families. As a working mom, attorney, and advocate, I am used to balancing multiple priorities, identifying risks early, and communicating the real value of public investments so we govern for future opportunity, not scarcity.
I am facing many of the same economic pressures as the voters I talk to. Our insurance premiums went up 23% in 2025, and I hear every day from families worried about school quality, housing costs, rent, and whether their jobs will still support a stable life. Addressing this starts with a tax system that keeps more money in the pockets of working families, not one that keeps rewarding those at the top while starving community needs. On healthcare, we need to reduce bureaucracy that pushes eligible people off Medicaid, strengthen consumer protections against unfair medical bills, and push for stronger oversight and negotiation to lower costs wherever the state has leverage.
Montana should keep elections secure and make voting easier for eligible voters. That means strong voter education, accessible vote-by-mail, and rules that facilitate rather than impair access. We already have strong systems in place, and we need to protect them. If Montanans pass stronger transparency measures to reduce the influence of corporate and dark money, the Legislature should respect that decision and defend the integrity of the process. I’m running a grassroots campaign because disinterest and apathy are among the greatest threats to democracy. We need to rebuild local organizing infrastructure and earn voters’ trust through direct contact and real accountability.
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