Welcome to Mitchell 406

Strength Through Community

courtesy of Roland Taylor Photography - rolandtaylor.com

Who is Margaret Mitchell

I was 21, starting my first engineering job in Los Angeles. I found myself trying to navigate my '69 VW Bug with bad brakes through six lanes of freeway traffic, figuring out why people looked at me strangely when I spoke to them in the grocery line, and desperately searching for an apartment that was near some semblance of nature - an actual fish out of water. Yep, I was a Montanan trying to figure out the urban jungle and not faring so well. Eventually, I figured it out by keeping my deep-seated Montana ideals of - always planting myself near nature, helping out others as if they were my best friend, and working harder than what is expected.

I am a fourth-generation Montanan from the type of hardy, idealistic ancestors that shaped this independent state. They came from meager backgrounds to homestead, journey the west, build businesses, farm, and craft what is now our Montana. I was born in Anaconda and grew up on the lower Northside of Great Falls. I played kickball at Whittier School until the street lights came on, listened to band concerts at Gibson Park, searched for fossils in Lewis and Clark Forest, and skied the slopes of Showdown. I attend both private and public schools, benefiting from the tremendous dedication of the inspiring teachers and volunteers. I have enjoyed the fruits of earning a C.S. Engineering degree from Montana State. My degree enabled me to build a great career in Information Technology. Unfortunately, to pursue my career, I had to leave my beloved state and build my career elsewhere. My solid education from Montana Schools grounded my career in pragmatic, solution-oriented delivery, which led to executive roles in financial services and medical technology. For the full details of my life as an IT professional, you can check out my LinkedIn bio.

Thanks to a great career and a lot of entrepreneurial elbow grease, I was able to move my Family back to Montana. I now live on the Ayrshire Dairy, my family farm founded by Harry B. Mitchell in 1908. I run my small business and do my best to give back to the community that gave so much to me. Every day, I feel grateful that I was able to return to the state I love so much.

Public Education, Our Local Healthcare Economy, and Your Public Lands are Under Threat!

This is why I decided to run for Montana Senate District 10 in the heart of Great Falls. As I began investigating the root cause of these threats, I uncovered information that you, the voter, should be aware of.

In this newsletter, I will provide an info snack on these critical topics to our community.

This Week’s Info Snack - Public Lands Connection to Public Schools:

Did you know that Montana public education received $92 million from state trust land revenue? That means Montana's public lands heavily fund our public education. This revenue source is under threat.

In the 2025 legislative session, House Speaker Brandon Levr, a Republican, introduced House Bill 676 to facilitate the sale of 1.5 million acres of state trust land. The same trust lands that help fund your public education. Democrats voted NO while Republicans voted YES, including my opponent Melissa Nikolakakos, to sell off your public lands.

Luckily, the Governor vetoed this Bill. But will we be so lucky next time?

I will fight against bills like this that are shortsighted, selling off our public lands and our children’s future for a one-time revenue hit. We must protect our state trust lands to support public education and future generations.

Strength comes through community.

I am excited about building a community that provides helpful information and solutions. That will include information about how my campaign to support the vision of stronger public schools, a thriving local healthcare economy, and protection of public lands is going. How can you help? And most importantly, a place to share your ideas and solutions.

What to Expect

My goal with this Substack is to keep you informed without overwhelming you. I will provide a free bi-weekly post with an info snack, campaign updates, and ways to participate in strengthening our community.