Montana

Busy making Montana great

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

In our minds, Montana is already the greatest state in the nation. However, our state will be even greater by the end of the 2025 legislative session. At the halfway point of the session, the Senate is working harder than ever to move critical legislation across the finish line and keep Montana the Last Best Place.

Tax reform has been a top priority this session; every lawmaker here can confirm that the people of Montana are eager to keep more of their hard-earned money. We have already advanced several pieces of legislation to accomplish this, including measures to provide property tax relief for Montanans using money that tourists pay when they visit and increasing transparency on local property tax levies that are up to voters.

In addition to providing tax relief, we are also focused on making housing more affordable and available so that Montana families can find a home. The Senate has passed a handful of bipartisan pro-housing bills this session in an effort to continue the “Montana Miracle” on housing policy that we started last session. These reforms are designed to increase the supply of affordable and attainable housing without urban sprawl that would decimate our agricultural lands and cherished open space.

Moreover, we passed legislation to protect private property, such as a bill to make squatting a criminal offense, safeguarding Montanans against the illegal takeover of their homes. We also passed legislation to revise zoning laws to favor more freedom to use your own property.

To make sure that the laws we pass are not unduly shot down by overreaching courts, we are also advancing a series of important judicial reform bills. We passed legislation to bolster honesty in our judicial races by having judge candidates transparently declare their political affiliations and advanced a bill to create a new Government Claims Court to expeditiously resolve critical constitutional cases while easing the workload of other courts, among many other reforms.

After the “transmittal break” at the halfway point of the session, we’re looking forward to taking up reforms proposed by the House of Representatives on education and school funding, reviewing every detail of the state budget, and fulfilling the Senate’s constitutional duty to confirm gubernatorial appointments.

You can stay informed about our work in the second half of the session by subscribing to our newsletter or tracking legislation at bills.legmt.gov. It has never been easier to stay engaged and watch as we make — or rather, keep — Montana great.

Sen. Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, is the president of the Montana Senate; Sen. Ken Bogner, R-Miles City, is the president Pro Tempore; Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, is the Senate Majority Leader; Sens. Sue Vinton, Barry Usher, Daniel Zolnikov and Dennis Lenz are the Senate’s majority whips.

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Montana

Montana finalizes 2026 primary candidate list

Published

4 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Montana finalizes 2026 primary candidate list

HELENA, Mont. — Montana’s 2026 primary election ballot is taking shape after a busy candidate filing period that drew hundreds of hopefuls.

Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana election team finalized the list of candidates after 380 total candidates filed between Feb. 17 and March 4. Of those candidates, 19 withdrew from their races.

Six independent candidates are still waiting to qualify via petition before being added to the general election ballot.

The following was sent out by the Office of the Montana Secretary of State:

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and the Montana Election Team have completed ballot certification for Montana’s 2026 Primary Election, finalizing the list of candidates who will appear before voters on Tuesday, June 2.

Pursuant to Montana law, county election administrators certify local candidates for the primary ballot in their respective counties, while the Secretary of State’s Office certifies the names and designations of statewide and state district candidates, including candidates for federal, legislative, and certain judicial offices.

The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) notified the Secretary of State’s Office and the county election administrators of any candidate(s) whose name(s) may not appear on the ballot pursuant to Montana law.

“The ballot certification process is a key step in ensuring Montana’s elections are accurate, secure, and transparent,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “I’m grateful to our state election officials and the county election administrators and their teams across the state for their hard work preparing for the 2026 Primary Election.”

A total of 380 candidates filed with the Secretary of State’s Office during the candidate filing period (Tuesday, February 17 – Wednesday, March 4). Several candidates withdrew from their respective races, while Independent candidates are pending petition requirements to qualify for the general election ballot.

Filings with the Secretary of State’s Office included:

United States Senator: Twelve total candidates filed for the office, though one withdrew and one is pending petition requirements. Five Democrats, three Republicans, and two Libertarians will appear on Montanans’ Primary Election ballots. One Independent candidate must meet Montana’s petition requirements.
United States Representative: Sixteen total filings in the 1st and 2nd Congressional races.
1st Congressional (MT-01) Ten candidates submitted paperwork for the Congressional seat – four Democrats, four Republicans, and one Libertarian. One Independent candidate must meet petition requirements. The incumbent did not file for re-election.
2nd Congressional (MT-02) Six candidates submitted filing paperwork, including the incumbent, who is the lone Republican to file for the race. Three Democrats and one Libertarian filed, while one Independent also submitted their paperwork for the race and is pending petition requirements.
Public Service Commission: Seven candidates will appear on the ballot for the two PSC seats.
PSC District 1: Two Republicans and one Democrat will appear before voters for the open seat.
PSC District 5: The incumbent is one of three Republicans to file for the seat, while one Democrat also filed.
Supreme Court Justice: Two candidates filed for the Supreme Court Justice No. 4 race – Judge Dan Wilson was the first to file for Montana’s high court, and Judge Amy Eddy followed suit later the same day.
District Court Judge: Thirteen candidates submitted filings, including several judges currently on the bench.
Legislature: The majority of candidate filings were for Legislative seats, where 329 total filings were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office, nearly 130 of which came on the opening day.
Montana State Senate: Sixty-six candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election, including more than 10 incumbents.
Montana State House: A total of 235 candidates qualified for the 2026 Primary Election. Three Independent candidates are pending petition requirements. Dozens of incumbents filed for re-election.

For more information, visit the candidate filing page on the Secretary of State’s website at https://sosmt.gov/elections/filing/.

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Montana

Missoula and Western Montana neighbors: Obituaries for March 20

Published

16 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Missoula and Western Montana neighbors: Obituaries for March 20

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Montana

Montana smokejumper Sam Forstag aims to flip House seat blue

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

Montana smokejumper Sam Forstag aims to flip House seat blue

Montana hasn’t elected a Democrat to the House since the late 1990s. Smokejumper Sam Forstag, who jumps out of planes into the remote wilderness to put out wildfires, is trying to change that. Forstag joins “The Takeout” to lay out his progressive campaign in the deep-red state.

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