Montana
State Sen. Windy Boy joins race for eastern congressional seat • Daily Montanan
Montana state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, announced on Tuesday he is joining the race for Montana’s eastern congressional district for the chance to run against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Downing.
In a press release announcing his candidacy, Windy Boy said he would bring leadership grounded in experience, effectiveness and a deep understanding of the state’s communities to the job if elected.
“My record shows that I don’t just talk about solutions, I pass them, ” Windy Boy said. “I’ve worked across party lines to get legislation to the finish line, and I will bring that same effectiveness to Congress.”
Windy Boy has held a legislative office since 2008 when he first won a seat in the state Senate. He served two terms in the state Senate and four terms in the state House before returning to the Senate in the 2025 session. At the end of the session, he was honored as the incoming Dean of the Senate for 2027, an unofficial title bestowed on the longest-serving member of the chamber.
Across his 24 years of service in Montana, Windy Boy said he has focused on bipartisan collaboration to pass legislation that strengthens the economy and provides measurable outcomes for Montanans.
The eastern congressional district includes five of the state’s Tribal reservations — Rocky Boy, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Crow, and Northern Cheyenne — and the state’s largest city and its capital.
“I am running to ensure that every Montanan, rural and urban, Tribal and non-Tribal, has a voice in Washington,” Windy Boy said. “I approach every bill with one question: Does this make sense for Montana? If it strengthens our communities, protects our freedoms, and builds economic opportunity, I will support it.”
Windy Boy described himself in a press release as a “moderate, pro-life Democrat and an independent thinker.”
Among his priorities for his campaign are ensuring tribal communities have strong representation, improved access to resources, and a meaningful seat at the table in federal policy decisions; protecting and strengthening Medicaid to ensure rural hospitals remain open and families have access to affordable care; supporting public education while advancing innovative solutions that expand opportunity for Montana students; and reducing business equipment taxes and supporting policies that allow Montana farmers, ranchers and small businesses to thrive.
“If we stay on the same course, Montana families will continue to feel the consequences,” he said. “We need leadership that understands Montana values and delivers real results.”
Downing won his race for Congress with nearly 66% of the vote in 2024.
Windy Boy joins a Democratic primary field that includes Brian Miller of Helena and Sam Lux of Great Falls.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing
12-29-37-43-55, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from July 8 drawing
17-26-31-32-37, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from July 8 drawing
03-13-16-17, Bonus: 10
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from July 8 drawing
06-27-33-44-69, Powerball: 23
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from July 8 drawing
08-16-17-22-27
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing
16-18-43-48-50, Bonus: 01
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.
HELENA, Mont — Gov. Greg Gianforte is backing a new effort to keep data centers from driving up Montanans’ power bills.
This week, Gianforte announced Montana is signing on to the Ratepayer Protection Pledge — an initiative endorsed by President Trump.
Several major technology companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and XAI first signed the pledge back in March.
The pledge comes as data center development continues to grow — raising questions about how much new energy will be needed and who will pay for it.
NBC Montana spoke with Julia Haggerty, professor of geography and department head of earth sciences at Montana State University, about whether Montana’s power grid is ready for that growth.
“Not without resolution of significant transmission bottlenecks and massive amounts of new generation. So, while our grid is adequately, relatively adequately equipped to serve the needs of our current load base, it’s definitely not equipped to accommodate the new demands without a lot of expansion,” she said.
According to the pledge, data center developers will pay for new power generation, and infrastructure needed to support their operations.
“It does align with ongoing regulatory efforts to ensure that the cost of new generation associated with data centers is borne by the developers of those data centers and not customers,” Haggerty said.
The governor’s office says Gianforte’s support of the pledge is designed to encourage responsible data center investments while protecting Montana ratepayers from long-term costs.
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