Montana Politics: Latest News

The state’s top campaign-law enforcer on Friday rejected a complaint alleging that Democratic attorney general candidate Raph Graybill is not eligible for the ballot.

Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins on Thursday became the fourth Democrat to file for Montana’s 2020 U.S. Senate race, saying it’s his way of repaying a state that changed his life.

As NorthWestern Energy seeks to acquire more power for its Montana customers, it’s already charging some of the highest electric rates in the region, among major utilities, an MTN News analysis shows.

Emails from Public Service Commissioner Roger Koopman’s state account – that ended up being posted in January on a conservative news website in Kalispell – were initially obtained by a records requests by a fellow commissioner.

NorthWestern Energy’s plan to add substantial new power sources for its Montana electric customers is unduly slanted toward fossil-fuel plants, and undervalues other more affordable options, says a report commissioned by the state Public Service Commission.

The cost of housing in Montana – or, in many parts of the nation – is becoming a crisis-level problem that needs to be addressed, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester said Thursday, as he convened a “housing summit” in Helena.

A second Republican and political newcomer has entered Montana’s U.S. Senate race, challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Steve Daines in the primary.

The Montana Public Service Commission Tuesday agreed, for now, to prevent the public from seeing the price of NorthWestern Energy’s new coal-supply contract for the Colstrip 4 power plant.

Republican leaders in the Montana House asked Garcia to resign after comments earlier this month where he said socialists should “go to prison” or be shot.

A group other than the Montana Green Party has been attempting to qualify the party for the 2020 ballot in Montana – but it’s not clear who.

Three-dozen of Public Service Commissioner Roger Koopman's emails from his state office account have been posted on news website, after they’d been acquired without his knowledge or permission. Now, the PSC officials are investigating how it happened.

The wealthiest candidate in Montana’s 2020 U.S. Senate contest is the incumbent, Republican Steve Daines, whose assets are worth between $7 million and $26 million, according to financial-disclosure reports.

Democrat Cora Neumann of Bozeman has become the second Democrat to file for Montana’s 2020 U.S. Senate race, competing for her party’s nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Steve Daines.

Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines has surpassed $6.6 million in campaign funds for his 2020 re-election effort, dwarfing potential opponents – but a relatively small amount of that money is from Montana.

Democratic attorney general candidate Raph Graybill is not eligible for the ballot because he hasn’t actively practiced law in Montana for five years, says a complaint filed this week with the state political practices office.

Republican Matt Rosendale and Democrat Kathleen Williams have each notched $1 million in campaign funds, but an MTN News analysis shows that Williams is getting far more of her money and donors from Montanans, than Rosendale.

Montana’s two U.S. senators couldn’t be further apart on whether to convict President Trump on impeachment charges, as they laid out in speeches Tuesday on the Senate floor.

Republican leaders of the Montana House Monday asked state Rep. Rodney Garcia, R-Billings, to resign, after his comments this past weekend that socialists should “go to prison” or be shot.

Montana House Minority Leader Casey Schreiner said Monday he’s dropping out of the 2020 race for governor, leaving just two announced Democrats still in the hunt for the open governor’s seat.

Montana’s two U.S. senators split their votes Friday evening on whether to call new witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Trump, with Republican Steve Daines voting against adding witnesses and Tester voting to call them.

The Trump administration’s proposal this week to allow states to cap Medicaid spending for the poor can’t affect Montana any time soon – but that didn’t stop Gov. Steve Bullock from denouncing it as a bad idea on Friday.

While Greg Gianforte has plenty of personal wealth to finance his second run for Montana governor, so far he’s accumulated 2020’s biggest gubernatorial campaign bankroll the old-fashioned way: From hundreds of Montana donors.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Fox unveiled former state Rep. Jon Knokey of Bozeman as his running mate Wednesday.

Montana’s top electoral contest in 2020 is the open governor’s chair – and the GOP primary is creating most of the early buzz, as three prominent Republicans duke it out for the chance to catapult their party into the office for the first time in 16 years.

Rancher Matt Rains, one of three Democrats in the 2020 race for Montana’s only U.S. House seat, said Tuesday he’s dropping out of the contest and endorsing fellow Democrat Kathleen Williams.

A Montana case that’s become a politically charged battle over public aid to church-affiliated schools is before the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday, as school-choice advocates ask the court to strike down Montana’s constitutional ban on the aid.

Republican state Sen. Al Olszewski on Friday became the first 2020 Montana gubernatorial candidate to officially file, joined by his running mate, state Sen. Kenneth Bogner of Miles City.

Montana’s top Democratic state officeholder – U.S. Sen. Jon Tester – on Friday endorsed Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney in the contested Democratic primary for governor.