Monica Lindeen is the Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. Monica has spent her career fighting for Montanans. She was elected to statewide office in 2008 as the Commissioner of Securities & Insurance, Montana State Auditor, and was re-elected to a second term in 2012. Monica served as an officer of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for two years, until insurance commissioners across the country elected her to be president of the national association in 2016. Previously, voters in eastern Montana elected Monica four times to represent them in the Montana State House of Representatives, where she served in legislative leadership. In the legislature, she earned a reputation as a strong leader who reaches across the aisle to solve problems and forge consensus. Prior to serving in the Montana Legislature, Monica co-founded, grew and eventually sold a highly successful internet business – Montana Communications Network (MCN). Monica believes that everyday Montanans can – and should — have a voice in their government.

Justin Ailport grew up in Drummond and graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman with his degree in Sociology. During his time in Bozeman he helped get Zach Brown elected into the state house. After graduation, he came to work at the Montana Democratic Party as the Gail Stoltz Fellow eventually becoming the Development Director.

Allison Dale-Riddle has worked on campaigns across the country, providing research and data services for candidates at the congressional, gubernatorial, and presidential level. She completed a Ph.D. in political science at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and is happy to be back living in her hometown of Helena. As the MDP Data Director, she works with local and statewide candidates to help them use their resources most efficiently to persuade and mobilize voters with best-practices campaign tactics.

Nick Lockridge was born and raised in Missoula, where he graduated from Hellgate High and the University of Montana (twice). He used his undergraduate degree from the Journalism School during a 13-year career as a sportswriter at the Missoulian, covering everything from Little League tournaments to the Winter X Games in Aspen. Nick returned to UM to earn a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in 2014, after which he immediately entered the arena of campaign life as a field organizer with MDLCC. Nick worked at the Legislature in 2015, and with Planned Parenthood of Montana after that, before re-joining the Montana Democratic Party in 2017 to spearhead the Special Nominating Convention. He coordinates the Blue Bench program, which aims to build our party by supporting candidates for local-level positions across the Treasure State. Nick enjoys hunting & fishing, tinkering around the house, and puppy-parenting the shelter dog his fiance and he adopted this winter. 

Cassidy Cook is the Candidate Services Coordinator and Deputy Finance Director for the Montana Democratic Party. Cassidy grew up in Bozeman, MT and then attended college and Lewis & Clark in Portland, OR where she earned a degree in American History. Cassidy is excited to join the team as the Candidate Service Coordinator. She is the contact for the extensive resources the MDLCC provides to all Democratic legislative candidates. If you need any assistance at all in your race to win back democratic majorities in the legislature, Cassidy is here to help!