Getts announces candidacy
My name is Andrea Getts and I want to represent you, House District 3, at the State Legislature. I grew up in Columbia Falls, graduated from CFHS in ’14, earned a bachelor’s in psychology from BYU in ’18, am a two-time AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, and have been working for a local food-access nonprofit right here in the valley since 2019. My mom is a first grade teacher at Glacier Gateway and my dad works for Glacier National Park. I also have four siblings.
One thing I love about our area is the strong sense of community we feel. This is one of our greatest strengths and usually what drives us to get things done. If I am elected, I want to bring that sense of community with me to Helena to fight for my friends and neighbors in Columbia Falls, up the North Fork, and in the Canyon over to Essex. If you don’t know what district you are in, you can find out at the state secretary website by checking your voter registration.
Towns and city councils have had to deal with the repercussions of state laws that get passed without their input. Sometimes state laws actually take away local control. What works for Whitefish or Kalispell might not work in Hungry Horse. We know what we need, we know what works best in our area.
Towns are able to be more responsive and move quicker than most things at the state level.
Retaining this local control of issues under the jurisdiction of towns is important to me. Not every town in Montana is the same (thank goodness) and the depth of characteristics that we have across the state is a strength!
Working closely with the city council and staff that keep Columbia Falls running and a good place to live is a high priority, especially as our population is growing and changing.
I’ve been to the city council meetings, I’m out and about in the community – working, recreating, living.
You might run into me at the post office, while getting coffee, at the grocery store, bowling, or at one of our community events.
If elected, I plan on being a responsive representative. It doesn’t feel good when you care about an issue, email your legislator, and get nothing back. You should feel heard by your elected officials and able to get in contact with them.
We need to focus on the issues that matter to Montanans who live and work here: housing; property tax reform; supporting our public schools and teachers; getting better healthcare and mental health services, especially for our high number of veterans in the area; protecting our public land access - including hunting and fishing rights; and taking care of our infrastructure.
National issues can often overshadow the work we do on the state level. State issues usually aren’t as exciting but they impact the day-to-day lives of Montanans in a more noticeable way. I will be a hardworking representative that can be trusted with this position. You can visit my website – andreagetts.com – to learn more and find my contact info. Give me a call – I’d love to chat.
I am Andrea Getts and I want to represent you, House District 3, at the State Legislature.
Andrea Getts
Columbia Falls