Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen joins contest for Zinke’s western U.S. House District seat
Jacobsen made her announcement on Facebook with a campaign video portraying her as both a political outsider and the favorite of Donald Trump.
Latest Politics Reporting
Western Montana U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke said he won’t seek reelection citing health problems
“I have made the decision to leave office at the end of my fourth term and not seek re-election,” Zinke said Monday in a letter to constituents.
Conservative think tank promotes revising Montana’s Constitution, as protesters object
Dozens of protesters gathered outside a Helena hotel as conservatives met inside to argue for rewriting Montana’s Constitution. Opponents warned that changes could threaten long-standing protections for the environment, voting rights, and personal privacy as the state approaches its next constitutional convention vote in 2030.
Federal bill boosting voter registration requirements passes U.S. House
A Republican push to ratchet up voter ID requirements nationwide has passed the House with the support of Montana’s representatives and will now head to the Senate. The SAVE America Act is intended to make voter registration more secure — and too difficult for many Americans to comply with, opponents say.
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Emails say Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen complied with federal demand for Montana voter data
Emails from her office say Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen has handed over confidential voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice, which has asked the state to remove, upon demand, any voters who may be deemed ineligible by federal officials. The apparent provision of voter data, as well as the federal government’s proposal…
Sheehy signs on to brief arguing for end to birthright citizenship
Sheehy is one of 12 Republican senators and 16 Republican representatives who have signed onto a brief headlined by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, which argues for a narrower interpretation of which children count as falling under U.S. “jurisdiction” for the purposes of the automatic citizenship guarantee enshrined…
Tester, bipartisan group push plan to block corporate dark money in Montana politics
A bipartisan group including former Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester made its pitch for a ballot initiative to ban corporate spending in Montana elections.
Montanans protest ICE, Trump’s immigration policies
Members of Montana’s all-GOP federal delegation have called for an investigation into Alex Pretti’s death.
Former state Senate president Ellsworth pleads not guilty, claims legislative immunity
Former Republican state Senate president Jason Ellsworth pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor official misconduct charge in Lewis and Clark County District Court.
Earlier Montana primary election challenges schools
Efforts to move up Montana’s primary election in time for the 2028 presidential race are running into resistance from public schools.
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MORE POLITICAL REPORTING
Bodnar will step down as UM president as rumors of Senate bid swirl
University of Montana President Seth Bodnar will resign after eight years of leading one of the state’s flagship universities. The announcement comes a week after news broke of a potential Bodnar candidacy for U.S. Senate as an independent. Bodnar didn’t indicate when his last day would be.
Montana Secretary of State political mailers cost $197,000
The 467,000 postcards sent to Montana households with pictures of Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen and President Donald Trump cost $196,829 to produce and mail, according to the Montana Department of Administration.
About that political postcard you got from the Secretary of State
A mass-mailed postcard sent by Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen embodies conservative Republicans’ crusade to root out illegal voters in Montana’s upcoming midterm election. But election experts say that non-citizen voting isn’t an active problem in Montana, and a Democrat said the postcard is political fearmongering with an unclear source of funding.
Bodnar plans Senate run as an independent, and Tester’s apparent support angers Democrats in Montana
University of Montana President Seth Bodnar is expected to run for U.S. Senate as an Independent, part of an elaborate plan backed by former Sen. Jon Tester in a move that has angered Democrats.
Group refiles corporate political spending ban days after court setback
The Transparent Election Initiative, an anti-dark money group, filed with the Montana Secretary of State two ballot initiatives that aim to prevent corporate political spending. The filing came just two days after the state Supreme Court found an earlier version of the initiative legally insufficient.
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