Helena mom and consumer advocate Jenny Eck has filed as a Democratic candidate for  House District 82, which includes much of Helena’s west side. The seat is currently held by Rep. Mike Menahan (D), who is not running this cycle.

UPDATE: Readers of the Montana Cowgirl Blog remember this seat well.  TEA Party “Lady Knight of the Gun” Kristia Allen-Gailushas, who made national news for campaigning against healthy food, ran in this district.  Allen Gailushas left the Helena TEA Party after it ousted Tim Ravndal for making comments that implied support for violence against gays.

In a press release, Eck says she has already knocked on hundreds of doors in the district and has raised grassroots financial contributions from her neighbors and friends:

“I love that in Montana we still have the opportunity to meet every voter. It’s not all about money or corporate influence here; it’s about getting out and talking to folks, listening to their opinions, perspectives and life stories.

“Every day I am amazed and humbled by the courage and unrelenting hope with which ordinary people face extraordinarily difficult problems: debilitating illnesses, job losses and financial crisis. I will carry these stories with me to the Montana Legislature and make sure that these concerns are addressed.”

Eck, 32, does public outreach and education for the Consumer Protection Bureau of the Attorney General’s Office. She served as secretary of the House Judiciary Committee during the 2009 Legislature. She and her husband, Brian Miller, an attorney with the Morrison, Motl, and Sherwood law firm, have two elementary-aged children who attend Helena Public Schools.

Eck, a first-time candidate for office, lists the endorsements of some well-known community leaders, including: former Helena School Board chair, Dana Toole; Big Dipper Ice Cream owner, Anna Doran (who is also Eck’s campaign treasurer); Col. Mike Tooley, chief of the Montana Highway Patrol; and City Commissioner Katherine Haque-Hausrath.

For more information on Eck’s campaign, visit her website at www.jennyeckformontana.com.