Montana
Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg visits Montana, celebrates infrastructure investments • Daily Montanan
MISSOULA — Touting $5.3 billion of federal dollars coming to Montana, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said Monday investments in airport, road and other infrastructure projects have been sorely needed, already are having a positive effect, and are at amounts unprecedented in his lifetime.
Buttigieg spoke briefly at Missoula Montana Airport, which received $17 million from the federal Department of Transportation for the second phase of a terminal construction project. It opened a new $67 million terminal in 2022.
The airport has seen record growth in passengers in recent years. It remains a hardhat zone for the second phase of work, but director Brian Ellestad said it already has received wide recognition: Newsweek recently named Missoula Montana Airport a finalist for best small airport in the U.S.
To a group of local and state officials including legislators and city and county leaders, Buttigieg said partnerships between Montanans and federal officials were key to completing the terminal, as was the union labor that built it.
“We always love hearing about a project that comes in under budget on federal dollars,” Buttigieg said.
Over the years, the airport expanded since it opened with funds approved through President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1938, he said. However, he said the upgrades haven’t kept pace with growth in western Montana.
Along the way, lots of people wanted to fly to Missoula — “for reasons that I now understand better” — but doing so was cost prohibitive. He said the federal investments help needed expansion, which attracts airlines, which in turn creates competition and drives down ticket prices.
Investments in Montana airports are important to the economy so the Treasure State can do business with the rest of the nation, said Brian Sprenger, president and CEO of the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, the busiest in the state.
In a phone interview, Sprenger said Montana is remote — the only state in the lower 48 that’s not contiguous to a state with a city of a million or more — and air travel is critical to business.
“It’s the only way we can get things done relatively quickly is by being connected to the outside world,” Sprenger said.
According to the Department of Transportation, the Biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law is funding more than 508 specific projects in Montana. At the event, Buttigieg said federal support includes $2.4 billion in road modernization.
Buttigieg also highlighted a $24 million award to change U.S. Highway 200 near East Missoula from “a thoroughfare that bisects the community” into a main street that’s safer for bikers and pedestrians, along with $25 million going to a downtown Missoula project, and other initiatives.
“It’s a level of financial support from the federal government that we haven’t seen in my lifetime,” he said.
The DOT estimated $2 billion is going toward clean water and water infrastructure.
The investments are already translating into paychecks that mean people can buy Christmas presents or own a new home, Buttigieg said. He said the number of total construction jobs hit 8 million in September and has been reaching new records every month since.
Buttigieg also said he wanted to acknowledge Montana’s federal delegation and specifically U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, for the bipartisan infrastructure law. He said people such as Tester saw that Democrats and Republicans who didn’t agree on much could agree on funding for infrastructure.
“FDR had the New Deal,” Buttigieg said. “I call this infrastructure package the Big Deal — because it is a big deal … I think it recalls the best in the American tradition, which is having big visions and big aspirations and then going after how to get them done.”
Of the 51,000 projects the transportation department is funding, Buttigieg said not one of them was dreamed up from within agency headquarters. Instead, he said all of them came from community.
“And that’s how it ought to be,” Buttigieg said.
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
Brian Sprenger, president and CEO of the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, said Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg isn’t stopping at Montana’s busiest airport this time, but Bozeman hopes to have him drop by in the future.
The airport in Bozeman anticipates it will handle 65% more passengers than it did in 2019, Sprenger said.
It also has undertaken expansions and upgrades, including a new $22 million baggage system. He said a major terminal project is kicking off, and the airport is also improving its airfield.
“We’re having a lot more aircraft than we were seeing as well,” Sprenger said.
He said the airport has received an estimated $14 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Montana Fact Sheet from DOT
Although newly minted GOP candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have garnered heavyweight endorsements, the Montana Republican Party said Thursday it won’t throw its support behind any candidates for federal office in the primary.
“The Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) stands behind its deep bench of qualified candidates seeking to represent Montanans and supports a competitive primary process to let voters pick their preferred candidates,” the Montana GOP said in a news release Thursday.
Monday, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke announced he was retiring due to health concerns once his term ends, and he immediately tapped talk-show host Aaron Flint as his preferred successor in Congress.
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and Flathead County Republican Central Committee Chairperson Al Olszewski also filed for the U.S. House as Republicans, as did Ray Curtis of Bonner.
Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines withdrew, and in a statement the same night, announced an endorsement of former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who had filed the same day.
In the Senate, Lee Calhoun and Charles Walking Child also filed to run in the Republican primary.
Endorsements for Flint and Alme cascaded. U.S. President Donald Trump endorsed both candidates, and U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and Gov. Greg Gianforte threw their weight behind Flint and Alme.
Late on Wednesday, the Montana GOP did not immediately have comment on the news Daines, Montana’s senior U.S. senator, had resigned, but Thursday, the party thanked Zinke and Daines for their service.
A news release said the party would not endorse any candidates in the federal primary and would leave the job in the hands of voters.
“The party hopes every candidate will make their case to the public, contrasting their Republican policies and principles with those of Democrats — as well as phony ‘Independents,’” the news release said.
Former University of Montana President Seth Bodnar announced a run for the U.S. Senate as an independent this week.
A tension within the Republican party has emerged in recent years between hardline conservatives and more moderate members, and some legislative primaries illustrate the split.
This week, the state GOP said the number of primaries for state legislative seats shows a high interest from Montanans who want to serve the state and pass Republican policy, and the MTGOP “is glad to see so many Republicans being called to public service.”
In a brief call, MTGOP spokesperson Ethan Holmes said the party had not ruled out endorsements in legislative primaries.
In the news release, however, the MTGOP offered its view of the larger political debate.
“Montana voters know that beyond the primaries, there is a clear choice between Republican and Democratic governance; one path leads to lower taxes, less crime and stronger families, and the other leads to higher taxes, more crime, and social decay,” MTGOP Chairperson Art Wittich said in a statement.
The news release also said the state GOP is working “tirelessly to deliver a Bright Red Future” at both the state and federal level and looks forward to help candidates whom voters select win in November.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing
07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 4 drawing
33-38-39-47-51, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 4 drawing
01-07-08-27, Bonus: 12
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing
05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from March 4 drawing
03-04-06-08-10
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 4 drawing
12-13-36-39-58, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
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.
The search for a new University of Montana president has drawn more than 60 applicants, according to a spokesperson for the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.
“We do not have an exact count at this time, as several applications are still being completed and additional submissions are expected,” said spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner Galen Hollenbaugh in an email earlier this week.
In January, then-UM-President Seth Bodnar announced his resignation to pursue other public service. Wednesday, the final day of filing, he announced he was running as an independent for the U.S. Senate to try to unseat Republican incumbent Steve Daines.
Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian earlier said that with the advice of AGB Search, a firm that’s helped the Montana University System conduct other executive searches, he would undertake an expedited process to appoint a new president.
Christian has been providing brief updates on a website dedicated to the search. Last week, he said he and AGB Search are reviewing applications, and the pool of candidates was “strong and diverse.”
The commissioner also announced he was convening a small working group to assist in the search, members who “represent a variety of perspectives to assist in vetting and narrowing this field of exceptional candidates.”
In an email this week, Hollenbaugh identified the members of the working group who are assisting Christian with application review as:
- Community member and former Regent Joyce Dombrouski
- Faculty Senate Chairperson Valerie Moody
- Staff Senate President Dominic Beccari
- Administration Representative John DeBoer (Vice President of Academic Affairs)
- ASUM (Associated Students of the University of Montana) President Buddy Wilson
Hollenbaugh declined to comment on the way the rest of the process would unfold or the role the working group members would play.
Christian earlier said he anticipated an appointment within one to three months, or as soon as early this month.
RI Lottery Numbers Midday, Numbers Evening winning numbers for March 5, 2026
South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 5, 2026
SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 5, 2026
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