Podcasts Culture Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson Monica Tranel - Fighting for the Future of Montana

Monica Tranel - Fighting for the Future of Montana

Published: Oct. 12, 2022, 2:55 a.m.

Monica Tranel is an attorney, Olympian, and mother of three, and she\u2019s also running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Montana\u2019s reformed second congressional district. Monica grew up in eastern Montana in a large family where she was one of ten siblings. Throughout her childhood, her parents stressed the importance of hard work, curiosity, and independent thinking, characteristics that Monica has exhibited in all aspects of her athletic and professional endeavors.

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As an athlete, Monica began rowing competitively during law school, and after years of unwavering focus and tenacity, she earned a spot on different two Olympic teams. As an attorney, she devoted much of her career to standing up to a wide range of powerful corporate interests that were attempting to bully or take advantage of everyday Montanans. And now, as a Congressional candidate, she\u2019s focused on bolstering Montana\u2019s middle class and closing the ever-widening inequality gap.

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Monica is in the final stretch of her campaign, so I greatly appreciate her taking the time out of her jam-packed schedule to chat with me. We spend about half of the time talking about Monica as a person\u2013 her upbringing in eastern Montana, why athletics have been so important in her life, her high school and college years, her rowing and legal careers, and why public service has always been a part of her personal operating system. For the second half of the conversation, we discuss the election\u2013 the challenges facing the middle class, her commitments to Indigenous communities, the importance of thinking independently, an issue that she has changed her mind on, and much more. She also offers a ton of excellent book recommendations, which I always appreciate.

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A big thank you to Monica and her team for fitting this podcast into their busy schedule, and thank you for listening. Hope you enjoy.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • 3:15 \u2013 Monica discusses her upbringing and how it set her on her trajectory
  • 6:45 \u2013 Monica talks about athletics and the role the outdoors played in her life
  • 9:00 \u2013 Monica describes her high school years
  • 12:40 \u2013 Monica explains what drew her to the legal field
  • 16:00 \u2013 Monica talks about what she is particularly proud of in her legal career
  • 21:45 \u2013 Monica discusses her Olympic career in rowing
  • 26:45 \u2013 Monica talks about when public service became an interest in her life
  • 30:15 \u2013 Monica discusses the challenges of politically addressing the inflating cost of living in places like Montana
  • 34:15 \u2013 Monica talks about rebuilding a culture of governance with fair, enforceable rules
  • 39:15 \u2013 Monica outlines what she feels her political role and commitment will be with respect to Indigenous communities in Montana
  • 42:15 \u2013 Monica talks about something she has changed her mind on
  • 45:45 \u2013 Monica discusses what she thinks people will find surprising about her during her Congressional candidacy\xa0
  • 51:15 \u2013 Monica\u2019s book recommendations
  • 52:15 \u2013 Monica\u2019s parting words of hope

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