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HELENA — In addition to all the statewide elections Montanans will be voting in this year, they’ll also be choosing 125 state lawmakers.

Half of the Montana Senate and the entire Montana House will be up for election, and we already know there will be some differences in the Legislature when they arrive for their 2025 session.

The most obvious change for many Montana voters will be that the legislative districts they live in may have changed. This will be the first election cycle under the new district lines that the Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission finalized last year. All 100 House districts and 50 Senate districts have to be redrawn every ten years, after the release of federal census data, to account for shifting populations.

Along with the new lines, there are also going to be more contested legislative primaries this year than in 2022. Out of the 125 races, 44 feature at least two Republican candidates, and 15 have multiple Democrats. That’s compared to 31 contested GOP races and 13 Democratic primaries last election.

Cascade County alone has seven contested Republican primaries, and Flathead County has six. Gallatin, Missoula and Lewis and Clark Counties each have three contested Democratic primaries.

The new lines have many incumbent lawmakers shuffling around and seeking to represent a wholly or partly different district. In addition, in 23 races, an incumbent is facing at least one challenger.

Four districts across the state have two current lawmakers facing off in their primaries – all of them Republicans.

Current Reps. Caleb Hinkle, R-Belgrade, and Jennifer Carlson, R-Manhattan, are running against each other in House District 68, in northwest Gallatin County. Additionally, former House Speaker and Senate President Scott Sales is also in the GOP primary there.

Two House members – Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls, and Rep. Josh Kassmier, R-Fort Benton – are facing off for an open Senate seat in Senate District 13, which covers Chouteau County and much of rural Cascade County.

In Ravalli County, Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, is running for reelection in Senate District 44. She’s being challenged by Rep. Wayne Rusk, R-Corvallis, as well as a third GOP candidate, Brad Davis of Victor.

In Senate District 38, which covers Powell, Granite and Jefferson Counties, Sen. Becky Beard, R-Elliston, is running for a full term after being appointed to the Senate. The other candidates in the primary include Rep. Greg Frazer, R-Deer Lodge, and Jeremy Mygland of East Helena.

Also of note this year, Gov. Greg Gianforte is weighing in on GOP legislative primaries, giving his endorsement to 58 candidates across the state – including 24 in contested races, and 3 challengers to incumbents. Gianforte backed Sales over Hinkle and Carlson, Kyle McMurray over Rep. Jane Gillette and Randyn Gregg over Rep. James Bergstrom.

Montana Legislative Primaries with Multiple Candidates:

Republicans:

• House District 2 (Southern Lincoln County and Marion): Thomas Jenkins, Tom Millett
• House District 7 (Kalispell): Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, Shaun Pandina
• House District 8 (Evergreen): Rep. Tony Brockman, Lukas Schubert
• House District 9 (Lakeside and Somers): Lee Huestis, Steven Kelly
• House District 11 (Eastern Flathead County): Ed Byrne, Rob Tracy
• House District 16 (Glacier County): Rolland Heagy, Elaine Utterback Mitchell
• House District 18 (Toole and Pondera Counties and part of Teton County): Rep. Llew Jones, James Coombs
• House District 19 (Great Falls): Derren Auger, Hannah Trebas
• House District 20 (Great Falls): Rep. Steven Galloway, Elizabeth Nikolakakos
• House District 21 (Black Eagle): Rep. Ed Buttrey, James Osterman
• House District 22 (Great Falls): Rep. George Nikolakakos, Jim Whitaker
• House District 23 (Great Falls): Pete Anderson, Josh Denully, John Proud, Eric Tilleman
• House District 26 (Chouteau County and parts of Cascade County): Rep. Russ Miner, Dana Darlington
• House District 28 (Hi-Line): Eric Albus, former Rep. Wayne Stahl, Mark Wicks
• House District 29 (Northeastern Montana): Miles Knudsen, Valerie Moore
• House District 33 (Dawson County and southern Richland County): Rep. Brandon Ler, Kathy Hoiland
• House District 38 (Musselshell, Golden Valley and northern Yellowstone Counties): Rep. Greg Oblander, Nancy Kemler
• House District 40 (Lockwood): Mike Vinton, Josh Visocan
• House District 47 (Billings): Thomas Mahon, Stephanie Moncada
• House District 53 (Yellowstone County): Rep. Nelly Nicol, David Austin
• House District 55 (Carbon County): Rep. Brad Barker, Lisa Bennett, Mary Horman
• House District 63 (Bozeman): Joe Flynn, Mark Lewis
• House District 68 (Gallatin County): Rep. Caleb Hinkle, Rep. Jennifer Carlson, former Sen. Scott Sales
• House District 70 (Beaverhead County): Mike Klakken, Shannon Maness, Mary Ann Nicholas
• House District 76 (Powell and Granite Counties): Rep. John Fitzpatrick, Dave Kesler
• House District 77 (Broadwater County, Three Forks and Manhattan): Rep. Jane Gillette, Kyle McMurray
• House District 78 (Central Montana): Rep. James Bergstrom, Randyn Gregg
• House District 79 (Lewis and Clark County): Demetri Joslin, Jill Sark
• House District 83 (Helena and East Helena): Wes Feist, Christopher St. Jean
• House District 84 (Helena Valley): Rep. Julie Dooling, Jon Jackson
• House District 85 (Southern Ravalli County): Rep. Michele Binkley, Kathy Love
• House District 86 (Hamilton): Rep. David Bedey, Robert Wallace
• House District 88 (Northern Ravalli County): Kim Dailey, Greg Overstreet
• House District 90 (Mineral County and parts of Missoula and Sanders Counties): Curtis Cochran, Steven Delisle, Jeff Stanek
• Senate District 5 (Southern Flathead County): Marquis Laude, Rep. Matt Regier
• Senate District 13 (Chouteau County and parts of Cascade County): Rep. Josh Kassmier, Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway
• Senate District 15 (Northeastern Montana): Gregg Hunter, Rep. Rhonda Knudsen
• Senate District 17 (Southeast Montana): Mike Newton, Rep. Bob Phalen
• Senate District 27 (Laurel): Sen. Chris Friedel, former Rep. Vince Ricci
• Senate District 35 (Madison and Beaverhead Counties): Mark McGinley, former Rep. Ray Shaw, Tony Tezak
• Senate District 38 (Powell, Granite and Jefferson Counties): Sen. Becky Beard, Rep. Greg Frazer, Jeremy Mygland
• Senate District 44 (Northern Ravalli County): Sen. Theresa Manzella, Brad Davis, Rep. Wayne Rusk
• Senate District 45 (Mineral County and parts of Missoula and Sanders Counties): Rep. Denley Loge, AnnaMarie White
• Senate District 47 (Missoula): Abigail Maki, Erica Siate

Democrats

• House District 3 (Whitefish and West Glacier): Former Rep. Debo Powers, Guthrie Quist
• House District 31 (Fort Peck and Fort Belknap): Rep. Frank Smith, Lance FourStar
• House District 58 (Livingston): Jamie Isaly, Dean Williamson
• House District 62 (Bozeman): Rio Roland, Josh Seckinger
• House District 63 (Bozeman): John Hansen, Peter Strand
• House District 65 (Bozeman): Brian Close, Anja Wookey-Huffman
• House District 79 (Lewis and Clark County): Emily Harris, Luke Muszkiewicz, Anne Woodland
• House District 82 (Helena): Pete Elverum, SK Rossi
• House District 84 (Helena Valley): Michele Crepeau, David Williams
• House District 97 (Missoula): Melody Cunningham, Lisa Verlanic Fowler
• House District 100 (Missoula): Rep. SJ Howell, Tim Garrison
• Senate District 16 (Fort Peck, Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy’s): Former Rep. Bridget Smith, Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy
• Senate District 21 (Crow and Northern Cheyenne): Former Rep. Rae Peppers, Rep. Sharon Stewart-Peregoy
• Senate District 36 (Butte and Anaconda): Former Rep. Sara Novak, former Sen. Jessica Wicks
• Senate District 46 (Parts of Missoula, Lake and Sanders Counties): Jacinda Morigeau, CB Pearson

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — From a ranch in one of America’s largest and newest congressional districts, where agriculture and Republicans dominate, a retired six-term Montana lawmaker and grandfather is taking an unlikely path in search of a political comeback.

Former U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, 68, is more than a decade removed from a failed U.S. Senate bid.

Now in a crowded field for an open seat without a clear frontrunner, he’s raised little money, hasn’t shown up much on the campaign trail and skipped the only broadcast debate leading up to Tuesday’s Republican primary.

Rehberg jumped into the race after firebrand conservative incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale dropped out amid clashes with party leaders.

His opponents suggest Rehberg’s time has passed. And he’s been vastly outspent by opponent Troy Downing, the state’s insurance commissioner, whose donations and loans to his own campaign equal the campaign chests of the other candidates combined.

Election to the House has historically offered Montana politicians a springboard to higher office including U.S. Senate, governor and the White House Cabinet. The district was created following the 2020 Census when population growth earned Montana a second seat in the House.

During an interview at his house on the outskirts of Billings, Montana’s largest city, Rehberg repeatedly held up a book by former Trump administration Interior Secretary David Barnhardt. But he told The Associated Press that unlike former President Donald Trump or Rosendale — who drew backlash for helping oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — he’s not a “bomb thrower.”

“If that’s what the people of Montana want, I’m not it,” Rehberg said.

“I want to work within the system,” he added. “And I don’t think that throwing bombs is the best way.”

Rehberg cited his grandchildren and the chance to make a difference in their lives as his motivation for running. He might also be seeking to rehabilitate his image after his bruising last race, said Montana State University political scientist Eric Raile.

“The 2012 U.S. Senate election against Jon Tester was a rough one,” Raile said.

The congressional district sprawls across across more than 100,000 square miles (260,000 square kilometers) of mostly open space from the North Dakota border to Helena. Its voters are overwhelmingly white. About 7% are Native American.

Rehberg, Downing and state schools Superintendent Elsie Arntzen have infused their campaigns with hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal loans as they compete in a seven-way competition that includes state Senate President Pro Tempore Ken Bogner and former state Rep. Joel Krautter, who is backed by a former Republican governor.

Downing, whose loans top $1 million, has also benefited from almost $500,000 in spending on his behalf by a Washington, D.C.-area political group, the Defend American Jobs SuperPAC, that’s funded largely by California-based donors, federal election data shows. He told the AP that he wouldn’t join the conservative Freedom Caucus, as Rosendale did.

“I don’t ever want to be in a position where I am representing a caucus rather than my constituents,” he said.

Arntzen is perhaps the most conservative of the candidates in Montana’s primary.

“Recognizing who Montana is right now means that we are based on Christian faith, we are based on freedoms, we are based very much on local government control and not a top down, heavy mandate,” said Arntzen, who opposes transgender girls participating in girls’ athletics.

Rehberg is optimistic Montana residents will remember him despite his long absence from politics. Since his 2012 loss, Rehberg started and shuttered a string of fast food franchises and lost vision in one eye. His wife Jan — his sole campaign volunteer — drives him at night, Rehberg said.

“My philosophy hasn’t changed since I first ran in 1984. I’m the same person as when I first ran for office,” he said. “A little older.”

___

Hanson reported from Helena, Montana.