Montana Politics: Latest News

A Washington, D.C.-based group has made the first big independent ad buy in Montana’s gubernatorial race, spending nearly $700,000 on ads promoting Democratic candidate Whitney Williams.

For the three Republicans vying to become Montana’s next governor, there’s no shortage of paper trails on their public records, be it voting records or legislative accomplishments.

Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, who’s running for governor, used his Capitol office last month to participate in a campaign conference call, MTN News has learned – a possible violation of state law.

Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Susan Good Geise said Friday she’s withdrawing from the race, because the Covid-19 pandemic will demand all her time as a Lewis and Clark County commissioner.

Montana’s two U.S. senators split their final votes this week on a bill reauthorizing foreign and domestic surveillance rules – but both said the measure doesn’t go far enough in protecting U.S. citizens’ privacy rights.

More than 64,000 Montana voters turned in their ballots during the first five days of mail-voting – likely at least one-fifth of the total votes that will be cast in the Montana all-mail June 2 primary election.

Gov. Steve Bullock and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines are getting ready for an epic showdown this fall, in one of the top U.S. Senate contests in the country – but, first, they have to win a primary election.

“Our state finances were in an historically strong position, heading into this pandemic,” he said.

Montana’s two U.S. senators are behind efforts to boost the prices paid to Montana ranchers, who’ve been hit hard by market forces during the Covid-19 crisis.

In the wake of bitter internal disputes at the state Public Service Commission – and several media requests for documents related to the dispute – a PSC lawyer is asking a district judge to determine which records can be released.

Mail ballots are not going just to those who asked for them, but to all active registered voters.

Montana’s open U.S. House seat has attracted six Republicans trying to succeed incumbent Republican Greg Gianforte – and the conventional wisdom is that state Auditor Matt Rosendale is the one to beat in this crowded GOP field.

In Montana’s often overlooked U.S. House contest, Kathleen Williams is the Democratic heavyweight, rolling up more campaign funds than any other candidate of either party, as she tries for a second time to win the seat she failed to capture in 2018.

A Democratic political-action committee has made the first major independent media buy in Montana’s U.S. Senate race, spending almost $700,000 for an ad attacking Republican Sen. Steve Daines.

A new poll from Montana State University shows Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock leading Republican Sen. Steve Daines by seven percentage points in Montana’s high-profile 2020 U.S. Senate contest.

All three Republican gubernatorial candidates and both Democratic candidates participated in debates during separate broadcasts on Saturday evening.

Watch four of Montana's five gubernatorial candidates scheduled to participate in a virtual debate on Saturday

Independent political-action committees are lining up to spend money in at least two low-profile state primary races in Montana – a practice usually reserved for big-money statewide contests.

In the two-man Republican primary for Montana’s open attorney general seat, both men are calling themselves conservatives – but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

Former Montana congressman Ron Marlenee, a Republican who served for eight terms representing the state’s old eastern district, died Sunday in Bozeman. He was 84.

Less than two weeks from now, on May 8, primary-election ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in Montana – and voters will start choosing the nominees in this under-the-radar yet important race.

While the economy is always a major issue in any gubernatorial race, the coronavirus pandemic and its fallout have made economic recovery the main issue, along with the path forward from the health crisis.

In the first three weeks of his U.S. Senate campaign, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock raised $3.3 million – with one-fourth the money from California and New York, as well as donors from 49 states, an MTN News analysis shows.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte has loaned another $500,000 of his own money to his campaign, increasing his personal contributions to $1.05 million – about a third of his total funding.

Democratic state Rep. Shane Morigeau of Missoula began his campaign for state auditor almost 10 months ago and looked to be the only Democrat in the contest for the open seat.

In the GOP primary race for Montana’s open state auditor seat, two insurance professionals say they don’t see the job as a political stepping stone – a clear jab at the third contender, Bozeman businessman and former U.S. Senate candidate Troy Downing.

Democrat Kathleen Williams out-raised all candidates in the crowded 2020 field for Montana’s U.S. House seat during the first three months of this year – and bested the top Republican in the race by an almost 2-to-1 margin.

New Approach Montana filed the lawsuit against the state and Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton.