Democratic party vice chair resigns after bashing Tester
Keila Szpaller
(Daily Montanan) The elected vice chairperson for the Montana Democratic Party resigned his post just days after taking office following remarks critical of former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.
This weekend at their state convention, Montana Democrats elected new executive leadership, including Shannon O’Brien as chairperson and Max Johansen as vice chairperson.
O’Brien pledged a fresh start for Democrats, according to media outlets at the convention including the Montana State News Bureau. Democrats have lost elections handily in Montana in recent years.
O’Brien is a former state senator from Missoula, previous head of Missoula College and education policy advisor to former Gov. Steve Bullock. She ran an unsuccessful bid for Superintendent of the Office of Public Instruction in 2024.
Just days after the Sunday convention, the Montana Democratic Party released a statement from O’Brien on the resignation of Johansen as vice chairperson on the executive board. O’Brien did not respond to voicemails requesting comment this week.
Johansen is chairperson of the Park County Democrats.
“This morning, I accepted the resignation of Max Johansen, creating a vacancy on the Montana Democratic Party Executive Board,” O’Brien said in the statement Wednesday. “Mr. Johansen resigned after acknowledging that certain comments he made following the convention were disruptive and inconsistent with the direction of the executive board.”
The Montana Free Press reported that Johansen criticized Tester, a Democrat who lost his bid for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate in November 2024, after the election at the convention in a conversation with reporters.
Johansen said “a lot of people” are upset with Tester for not being as aggressive as he could be in opposing Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, who ousted him, according to the Free Press. He also said Democrats need to “stop running” from the word “socialist” in reference to “direct aid” to vulnerable groups.
In a “Grounded” podcast episode following the convention, Tester responded. “Grounded” is a conversation between Tester and journalist Maritsa Georgiou, and Georgiou raised Johansen’s claims in the episode.
Tester, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, said on the show Johansen “doesn’t know Jacks–t,” he doesn’t know Montana, and he’s dangerous to Democrats.
“The Democrats have a fox in the henhouse, and if they don’t clean it up, there won’t be any eggs to pick,” Tester said.
The Daily Montanan could not reach Johansen for comment late Wednesday.
At their convention, the Montana Democrats said they also selected the following leaders, in addition to other district members:
Treasurer: Lance Fourstar
Secretary: Melody Cunningham
Eastern District Chairperson (Female): Hannah Nash
Eastern District Chairperson (Male): Jakob Miles
Western District Chairperson (Female): Linda Schmitt
Western District Chairperson (Male): Paul “Ron” Gerson