Montana
Montana GOP elects new chair, after rules fight over legislative party split
HELENA — Delegates of the Montana Republican Party gathered in Helena Saturday to choose the party’s next chair – a process that took several hours and rules battles to complete.
The party picked Art Wittich, an attorney and former state lawmaker from Gallatin County, to lead them for the next two years.
(Watch the video to see the debates during Saturday’s party convention.)
Montana GOP elects new chair, after rules fight over legislative party split
Wittich will replace “Don K” Kaltschmidt, who chaired the Montana GOP for the last six years. Over that time, Republicans won all the statewide elections in Montana and held firm control of the state Legislature – but Wittich said Saturday that he doesn’t believe that’s translated into the kind of conservative policy victories they’ve been hoping for.
“We’re not delivering on the full results the voters expect,” he told delegates in a speech before Saturday’s vote. “We are a 55% red state. We did not get 55% ideas out of the Legislature.”
Initially, 241 delegates participated in the party’s officer’s convention. However, almost immediately, there was a rules fight over whether the group of state senators known as “the Nine” should be allowed to vote.
Jonathon Ambarian
The nine senators drew criticism from other Republicans during this year’s legislative session, when they broke with party leadership and sided with Democrats on a series of key procedural votes. In April, the state party’s executive committee released a statement saying they were “no longer considered by the MTGOP as Republicans.”
While Republican elected officials are entitled to vote at the state convention, some delegates challenged the Nine, arguing the April statement meant they were no longer eligible to represent the party.
“It is us who decides who is Republican,” said Rep. Jane Gillette, R-Three Forks. “Our executive board, through the powers vested to them through us electing those leaders, voted to declare the Nine not recognized Republicans in our private association, GOP.”
Kaltschmidt said, regardless of what he thought of the Nine, he didn’t believe party rules allowed him to remove their credentials.
“While the Executive Committee has expressed a clear belief about the senators, the Executive Committee does not have the ability to amend the party’s bylaws unilaterally,” he said. “The nine senators are elected Republicans, and our rules make them members of this convention.”
But delegates forced a roll-call vote on whether to uphold Kaltschmidt’s ruling.
Jonathon Ambarian
Some in attendance said those seeking to remove the Nine were trying to change rules that people had already agreed on.
“Imagine if you were in one of these counties with ‘the Evil Nine,’ and you show up, and you’re not getting that vote for your county, for the representatives that we are to vote on,” said Jason Stephenson, chair of the Big Horn County Republican Central Committee. “So I’m asking you guys, think about fairness.”
But, after 20 minutes of roll-call voting, Kaltschmidt announced 136 delegates had voted to reopen the issue of credentials, with 97 voting to sustain his decision and 3 abstaining. A majority of the body then took a second vote to accept all the delegates except the Nine. The senators – along with proxy voters representing several of them – were asked to give up their seats at the event.
After the rules issues, leaders opened voting for the next party chair. There were four candidates for the position. In addition to Wittich, they included:
- Stacy Zinn, a former state supervisor for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and a 2024 U.S. House candidate for Montana’s eastern district.
- Troy Miller, a financial planner and finance chair for the Gallatin County Republican Party.
- Tanner Smith, an excavation company owner, former state lawmaker and 2024 gubernatorial candidate.
Delegates voted by ballot. No candidate received a majority after the first round, so Wittich and Zinn, the top-two finishers, moved on to a second round.
Jonathon Ambarian
Wittich was backed by some of the most conservative members of the party, including an endorsement from the Montana Freedom Caucus. During his speech before the vote, he criticized the property tax legislation passed during this year’s session, and he said lawmakers haven’t done enough to promote judicial transparency and election integrity. He also said he would establish a “conservative governance committee” that would vet and endorse candidates for office.
“I think that, if we show that conservative governance works – we’re a red state, we could become a bright red state,” he told delegates after his election.
Kaltschmidt told MTN he thought the delegates had made the right selection, and that their actions Saturday signaled that they wanted the party “to unify in the Legislature as well as the voting booth.”
Wittich will be party chair for a two-year term, continuing through the 2026 elections and the 2027 legislative session.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Jan. 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
04-20-38-56-66, Mega Ball: 05
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
01-10-32-37-48, Lucky Ball: 09
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
09-21-27-28, Bonus: 06
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
KALISPELL, Mont. — Two app development teams from Code Girls United won the Congressional App Challenge in both Montana districts.
A team with Lily Kirkaldie, Charlie Kotthoff, and Danica Sabo from Great Falls won with their app ‘Cursive Create’.
The app helps teach cursive writing, which the team said is important since cursive is no longer taught in schools.
Three senior students from Browning High School, Aiyahna Green, Kalani Sun Rhodes, and Keesha Guerrero-Gobert, won with their app ‘Sspomo’.
This app provides awareness and resources for people facing mental health challenges, and was inspired by the Blackfeet tribe.
“They were really thoughtful about their community and what was affecting the people that they knew on the reservation, and what they could actually do to help them,” said Code Girls United CEO Marianne Smith.
“What they were seeing in the community was depression and other mental health issues, so they specifically wanted to create an app that would be able to help people that were in that same situation,” said Smith.
Both teams will travel to Washington D.C. for the National Science Fair’s ‘House of Code’, where they will showcase their apps in the U.S. Capitol.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (1)
The event is scheduled for April 21 and 22.
LIBBY, Mont. — Residents impacted by last December’s flooding and windstorms had the opportunity to get answers Monday as the Montana State Auditor’s Office hosted an open house in Libby.
The event was aimed at helping homeowners across Libby, Troy and the surrounding areas surrounding in Lincoln County navigate insurance claims and recovery efforts following the severe weather that caused widespread damage.
Staff from the Montana State Auditor’s Office were on hand to answer questions from residents dealing with property and casualty insurance claims tied to the storms.
“People here in Libby and Troy and all across Lincoln County were victims of these horrible weather events that we’ve had,” said David Sanders, chief of staff for the Montana State Auditor’s Office. “A lot of people had property and casualty claims on their homes.”
According to the Auditor’s Office, consumer protection and education are key components of the recovery process.
In addition to speaking directly with residents, officials also met with community leaders and toured damaged areas to better understand the impact of the storms.
“We just wanted to make sure that we could pull people together and show them that they are not alone,” Sanders said. “The state government can help them with some of the information they require to put their lives back together.”
The Montana State Auditor’s Office says events like this help connect residents with valuable resources as communities continue to recover from natural disasters.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Residents are encouraged to contact the office directly for additional insurance guidance.
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