A legislator appointed last session to fill the seat of one of Helena's longest-serving current representatives has announced his campaign to return to the state House in 2009.

Weeks before the 2007 session, Lewis and Clark County commissioners chose Democrat Galen Hollenbaugh to replace Christine Kaufmann in the House District 81 seat after the three-term representative was chosen to fill a vacancy in the Montana Senate.

Hollenbaugh, who served on the Appropriations Committee, a joint committee on long-range planning, and an interim committee on revenue and transportation, said he learned last year how to navigate the sometimes contentious Capitol hallways and hearing rooms, helping secure money for local and statewide projects and services.

In spite of the political wrangling last winter, Hollenbaugh is running again because he believes the Legislature still does plenty of good work.

"Good, progressive efforts ... can still be accomplished despite the rancor," he said Tuesday. "I can still see good things happen.

"It's a unique opportunity," the 39-year-old Missoula native said. "You can make a difference and stand up and try to get your voice heard."

Hollenbaugh has worked in state government for 14 years and now serves as the deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Mike McGrath. He's worked on campaigns for U.S. Sen. Max Baucus and former Congressman Pat Williams, along with stints on statewide and legislative races.

Though his four bills, including a funding push for all-day kindergarten, were killed in the process last winter, Hollenbaugh said he worked in subcommittees and by lobbying colleagues from both parties to secure $4.5 million in building money for the University of Montana - Helena College of Technology and to designate the Mike Horse Dam as part of a Natural Resource Damage Program - expediting cleanup of the Upper Blackfoot Watershed.

He said those efforts required "a lot of work with a lot of people, a lot of work on both sides of the aisle."

He also worked to fill a last-minute $400,000 request to fund satellite services for Montana PBS, which abruptly lost its former carrier and had to ask for additional funding through the biennium.

"Public broadcasting is critical in Montana," he said. Hollenbaugh is a PBS viewer and said helping to secure the money was a high point for him last year.

The kindergarten funding, he noted, made it into the state budget during April's special session.

"It's not about getting the headlines," Hollenbaugh said. "It's about getting things done and moving Montana forward.

"If you were sincere and made an effort to work together, you could get your issues a fair hearing," he added.

If elected, Hollenbaugh said, he'd continue to work on one piece of business unfinished last year: the effort to hammer out a state law allowing public access to waterways from bridges on public roads.

"That's a critical piece of public policy that's just got to get passed," he said. "We've got to make sure Montanans have got access to their public lands and public waterways."

Hollenbaugh serves on the county fair board and in the past has held board positions with Intermountain Planned Parenthood and Big Sky Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He's also worked with the Helena Kiwanis.

Click here to visit Galen Hollenbaugh's campaign Web site.

Reporter Larry Kline: 447-4075 or larry.kline@helenair.com