Tag: montana
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Sen. Steve Daines becomes the 10th U.S. senator to announce he won't seek re-election in 2026
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) announced on March 4, 2026, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2026. In announcing his retirement, Daines said, “Serving the people of Montana in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate the past 13 years has been the greatest honor of my professional career, and I am…
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Rep. Ryan Zinke becomes the 52nd U.S. House member who is not seeking re-election in 2026
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) announced on March 2, 2026, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. In a statement announcing his retirement, Zinke said, “Service is a duty that I will always hold sacred, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference. As for my…
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Eleven states take action on federal school choice tax credit program in January
As of Jan. 26, 11 states had taken action this month to indicate participation in the federal school choice tax credit program. Twenty-one states in total have indicated participation in the program. Entities designated under each state's law to make elections on behalf of the state regarding federal tax benefits can decide to opt a…
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Emily Dean and Andy Shirtliff to face off in election for Helena mayor
Emily Dean and Andy Shirtliff are running in the nonpartisan general election for mayor of Helena, Montana, on Nov. 4, 2025. Shirtliff and Dean advanced from the nonpartisan primary on Sept. 9, 2025. Shirtliff received 48.33% of the vote and Dean received 36.53%. This election was the first since 2001 in Helena to require a…
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Andy Shirtliff and Emily Dean advance from nonpartisan primary for mayor of Helena, Montana
On Sept. 9, Andy Shirtliff and Emily Dean advanced from the nonpartisan primary for mayor of Helena, Montana. Shirtliff received 48.33% of the vote and Dean received 36.53%. The general election is on Nov. 4, 2025. Sonda Gaub, Braxton Hudson, and Chris Riccardo also ran in the nonpartisan primary. This election was the first since…
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Helena to hold first mayoral primary since 2001
Emily Dean, Sonda Gaub, Braxton Hudson, Chris Riccardo, and Andy Shirtliff are running in the nonpartisan primary for mayor of Helena, Montana, on Sept. 9, 2025. This election is the first since 2001 in Helena to require a primary for mayor. According to KTVH, state law "requires local governments to hold primaries if at least…
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Montana is sixth state this year to adopt a ban on foreign spending on ballot measures
Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed House Bill 818 on May 13, making Montana the sixth state in 2025 to adopt a ban on foreign spending in ballot measure campaigns. Montana joins five other states that adopted bans this year—Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, and Wyoming—and ten states that passed similar laws in prior years, bringing the…
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Montana passes legislative oversight bills
The Montana legislature passed two bills which would modify the rulemaking process for state administrative agencies. Both were supported by bipartisan majorities. House Bill 126 was passed by a vote of 100-0 in the House on January 29, 2025; the Senate voted 48-0 on April 9, 2025. Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed it on May…
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Montana Gov. Gianforte (R) signs bill banning the use of extreme risk protection orders
On May 8, Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed HB 809 into law, banning local governments in the state from enacting or enforcing extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs). The Republican-sponsored bill passed the legislature largely along party lines, but two Republicans in both the Montana House of Representatives and Montana Senate voted against the bill. With…
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45% of elections in Montana are uncontested
Of 338 regular elections in Montana—153 (45%) are uncontested. An uncontested election is one where the number of candidates on the ballot is less than or equal to the number of seats up for election. Of the 26 states where Ballotpedia is covering every election on Nov. 5, Montana has the 20th highest rate of…