Montana Democratic Party

Montana Democratic Party
Montana Democratic Party
Chairperson	Robyn Driscoll
Senate Minority Leader	Jill Cohenour
House Minority Leader	Kim Abbott
Headquarters	Helena, Montana
Ideology	Modern liberalism
National affiliation	Democratic Party
Seats in the U.S. Senate	1 / 2
Seats in the U.S. House	0 / 2
Seats in the Montana Senate	16 / 50
Seats in the Montana House	32 / 100
Statewide Executive Offices	0 / 6
Election symbol
Website
	www.montanademocrats.org
	Politics of Montana; Elections;

Montana Democratic Party (MDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Montana and one of the two major political parties in the state. The party as of 2024 is chaired by Robyn Driscoll.^[1] The National Committeeman is Jorge Quintana, and the National Committeewoman is Jean Lemire Dahlman.

History

The party typically meets in Butte.^[2]

Recent years

In 2017 during a special election for a Congressional seat, state party officials "grew frustrated" according to The New York Times when national Democratic Party leaders were implored by Democratic Senator Jon Tester to spend national party money on their candidate Rob Quist, but declined. Quist ultimately lost the seat to Republican Greg Gianforte.^[3]

In January 2020, Sandi Luckey, previously the state party treasurer for the Democratic party, was elected executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. Robyn Driscoll was party chair at that time.^[4] The state party announced in May 2020 that it was creating a Steering Committee for the Blue Bench Program, and that it would have three of those positions dedicated permanently for Native American leaders. The Blue Bench Program recruited and developed local candidates to run for office.^[5] At that time, the state party's voting delegates largely consisted of legislative leadership, Democrats in statewide elected office, and leaders in Democratic Central Committees for state countries. The party had no delegate votes assigned specifically for Native Americans, and three voting delegates at state conventions who were Native Americans.^[6] The Associated Press reported in June 2020 that the state party voted to establish tribal committees to represent the Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Fort Peck, Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy's, Blackfeet and Flathead reservations and the Little Shell-Chippewa tribes, and the committees would operate "like county central committees, whose delegates vote on the party's platform, rules and officers and nominate candidates for special elections." Luckey, still the state party executive director, said the move made the Montana Democratic Party the first US state country to formally create a formal role based on population for Native Americans.^[6]

In February 2022, Democratic senator Jon Tester criticized the larger state party for not doing more to appeal to and engage with "Middle America," clarifying he meant the area between the Appalachians the Rocky Mountains.^[7]

In June 2022 NPR reported that Montana had two U.S. House districts for the first time since 1992, and while the Montana Democratic Party had three candidates in that month's primary, it hadn't had representation in the U.S. House since 1994.^[8] In August 2022, Montana Democrats meeting in Butte announced a new platform, largely statements of principal, such as supporting abortion rights and declaring a "state of climate emergency." New policy objectives included restoring the Judicial Nominating Commission, recently eliminated by Republicans, and establishing a panel to examine atrocities at the state's former boarding schools for Native Americans. The state party's executive director remained Sheila Hogan, at the only Democrat in statewide or federal office at the time was Senator Jon Tester.^[9]

Elected officers

Office	Officeholder in 2022
Chair	Robyn Driscoll^[10]
Vice Chair	Pat Noonan^[10]
Secretary	Jacquie Helt^[10]
Treasurer	Lance Four Star^[10]
National Committeeman	Donavon Hawk^[10]
National Committeewoman	Mary Sheehy Moe^[10]

Current elected officials

The Montana Democratic Party currently hold none of the six statewide offices and a minority of the seats in both the Montana Senate and Montana House of Representatives. They hold one of the state's U.S. Senate seats.

Member of Congress

U.S. Senate

Senior U.S. Senator Jon Tester

Statewide offices

None

Legislative leaders

Office	Representative
Senate Minority Leader	Jill Cohenour
Senate Minority Whips	Pat Flowers
	Jennifer Pomnichowski
	Margaret MacDonald
House Minority Leader	Kim Abbott
House Minority Whips	Tyson Runningwolf
	Laurie Bishop
	Derek Harvey

16 Members of the Montana Senate

District	Senator	Residence
8	Susan Webber	Browning
11	Tom Jacobson	Great Falls
12	Carlie Boland	Great Falls
16	Mike Fox	Hays
24	Mary McNally	Billings
25	Jen Gross	Billings
31	Christopher Pope	Bozeman
32	Pat Flowers	Belgrade
33	Jennifer Pomnichowski	Bozeman
37	Ryan Lynch	Butte
38	Edith McClafferty	Butte
39	Mark Sweeney	Helena
41	Janet Ellis	Helena
42	Jill Cohenour	East Helena
45	Ellie Boldman	Missoula
46	Shannon O'Brien	Helena
48	Nate McConnell	Missoula
49	Diane Sands	Missoula
50	Bryce Bennett	Missoula

32 Members of the Montana House of Representatives

District	Representative	Residence
5	Dave Fern	Whitefish
15	Marvin Weatherwax Jr.	Browning
16	Tyson Runningwolf	Browning
31	Frank Smith	Poplar
32	Jonathan Windy Boy	Box Elder
41	Rynalea Whiteman Pena	Lame Deer
42	Sharon Stewart-Peregoy	Crow Agency
47	Denise Baum	Billings
48	Jessica Karjala	Billings
49	Emma Kerr-Carpenter	Billings
60	Laurie Bishop	Livingston
61	Jim Hamilton	Bozeman
62	Ed Stafman	Bozeman
63	Alice Buckley	Bozeman
65	Kelly Kortum	Bozeman
66	Denise Hayman	Bozeman
73	Jim Keane	Butte
74	Derek Harvey	Butte
76	Donavon Hawk	Butte
77	Sara Novak	Helana
79	Robert Farris-Olsen	Helena
81	Mary Caferro	Helena
82	Moffie Funk	Helena
83	Kim Abbott	Helena
84	Mary Ann Dunwell	Helena
89	Katie Sullivan	Missoula
90	Marilyn Marler	Missoula
91	Connie Keogh	Missoula
94	Tom France	Missoula
95	Danny Tenenbaum	Missoula
98	Willis Curdy	Missoula
99	Mark Thane	Missoula
100	Zooey Zephyr	Missoula

Mayors

Helena: Wilmot Collins

Election results

Presidential

Montana Democratic Party presidential election results
Election	Presidential Ticket	Votes	Vote %	Electoral votes	Result
1892	Grover Cleveland/Adlai E. Stevenson	17,690	39.79%	0 / 3	Won
1896	William Jennings Bryan/Arthur Sewall	42,628	79.93%	3 / 3	Lost
1900	William Jennings Bryan/Adlai E. Stevenson	37,311	58.43%	3 / 3	Lost
1904	Alton B. Parker/Henry G. Davis	21,773	33.79%	0 / 3	Lost
1908	William Jennings Bryan/John W. Kern	29,326	42.61%	0 / 3	Lost
1912	Woodrow Wilson/Thomas R. Marshall	27,941	35.00%	4 / 4	Won
1916	Woodrow Wilson/Thomas R. Marshall	101,063	56.88%	4 / 4	Won
1920	James M. Cox/Franklin D. Roosevelt	57,372	32.05%	0 / 4	Lost
1924	John W. Davis/Charles W. Bryan	33,805	19.38%	0 / 4	Lost
1928	Al Smith/Joseph T. Robinson	78,578	40.48%	0 / 4	Lost
1932	Franklin D. Roosevelt/John N. Garner	127,286	58.80%	4 / 4	Won
1936	Franklin D. Roosevelt/John N. Garner	159,690	69.28%	4 / 4	Won
1940	Franklin D. Roosevelt/Henry A. Wallace	145,698	58.78%	4 / 4	Won
1944	Franklin D. Roosevelt/Harry S. Truman	112,556	54.28%	4 / 4	Won
1948	Harry S. Truman/Alben W. Barkley	119,071	53.09%	4 / 4	Won
1952	Adlai Stevenson/John Sparkman	106,213	40.07%	0 / 4	Lost
1956	Adlai Stevenson/Estes Kefauver	116,238	42.87%	0 / 4	Lost
1960	John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson	134,891	48.60%	0 / 4	Won
1964	Lyndon B. Johnson/Hubert Humphrey	164,246	58.95%	4 / 4	Won
1968	Hubert Humphrey/Edmund Muskie	114,117	41.59%	0 / 4	Lost
1972	George McGovern/Sargent Shriver	120,197	37.85%	0 / 4	Lost
1976	Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale	149,259	45.40%	0 / 4	Won
1980	Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale	118,032	32.43%	0 / 4	Lost
1984	Walter Mondale/Geraldine Ferraro	146,742	38.18%	0 / 4	Lost
1988	Michael Dukakis/Lloyd Bentsen	168,936	46.20%	0 / 4	Lost
1992	Bill Clinton/Al Gore	154,507	37.63%	3 / 3	Won
1996	Bill Clinton/Al Gore	167,922	41.23%	0 / 3	Won
2000	Al Gore/Joe Lieberman	137,126	33.4%	0 / 3	Lost
2004	John Kerry/John Edwards	173,710	38.56%	0 / 3	Lost
2008	Barack Obama/Joe Biden	232,159	47.11%	0 / 3	Won
2012	Barack Obama/Joe Biden	201,839	41.70%	0 / 3	Won
2016	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	177,709	35.75%	0 / 3	Lost
2020	Joe Biden/Kamala Harris	244,786	40.55%	0 / 3	Won

Gubernatorial

Montana Democratic Party gubernatorial election results
Election	Gubernatorial candidate	Votes	Vote %	Result
1889	Joseph Toole	19,735	50.96%	Won Y
1892	Timothy E. Collins	17,650	39.96%	Lost N
1896	Robert Burns Smith	36,688	70.99%	Won Y
1900	Joseph Toole	31,419	49.24%	Won Y
1904	Joseph Toole	35,377	53.79%	Won Y
1908	Edwin L. Norris	32,282	47.34%	Won Y
1912	Sam V. Stewart	25,381	31.81%	Won Y
1916	Sam V. Stewart	85,683	49.36%	Won Y
1920	Burton K. Wheeler	74,875	40.26%	Lost N
1924	John E. Erickson	88,801	51.02%	Won Y
1928	John E. Erickson	113,635	58.52%	Won Y
1932	John E. Erickson	104,949	48.50%	Won Y
1936	Roy E. Ayers	115,310	50.94%	Won Y
1940	Roy E. Ayers	119,453	48.64%	Lost N
1944	Leif Erickson	89,224	43.18%	Lost N
1948	John W. Bonner	124,267	55.73%	Won Y
1952	John W. Bonner	129,369	49.04%	Lost N
1956	Arnold Olsen	131,488	48.63%	Lost N
1960	Paul Cannon	125,651	44.89%	Lost N
1964	Roland Renne	136,862	48.71%	Lost N
1968	Forrest H. Anderson	150,481	54.11%	Won Y
1972	Thomas Lee Judge	172,523	54.12%	Won Y
1976	Thomas Lee Judge	195,420	61.70%	Won Y
1980	Ted Schwinden	199,574	55.37%	Won Y
1984	Ted Schwinden	266,578	70.34%	Won Y
1988	Thomas Lee Judge	169,313	46.13%	Lost N
1992	Dorothy Bradley	198,421	48.65%	Lost N
1996	Judy Jacobson	84,407	20.83%	Lost N
2000	Mark O'Keefe	193,131	47.08%	Lost N
2004	Brian Schweitzer	225,016	50.44%	Won Y
2008	Brian Schweitzer	318,670	65.47%	Won Y
2012	Steve Bullock	236,450	48.90%	Won Y
2016	Steve Bullock	255,933	50.25%	Won Y
2020	Mike Cooney	250,860	41.56%	Lost N

References

^ "Party Officers". The Montana Democratic Party. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
^ "Montana Democratic Party adds explicit support for abortion to party platform". 3 August 2022.
^ Martin, Jonathan; Burns, Alexander (26 May 2017). "Liberals Wanted a Fight in Montana. Democratic Leaders Saw a Lost Cause". The New York Times.
^ "Luckey named new head of state Democratic Party".
^ "Montana Democrats roll out framework for permanent Native leadership within Montana Democratic Party, announce platform convention speakers".
^ ^a ^b "Montana Democrats expand Native American voice in party". 8 June 2021.
^ "Montana senator criticizes fellow Democrats for not appealing to rural Americans more | CNN Politics". CNN. 10 February 2022.
^ "Montana Democrats hustle for a spot in the U.S. House". NPR.org.
^ "Montana Democrats approve 2022 platform". August 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Party Officers".

External links