Reilly Neill
{{short description|American polltician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Reilly Neill
|state_house = Montana
|district = 62nd
|term_start = January 7, 2013
|term_end = January 5, 2015
|predecessor = Dan Skattum
|successor = Tom Woods
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|9|7}}
|birth_place = Dublin, Ireland
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|education = University of Montana (BA)
}}
Reilly Neill is an American politician from Montana. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first candidate to file for governor of Montana in the 2020 Montana gubernatorial election.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-11 |title=First Democrat Announces Bid For Montana Governor |url=https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2019-06-10/first-democrat-announces-bid-for-montana-governor |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=Montana Public Radio |language=en}} Neill served in the Montana House of Representatives for one term, from 2013 to 2015.
She defeated Dan Skattum in the 2012 elections but lost her re-election bid to Republican Debra Lamm in 2014.
Career
Neill served briefly as the interim executive director of the Park County Environmental Council in Livingston, Montana in 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.livingstonenterprise.com/content/pcec-aims-make-sense-railroad-cleanup-information|title=PCEC aims to make sense of railroad cleanup information|date=2014-06-26|website=The Livingston Enterprise|language=en|access-date=2019-08-06}} Neill founded and published Livingston Current, a weekly newspaper that covered the arts, entertainment, and culture of Park County, Montana.{{cite web|url=https://www.livingstonenterprise.com/content/newspaper-owner-runs-legislature|title=Newspaper owner runs for Legislature|date=2012-10-09|website=The Livingston Enterprise|language=en|access-date=2019-08-06}} from 2003 until 2012. She also published The Montana Press, a statewide arts and entertainment journal, from 2019 until 2021, which won numerous Society of Professional Journalism awards.
= Montana House of Representatives =
In 2012, Neill defeated Republican Dan Skattum for the state House District 62.{{cite web|url=https://www.livingstonenterprise.com/content/democrat-reilly-neill-unseats-republican-dan-skattum |title=Democrat Reilly Neill unseats Republican Dan Skattum |publisher=The Livingston Enterprise |date= |accessdate=2020-02-28}} While in office, she was a member of the Business and Labor Committee and Transportation Committee.{{cite web|url=https://uat.leg.mt.gov/legislator-information/roster/individual/4171|title=- Montana State Legislature|website=uat.leg.mt.gov|access-date=2019-08-06}} She was active in climate change issues, succeeded in the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to consider climate variability and climate change as a number two priority when developing the state's 2014 20-year water plan and introducing legislation to study the effects of climate change on Montana's agricultural sector.{{cite web|url=https://www.mtpr.org/post/what-new-water-plan-could-mean-state-climate-policy|title=What a new water plan could mean for state climate policy|last=Boyce|first=Dan|website=www.mtpr.org|date=January 8, 2014 |language=en|access-date=2019-08-06}}{{cite web|url=https://trackbill.com/bill/montana-house-joint-resolution-28-interim-study-examining-climate-change-and-agriculture/607479/|title=Montana HJ28 {{!}} TrackBill|website=trackbill.com|language=en|access-date=2019-08-06}}
= Post-legislative life =
Neill published a book about her experience serving in the Montana State Capitol in Helena, “On the Floor: Tales from the Montana House.”
In June 2019, Neill filed paperwork for a 2020 bid for the Montana Governor's seat.{{cite web|url=https://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/former-democratic-legislator-to-run-for-montana-governor/article_d1b0a995-4e5c-5ab3-addf-fccd0443094b.html|title=Former Democratic legislator to run for Montana governor|agency=Associated Press|website=Helena Independent Record|language=en|access-date=2019-08-06}}{{cite news|title=Former Democratic legislator to run for Montana governor|url=https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/former-democratic-legislator-to-run-for-montana-governor/article_c04c019f-2c63-5a6b-817b-09ec50e0419e.html|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Missoulian|date=June 10, 2019|accessdate=June 10, 2019}} She ended her campaign in January 2020.{{cite web|author=Phil Drake, Great Falls Tribune |url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2020/01/21/democrat-drops-montana-governors-race/4533895002/ |title=Democrat Reilly Neill drops from Montana governor's race |publisher=Greatfallstribune.com |date= |accessdate=2020-02-28}}
Neill facilitated and organized numerous events for the Montana March for Reproductive Rights across the state and online both before and after the Dobbs decision. She continues to administer this non-profit group.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-26 |title=More than a thousand march on Montana Capitol opposing Roe v. Wade overturn |url=https://www.ktvh.com/news/hundreds-march-on-montana-capitol-opposing-roe-v-wade-overturn |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=KTVH |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-04-27 |title=Three extreme bills restricting abortion signed by Montana governor |url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/montana-abortion-bill-greg-gianforte-b1838434.html |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=The Independent |language=en}}
In 2024, Neill ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in {{ushr|MT|2}} as a write-in candidate. After the election, she announced her candidacy in 2026 U.S. Senate election.{{cite web |date=November 19, 2024 |title=Park County resident runs for U.S. Senate |url=https://www.livingstonenterprise.com/news/park-county-resident-runs-for-u-s-senate/article_ab8f7c38-a65f-11ef-be7b-4fff72cbb547.html |access-date=November 23, 2024 |website=The Livingston Enterprise}}
Publication(s)
- On The Floor (2014)
Political positions
Personal life
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{CongLinks|votesmart=136919}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neill, Reilly}}
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century members of the Montana Legislature
Category:Candidates in the 2020 United States elections
Category:Democratic Party members of the Montana House of Representatives