Montana Politics

A crowd gathers beneath a blue pavilion at a No Kings rally in Missoula, Montana, holding protest signs beneath a “Vote Early” banner.

Caroline Weiss

Montanans join No Kings rallies across the state

Sheri Quinn

Hundreds of Montanans gathered Saturday in cities across the state to participate in the national “No Kings” rally. Reporters from Montana Public Radio and Yellowstone Public Radio spoke with protestors in several cities.

Shaylee Ragar

Montana News

State lawmakers say Laurel's move to block mental health facility is discriminatory

Aaron Bolton

President Donald Trump makes an entrance at his rally in support of Aaron Flint, the Republican candidate for Montana's first congressional district, at Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell, Mont., on Oct. 14, 2026.

Noah Epps

Montana News

Trump campaigns for Flint, Alme at Kalispell rally

Clayton Murphy

Montana News

Campaign Beat: Debates, defections and Donald Trump

Sally Mauk, Rob Saldin, Seaborn Larson

Montana's western district House race draws a presidential visit. The two candidates in that race get feisty in a recent debate. The chair of the state Democratic party shuns her party's candidate in Montana's Senate race in favor of the independent. And the Senate candidates trade punches in the only debate featuring all the candidates.

2026 election profiles

Montana's 2026 U.S. Senate candidates. Left to right: Alani Bankhead (D), Kurt Alme (R), Kyle Austin (L), Seth Bodnar (I).

Four candidates face-off in chaotic Senate race

The race to be Montana’s next U.S. senator is heating up in the final three weeks until election day. Recent polling shows Republican Kurt Alme has a comfortable lead in the four-way race. Meanwhile, independent Seth Bodnar and Democrat Alani Bankhead have hit the campaign trail hard trying to appeal to the same centrist and left-wing voters.

Candidates for Montana's western district U.S. House seat, Republican Aaron Flint (left) and Democrat Sam Forstag (right).

Western district House candidates say affordability is their top concern

The race for Montana’s western district House seat is tight. Recent polls show the two major candidates are tied with no clear lead. MTPR’s Clayton Murphy has this profile of the Democrat and Republican competing for the seat.

Montana Supreme Court candidates Dan Wilson (Left) and Amy Eddy (right).

Supreme Court candidates differ on partisanship, constitutional interpretation

Two judges from the same court are competing for a seat on the Montana Supreme Court. The justices spoke to MTPR’s Clayton Murphy about partisanship, restraint and what they would bring to the bench.

CI-132: Montana voters will issue a verdict on partisan judicial elections

Montana’s judicial elections are nonpartisan. An initiative to permanently keep it that way will appear on November’s ballot. Republican state legislators have tried unsuccessfully to make judicial elections partisan during recent legislative sessions.

HD2 Candidates (Top L to R) Michael Eisenhauer, Patrick McCracken, Brian Miller (bottom) Troy Downing,

Republican incumbent faces three challengers to represent eastern Montana in the U.S. House

It's been more than thirty years since Montanans elected a non-GOP candidate to the U.S. House of Representatives, and this year a Democrat, an Independent and a Libertarian are betting on a change.

BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR INITIATIVE NO. 194 (I-194)
INITIATIVE NO. 194
A LAW PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION
I-194, if passed, limits the powers of artificial persons to those powers necessary or convenient as provided by law. These powers must exclude contributing anything of value to candidate elections, supporting or opposing political parties, or supporting or opposing state or local ballot issues. Artificial persons include non-profits, trusts, partnerships, corporations, trade associations, or unincorporated associations and includes all such entities doing business in Montana. Any violation of I-194 is punished by forfeiting all privileges to do business in Montana. Those privileges may be, but are not automatically, restored upon disgorgement and certification of compliance with I-194. I-194 does not apply to the distribution of news, commentary, or editorial content. I-194 also does not apply to the state of Montana, political subdivisions, individuals, political committees, or public corporations.

'Montana Plan' ballot initiative aims to end dark money spending in Montana

Elections have consistently broken spending records in the state in recent years, largely due to corporate money. A ballot measure known as the Montana Plan aims to eliminate that kind of spending in Montana, sidestepping a controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling. That would make the state a national legal test case.

PSC District 1 candidates campaign on energy costs, data centers and transparency

Two candidates are vying for the open District 1 seat on the Public Service Commission. This district is the biggest in the state by land and covers much of eastern Montana, from the Rocky Boy’s Reservation to Glendive and Miles City. MTPR’s Clayton Murphy speaks with Keila Szpaller, deputy editor of the Daily Montanan, about the race and what this election may mean for Montanans.

PSC District 5 race highlights competing views on the role of utility regulators

The Public Service Commission’s District 5 seat is up for election. Voters from the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to Helena and parts of Missoula will get to choose who represents them on the board. MTPR’s Clayton Murphy talks with Deputy Editor of the Daily Montanan Keila Szpaller about who’s running and what the race could mean for voters.

Montana News

Montana Democratic Party chair resigns to back independent in the U.S. Senate race

Clayton Murphy

The chair of the Montana Democratic Party has resigned to endorse the independent candidate for U.S. Senate. The chair believes her party’s candidate is not viable.
Montana News

Montana's Senate hopefuls face off in first all-candidate debate

Edward F. O'Brien

For the first time this election season, all four of Montana’s U.S. Senate candidates shared a debate stage. The candidates fielded reporters’ questions for a mostly fireworks-free hour-and-a-half at Bozeman’s Field and Stream Lodge.
Montana News

Campaign Beat: Ballots, birth dates and betting on Trump

Clayton Murphy, Rob Saldin, Seaborn Larson

Ballots hit the mail today and voters will have to start making decisions. Recent court rulings overturn restrictive ballot initiative laws and remove a requirement for birth date verification on ballots. The race for a seat on the Supreme Court looks competitive. Debates heat up in the Senate race. And Trump may come to Montana to stump for the Republican candidate in the western district House race.
Montana News

Assistance available for voting accessibility questions

Noah Epps

Election season is here and The Rocky Mountain Americans With Disabilities Act Center wants to make sure that voters know how to access polling locations and ballot drop boxes safely and independently.
Montana News

State strikes deal with union on health plan cost increases

Aaron Bolton

State workers will pay more for health care starting next year. State officials say that’s necessary because the cost of the state health plan was higher than expected. The state employees union struck a deal with the state to mitigate some of the price hikes for workers.
Montana News

Birth year no longer required on absentee ballots

Montana's Attorney General plans to appeal, after a District Court struck down a State law requiring absentee voters to include their birth year with their ballots.
Montana News

Campaign Beat: New polling, new ads, new challenges

Sally Mauk, Rob Saldin, Seaborn Larson

Recent polls show the Republican ahead in Montana's Senate race, and the Democrat and Republican in the western district House race in a virtual tie. Democratic Senate candidate Alani Bankhead tries to address concerns about her past ties to a Conservative Megachurch. New ads in the House race focus on health care and culture wars. And upcoming debates could tip the scales in the congressional contests.
Montana News

Flat tax advocates seek support ahead of the 2027 legislative session

Clayton Murphy

As the next legislative session draws closer, leadership from the Mountain States Policy Center and Gov. Greg Gianforte’s office are trying to gather support for a flat personal income tax for all Montana taxpayers. Advocates promoted the proposal and fielded questions from voters in Helena Thursday.
Montana News

Campaign Beat: Dark money talks; Senate candidates debate; Gas prices speak volumes

Sally Mauk, Rob Saldin, Seaborn Larson

Montana's Democratic and independent Senate candidates take the gloves off. A TV ad smearing the Republican Senate candidate raises questions about accuracy. The Terminator endorses Montana's Seth Bodnar for Senate. A new billboard targets Republican House candidate Aaron Flint. And a new poll shows Montana gives Trump a lot higher approval rating than the country as a whole.
Montana News

Bankhead and Bodnar trade barbs Senate race campaign funding

Clayton Murphy

The independent and Democratic candidates for Senate went head-to-head on campaign funding, tax reform and other policy priorities on Sunday. Democrat Alani Bankhead and independent Seth Bodnar spoke to voters, answering questions from the hosting organization Indivisible Missoula and the crowd.

Campaign Beat

Montana Public Radio's weekly political analysis program.

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