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 Shannon O'Brien. The National Committeeman is Donavon Hawk, and the National Committeewoman is Mary Sheehy Moe.
History Recent years In August 2025, the Montana Democratic Party came under renewed scrutiny following reports that a party financial controller with close links to party leadership, Abbey Lee Cook, had been embezzling donations from Democratic candidates and affiliated organizations. Cook, entered pleas of guilty to three federal charges of wire fraud.
In November 2024, all Montana Democrats running in statewide or federal races lost to GOP candidates, continuing a trend of declining fortune for the Democratic Party in Montana. Before 2024, Montana's federal delegation continuously included at least one Democrat from 1911 until Sen. Jon Tester's 2024 loss to Republican Tim Sheehy, and as recently as 2013, Democrats held all statewide elected offices. In state legislative races, Democrats overturned the GOP supermajority following beneficial redistricting that reduced the total number of competitive districts favoring safer Democratic and Republican districts.
In November 2022, Montana Republicans secured a supermajority in both legislative houses.
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. 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. Sheila Hogan remained the state party's executive director; the only Democrat in statewide or federal office at the time was Senator Jon Tester.
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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
During a special election for a Congressional seat in 2017, 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.
Elected officers Office Officeholder in 2022 Chair Shannon O'Brien Vice Chair Max Johansen Secretary Melody Cunningham Treasurer Lance Four Star National Committeeman Laurie Bishop National Committeewoman Donavon Hawk
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.
Statewide offices None
Legislative leaders OfficeRepresentative Senate Minority Leader Pat FlowersSenate Minority Whips Shane Morigeau Laura Smith Susan Webber House Minority Leader Katie SullivanHouse Minority Whips Tyson Runningwolf SJ Howell Melissa Romano
18 Members of the Montana Senate District Senator Residence 2 Carl Glimm Kila 8 Susan Webber Browning 16 Mike Fox Hays 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
42 Members of the Montana House of Representatives District Representative Residence 3 Debo Powers Polebridge 5 Dave Fern Whitefish 15 Marvin Weatherwax Jr. Browning 16 Tyson Runningwolf Browning 19 Jane Weber Great Falls 27 Paul Tuss Havre 31 Frank Smith Poplar 32 Mike Fox Hays 41 Jade Sooktis Lame Deer 42 Sharon Stewart-Peregoy Crow Agency 45 Denise Baum Billings 46 Emma Kerr-Carpenter Billings 47 James Reavis Billings 57 Scott Rosenzweig Bozeman 58 Jamie Isaly Livingston 59 Ed Stafman Bozeman 60 Alanah Griffith Livingston 61 Jim Hamilton Bozeman 62 Ed Stafman Bozeman 63 Alice Buckley Bozeman 64 Kelly Kortum Bozeman 65 Brian Close Bozeman 66 Denise Hayman Bozeman 71 Scott DeMarois Anaconda 72 Donavon Hawk Butte 73 Jennifer Lynch Butte 74 Donavon Hawk Butte 79 Luke Muszkiewicz Helena 80 Melissa Romano Helena 81 Mary Caferro Helena 82 Pete Elverum Helena 83 Jill Cohenour Helena 89 Katie Sullivan Missoula 90 Marilyn Marler Missoula 91 Connie Keogh Missoula 92 Katie Sullivan Missoula 93 Joe Read Ronan 94 Tom France Missoula 95 Zooey Zephyr Missoula 96 Willis Curdy Missoula 97 Melody Cunningham Missoula 98 Jonathan Karlen Missoula 99 Tom France Missoula 100 SJ Howell Missoula
Mayors Missoula: Andrea Davis Helena: Wilmot Collins
Election results
Presidential +Montana Democratic Party presidential election resultsElectionPresidential ticketVotesVote %Electoral votesResult1892Grover Cleveland/Adlai E. Stevenson17,69039.79%1896William Jennings Bryan/Arthur Sewall42,62879.93%1900William Jennings Bryan/Adlai E. Stevenson37,31158.43%1904Alton B. Parker/Henry G. Davis21,77333.79%1908William Jennings Bryan/John W. Kern29,32642.61%1912Woodrow Wilson/Thomas R. Marshall27,94135.00%1916Woodrow Wilson/Thomas R. Marshall101,06356.88%1920James M. Cox/Franklin D. Roosevelt57,37232.05%1924John W. Davis/Charles W. Bryan33,80519.38%1928Al Smith/Joseph T. Robinson78,57840.48%1932Franklin D. Roosevelt/John N. Garner127,28658.80%1936Franklin D. Roosevelt/John N. Garner159,69069.28%1940Franklin D. Roosevelt/Henry A. Wallace145,69858.78%1944Franklin D. Roosevelt/Harry S. Truman112,55654.28%1948Harry S. Truman/Alben W. Barkley119,07153.09%1952Adlai Stevenson/John Sparkman106,21340.07%1956Adlai Stevenson/Estes Kefauver116,23842.87%1960John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson134,89148.60%1964Lyndon B. Johnson/Hubert Humphrey164,24658.95%1968Hubert Humphrey/Edmund Muskie114,11741.59%1972George McGovern/Sargent Shriver120,19737.85%1976Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale149,25945.40%1980Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale118,03232.43%1984Walter Mondale/Geraldine Ferraro146,74238.18%1988Michael Dukakis/Lloyd Bentsen168,93646.20%1992Bill Clinton/Al Gore154,50737.63%1996Bill Clinton/Al Gore167,92241.23%2000Al Gore/Joe Lieberman137,12633.4%2004John Kerry/John Edwards173,71038.56%2008Barack Obama/Joe Biden232,15947.11%2012Barack Obama/Joe Biden201,83941.70%2016Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine177,70935.75%2020Joe Biden/Kamala Harris244,78640.55%2024Kamala Harris/Tim Walz231,90638.46%
Gubernatorial +Montana Democratic Party gubernatorial election resultsElectionGubernatorial candidate/ticketVotesVote %Result1889Joseph Toole19,73550.96%Won 1892Timothy E. Collins17,65039.96%Lost 1896Robert Burns Smith36,68870.99%Won 1900Joseph Toole31,41949.24%Won 1904Joseph Toole35,37753.79%Won 1908Edwin L. Norris32,28247.34%Won 1912Sam V. Stewart25,38131.81%Won 1916Sam V. Stewart85,68349.36%Won 1920Burton K. Wheeler74,87540.26%Lost 1924John E. Erickson88,80151.02%Won 1928John E. Erickson113,63558.52%Won 1932John E. Erickson104,94948.50%Won 1936Roy E. Ayers115,31050.94%Won 1940Roy E. Ayers119,45348.64%Lost 1944Leif Erickson89,22443.18%Lost 1948John W. Bonner124,26755.73%Won 1952John W. Bonner129,36949.04%Lost 1956Arnold Olsen131,48848.63%Lost 1960Paul Cannon125,65144.89%Lost 1964Roland Renne136,86248.71%Lost 1968Forrest H. Anderson150,48154.11%Won 1972Thomas Lee Judge172,52354.12%Won 1976Thomas Lee Judge/Ted Schwinden195,42061.70%Won 1980Ted Schwinden/George Turman199,57455.37%Won 1984Ted Schwinden/George Turman266,57870.34%Won 1988Thomas Lee Judge/Barbara B. Skelton169,31346.13%Lost 1992Dorothy Bradley/Mike Halligan198,42148.65%Lost 1996Judy Jacobson84,40720.83%Lost 2000Mark O'Keefe/Carol Williams193,13147.08%Lost 2004Brian Schweitzer/John Bohlinger225,01650.44%Won 2008Brian Schweitzer/John Bohlinger318,67065.47%Won 2012Steve Bullock/John Walsh236,45048.90%Won 2016Steve Bullock/Mike Cooney255,93350.25%Won 2020Mike Cooney/Casey Schreiner250,86041.56%Lost 2024Ryan Busse/Raph Graybill232,64438.62%Lost
See also Political party strength in Montana Montana Libertarian Party Montana Republican Party
References
External links Montana Democratic Party