SD 12 Candidate Profiles: McKamey & Meissner

Wendy McKamey

MCKAMEY ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY

Representative Wendy McKamey is happy to announce her candidacy for Senate District 12.

A local Cascade County area rancher along with her husband Les, Wendy raised their seven children: Monika, Michael, Mark, Matthew, Mitchell Marshall and Merrill in the wholesome, hard-working environment of production agriculture.  She’s been employed as a teacher, the area executive director for the American Cancer Society, an account executive, and remains primarily a mother and business woman who happens to hold a Bachelor of Science degree in management.  McKamey is known for her over 40 years of active service to the community in Great Falls and Cascade schools, in FFA, Boy Scouts, 4-H, numerous community Boards and her church. Wendy is an accomplished pianist and remains active in sharing that with the community-at-large, as well. Wendy McKamey previously represented half of the District 12 area well as the Representative for House District 23 and is excited for the opportunity to serve them again, along with House District 24 as they together form the entirety of Senate District 12.

Wendy McKamey’s voting record consistently aligns with the United States Constitution and she has solidly represented these values while serving first HD23 and then HD19 for a total of four sessions in the Montana House of Representatives.  McKamey has consequently received endorsements and commendations from  Montana Farm Bureau, Montana Chamber of Commerce, Montana Contractors, United Property Owners of Montana, Montana Realtors Association, Montana Family Foundation, Montana Medical Association, American Conservative Union, Americans For Prosperity, National Federation of Independent Business- Montana, Montana Shooting Sports Association and National Rifle Association.  Examples of Wendy McKamey’s  work in the 67^th Legislative Session in 2021 include:

• Sponsored and Passed HB 11, which appropriates Treasure State Endowment funds for  infrastructure projects and emergency grants to local governments.
• Sponsored and Passed comprehensive election integrity and security legislation. 
• Sponsored and Passed HB 351, which allows local school boards to provide students  personalized, proficiency-based education. 
• Authorized healthcare co-ops and allowed the purchase of healthcare across  state lines to keep costs affordable. 
• Voted to allow individuals to carry a concealed  firearm if otherwise lawfully  entitled to possess one. 

A Life member of the NRA, Wendy McKamey is a strong supporter of 2^nd Amendment rights, and will continue to fight for free enterprise and job creation unhindered by excessive regulation; quality education with local school control; intelligent development of Montana’s abundant resources and simplified tax code with the lowest taxes as possible.

Here’s Wendy McKamey’s personal message to each of you:  “It will be my pleasure to meet you in the near future as I go door to door in the District. In the meantime, I encourage you to contact me. You are welcome to email me at wsgmckamey@gmail.com or call me at home: 866-3300. I want what you want. Let’s work together. I appreciate your vote”

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Desma Meissner

Desma Meissner for Senate District 12 Republican

The reason I decided to run for Senate District 12 is my opponent has lost touch with Montana values. My opponent does not live in SD 12 or even in Great Falls. I believe SD 12 deserves a Senator that lives in the District, not out of town, and understands our issues.

I have serious concerns about Montana healthcare issues.  Nursing homes and hospitals around the country are critically short staffed, thanks to federal government vaccine mandates which forced many out of the profession.  Now the feds want to mandate staffing ratios. As someone with first-hand knowledge of healthcare issues, I know federal government involvement is not the way. I believe Montana can fix our own problems. SD 12 deserves better.

I believe the current challenges facing Montana include: Inflation is highest in 40 years. Government needs to work within a budget, while holding taxes down.  Montana needs to increase our natural resources and oil production.  Montana needs to become a place for companies to look to relocated from high tax states, and those moving back to the USA.  Illegal drugs, and human trafficking need to be addressed, as well as homelessness. I support Law Enforcement and a strong Military.

I have worked in retail, insurance and advertising.  When I became a CNA that I found my passion. I started at the Liberty Medical Center in Chester and continued at Benefis Health Systems in Great Falls. While at Benefis I worked in the Patient Flow Department, which places staff in different departments based on workload need. I continued at Benefis as a nurse after getting my LPN and RN.

My love of nursing led me to become a Clinical Nursing Instructor at GFC-MSU, helping others become nurses.  This year marked my 6th graduating class of LPN’s and RN’s.

I attended The College of Great Falls (University of Providence) and graduated with a B.S. in Social Psychology from Park University at Malmstrom AFB. I received my LPN and RN from Great Falls College – MSU.

I have been involved in a number of organizations over the years, including: Young Republicans, Pachyderms, Junior League, GFC-MSU Nursing Advisory Board, Missouri River Women Shooters and have trained with the Community Emergency Response Team.

My parents Don Tornberg and Marilyn Carrico were both born and raised in Great Falls. I am a 4^th generation Montanan, and 3^rd generation resident of Senate District 12.  We moved to Oregon when I was 4, and after my father died, returned to Montana. I lived in Missouri for 1 year and New York for 1.5 years, always returning to Great Falls. There is just no place like home.

In 2005 I married Shawn Meissner of Chester where we spent a few years splitting time between his family ranch, and my home in Great Falls. We made Great Falls are primary home in 2008, I enjoy spending time with family, reading, camping, and volunteering.

• Category: Election 2022