Reilly Neill

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.^[1] Neill served in the Montana House of Representatives for one term, from 2013 to 2015.

Reilly Neill
Member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 62nd district
In office January 7, 2013 – January 5, 2015
Preceded by	Dan Skattum
Succeeded by	Tom Woods
Personal details
Born	(1973-09-07) September 7, 1973 (age 51) Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Montana (BA)

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.^[2] Neill founded and published Livingston Current, a weekly newspaper that covered the arts, entertainment, and culture of Park County, Montana.^[3] 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.^[3][4] While in office, she was a member of the Business and Labor Committee and Transportation Committee.^[5] 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.^[6][7]

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.^[8][9] She ended her campaign in January 2020.^[10]

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.^[11][12]

In 2024, Neill ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana's 2nd congressional district as a write-in candidate. After the election, she announced her candidacy in 2026 U.S. Senate election.^[13]

Publication(s)

• On The Floor (2014)

Political positions

Neill, a Democrat, describes herself as a moderate Democrat and open-minded candidate with political philosophies and interests spanning traditional partisan lines.^[3]

Personal life

Neill lives in Livingston, Montana. She has a son, Caen Klipp.^[6]