Senate District 50: Kandi Matthew-Jenkins

Constitution Party

AGE: 58

OCCUPATION: Small Business Owner – Montana Craft connection out of her home for 19 years, Grassroots organizer for ‘Cpsxposed’ Advocacy network, builds furniture with husband
HOMETOWN: Missoula since 1961; born in Chicago, Illinois; she has also lived in India

FAMILY: Husband, John, six children
EDUCATION: Equivalency of 1 year of college in Sociology at Flathead Valley College and McHenry, Illinois. Also trained medical receptionist, but not certified from College of Technology in Missoula

POLITICAL or PUBLIC SERVICE: Director and crisis pregnancy counselor for Birthright of Missoula (now 1st Way Pregnancy Center); ran for City Council in 1999; ran for House District 66 (now 99) in 2000; vice-chairman for Montanans for Better Government, 2001; ran for mayor in 2001, ran for the city government study commission; ran for House District 95 in 2004; lobbied for state public defender system for equal due process representation of indigent parents with cases involving Child Protective Services, 2005-2006; ran for House District 97 in 2006

Matthew-Jenkins seeks government reform

By BRENNA BRAATEN

For Kandi Matthew-Jenkins, the urge to enter politics first surface when she read an advertisement saying the city of Missoula was going to raise fees for business licenses. Being the owner of a small business, she went to City Hall to check it out. -MORE-