Montana Politics: Latest News

Senate President Scott Sales of Bozeman was the first Republican to jump into the race for Montana’s open secretary of state seat last year – but was hardly the last.

Gov. Steve Bullock, who launched his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines last month, raised $3.3 million in campaign funds in the first three weeks of his candidacy, his campaign reported Wednesday.

Montana’s Republican legislative leaders issued a strongly worded letter to Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock Tuesday, asking him to rescind some of his coronavirus directives and consider easing restrictions in some counties.

In the past three months, investment funds owned by U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte have bought stock in several pharmaceutical and consulting firms doing work related to the coronavirus outbreak.

All 56 Montana counties are planning to use mail ballots only for the June 2 primary election, to avoid having polls open and possibly exposing voters and poll workers to the coronavirus, the secretary of state’s office said Monday.

With 60 days until Montana’s 2020 primary election, candidates in several high-profile state contests should be poised for the home-stretch campaign – but, when it comes to traditional campaigning? Forget it.

As Montana prepares to receive $1.25 billion in federal aid for coronavirus expenses, state legislative leaders are meeting Tuesday to discuss the process for spending the money.

Montana’s two U.S. senators on Wednesday touted and voted for the $2.2 trillion stimulus package, which they described as a lifeline for Montana workers, businesses, health-care providers and local governments during the coronavirus outbreak besieging the nation.

Dennis Daneke, one of two Green Party candidates in Montana’s 2020 U.S. Senate race, has a message you won’t hear from many candidates: “Please do not vote for me.”

The Montana Republican Party helped finance the effort to qualify the Green Party for Montana’s 2020 elections, paying $100,000 to groups that hired or financed mostly out-of-state signature-gathers, MTN News has learned.

Montana’s two U.S. senators split their votes Monday on the massive economic-stimulus bill to address impacts from the coronavirus outbreak, reflecting the bitter partisan divide that doomed the measure for now.

Republican Greg Gianforte is continuing his prodigious fundraising in Montana’s 2020 gubernatorial race, blowing past $2 million for the campaign during the first two-and-a-half months this year – including a $500,000 loan he made to the campaign in February.

Lewis and Clark County Commissioner Susan Good Geise said Wednesday she’ll be the Libertarian Party’s new candidate in Montana’s U.S. Senate race – replacing a last-minute withdrawal.

At least three statewide candidates are calling for the June 2 primary election to be conducted entirely, or almost entirely, with mailed ballots, to avoid infecting voters or election judges with the coronavirus.

Gov. Steve Bullock said Monday he realizes that steps to limit the spread of coronavirus are creating hardships for families and businesses across the state, but that they’re vital to keep new cases to a minimum.

In an unusual development in Montana’s high-profile U.S. Senate race, the Montana Libertarian Party announced Sunday it will name a new candidate to replace one who filed and then dropped out shortly before the filing deadline last Monday.

Concerns about coronavirus are being felt on the Montana campaign trail, as several candidates for statewide office said Friday they’re postponing most public events.

The Montana ACLU and Native American voting-rights advocates filed suit Thursday to overturn a new state law that restricts who can turn in voted ballots, saying it effectively prevents many Native Americans from voting.

Gov. Steve Bullock’s entry into the U.S. Senate race dominated the news on the final day of candidate filing for Montana’s 2020 elections – but it wasn’t the only unusual turn of events in the political landscape that day.

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines' race for re-election has been reshaped with Gov. Steve Bullock now in the running.

There has been a significant shakeup Monday morning in Montana's U.S. Senate race. Governor Steve Bullock announced that he would enter the contest.

Republican Jon Bennion paid his filing fee Thursday morning to join the race for Montana's next Attorney General.

As speculation continued Friday that Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock may enter Montana’s 2020 U.S. Senate race by next week, neither the governor nor his staff would talk about it.

The Green Party qualified Friday as a political party for Montana’s 2020 election, allowing candidates to file under its party banner this year – although the party itself has denied any involvement in the effort.

Democrat Tom Winter filed Thursday night to run for Montana’s sole U.S. House seat, becoming the second Democrat and seventh candidate overall in the crowded race.

Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock apparently will enter Montana’s U.S. Senate race, to challenge Republican Sen. Steve Daines, transforming the contest into one of the nation’s marquee electoral battles, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

A National Guard veteran and counselor at the Montana Youth Challenge program in Dillon has become a surprise candidate in Montana’s crowded 2020 U.S. House race, filing last week as a Republican.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Whitney Williams named northeastern Montana farmer Buzz Mattelin as her running mate Monday, completing the field for the state’s top 2020 electoral contest.

On Sunday, U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte (R-MT) announced Great Falls lawyer Kristen Juras as his running mate in the GOP primary election for governor.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Cooney on Friday named a former rival as his running mate: House Minority Leader Casey Schreiner, who ended his own run for governor less than four weeks ago.