Republicans

More Republican legislators are finding themselves on the outs with the Montana Republican Party ahead of the 2026 election — even those long considered hard-liners.

Public polling shows most voters are dissatisfied with President Donald Trump’s job performance and historically, the party not in the White House wins seats in the midterms.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke’s decision not to seek another term in the House left an open race for the Republican nomination in Montana’s western congressional district.

Nine Republican state senators who were stripped of their ability to vote for GOP party leadership during a state convention last month have lodged a protest with the party, requesting the elections be nullified.

The Montana Republican Party has censured nine state senators and will no longer consider them to be Republicans.

Corey Ellis writes, "Our delegation is not listening to its constituents. They have not attended or held a single town hall where they would have to face voters and explain their complacency."

The ‘working majority’ coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats made more than 20 motions to change committee assignments and refer bills to committee, flexing muscles on GOP leadership.

The former Republican state Senate president denied Friday any wrongdoing in connection with a $170,000 no-bid contract he signed in his final days in office, an expenditure that is now under scrutiny by new Senate leadership.

The Senate president has been unable keep his majority party in line the first week of the Legislature as nine Republicans have sided with Democrats on the chamber’s first vote.

Roger Koopman writes, "Until the next election cycle, we will be confronting even more Big Government Republicans than in ‘23, thanks to the active role of Governor Gianforte."