2026 State House and Senate Races

Melissa Smith (D)

Website: https://smithformontana.com/

Endorsements: Montana Conservation Voters, Montana AFL-CIO, MFPE, Planned Parenthood

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • Billings keeps getting handed more to pay for while the state holds steady what the city is allowed to raise. That gap is why a levy shows up on the ballot every couple of years, and why homeowners feel it. Three changes would help.
    The state collects a set of taxes on behalf of cities and counties and sends a share back each year. That share was set in 2001, and it has grown more slowly than the cost of running a city. Twenty-five years later, Billings covers the difference. I will push to reset that payment and tie its growth to how fast the city is actually growing.
    
    State law also caps how much a city can raise from one year to the next. Lawmakers loosened that cap in 2025 with support from both parties, which helped. It still leaves population out of the math, so a city adding residents and adding fire calls gets no more room to answer them. I will work to fix that.
    The third change is about who pays. In Montana, money earned from a paycheck is taxed at a higher rate than money earned from selling stock or property. Bringing those in line, and asking large operations like data centers to pay a rate closer to what homeowners pay, lowers the share that falls on houses. I will vote for both. I will also oppose a flat income tax, which does nothing for a Heights household at our district median of $74,000 while the savings land at the top.
    And I support a property tax bill that tracks what a household can actually afford, so people who own their homes can stay in them.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • A quarter of the households in my district rent, and the ones who own are looking at a median home value around $315,000 on a median income near $74,000. Both ends of that are squeezed. I will support work on four fronts.
    Build more homes. Montana has done real work here in the last two sessions, with Republicans and Democrats both pushing, including a Billings legislator who got parking requirements lifted for smaller homes. I will advocate to keep that going, and I will vote for a state credit that helps get affordable homes actually built, which has come close twice and deserves to pass.
    
    Help with the cost people are paying right now. In 2025 the House passed a housing credit for homeowners and renters earning under $150,000, sized to what a household pays relative to what it earns. It died in a Senate committee, leaving out more than 130,000 Montana renters. Montana already runs this same kind of credit for people 62 and over, and lawmakers expanded it last session. It works. I will push to open it to everyone who needs it.
    
    Protect the housing the Heights already has. Manufactured homes and mobile home parks are how a lot of my neighbors own a home at a price they can manage. I will support minimum lease terms for lot rentals and a fair process when a park owner and residents disagree, so a family who owns their home is secure in the ground underneath it.
    
    Set a floor, and let Billings build on it. Every Montana renter should be able to see next year coming. I support a statewide limit on how fast rent can rise, tied to inflation with room above it, and newly built housing exempt for its first years so construction keeps moving. I will also vote to repeal the 2023 law that forbids Montana cities from doing anything further. Billings should be able to answer a Billings problem, standing on a floor the whole state shares.
    
    And housing costs less relative to a paycheck when the paycheck is bigger. I support a livable wage for all work, with no separate lower tier for any group of workers.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No. In 2027 a married couple in Montana pays 4.7% on their first $130,000 of taxable income. The median household in House District 39 earns about $74,000. We are already in that bracket. One rate for everyone hands us the rate we already pay.
    
    The savings only come to those in a much higher income bracket. A household with $400,000 in taxable income keeps about $1,900. Across the top of the income scale, that adds up to the $130 million.That money comes back as property taxes and local levies. Billings already funds public safety by going back to voters. A Heights homeowner would feel this twice: once when the levy shows up on the ballot, and again when the income tax cut passes over their house.
    
    Montana also already taxes a paycheck at a higher rate than money made from selling stock or property. A flat rate on wages leaves that gap sitting there. I support a tax system where what a household owes tracks what it can afford. I will vote against a flat tax, and I will vote to tax income from assets at the same rate as income from work.
    

Gabriel Bradshaw (D)

Website: https://bradshawformontana.com

Endorsements: MONTANA AFL-CIO, MONTANA FAMILIES FOR VACCINATIONS, AND BIG SKY 55+

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • I think we need to use the taxes we already pay to fund things. our general fund is at 3.5 billion, we brought in over 700 million to the general fund last year. We could use the taxes we pay that are going into the general fund and send them here directly to fund our schools build better roads, and bridges paving sidewalks, painting cross walks and installing streetlights. I also want to have a property taxes program for people living on a fixed income.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • We need to buokd housing in Montana that us real affordable housing that doesn’t exceed 25-30% of monthly income. No one i know in montana can afford to live in a apartment or a house making 15.50 an hour and pay rent, electric, gas bills, and food. Things are too expensive and we need change.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No! For too long the copper kings have evaded taxes and worked to make their taxes even lower. Greg Gianforte and anyone else supporting this measure do not care about working class Montanan’s now how I the world does it seem fair that someone like me making 13.50 an hour at Burger king pays the same percent in taxes as a millionaire, or billionaire.it doesn’t we need a progressive tax rate that builds an economy from the bottom up and the middle up Trickle down economics have not worked for 50 years they ain’t gonna start working now.

Michael Eaton (D)

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • I’d like to work to pass legislation that says if the public has voted to define where funds go that the legislature cannot move those funds somewhere else without voter approval.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • Homes in Montana have gone up in price because I’ve demanded from out of state. That combined with the fact that we have seen a current administration make it more difficult to get Products from other countries, the elimination of tariffs and free trade would drive prices down. We also need to make it easier for people to build by looking at the red tape and taxes required to get a new New Home submitted and approved for construction. We should provide incentives to New Home Builders, incentive for first time homebuyers, including strengthen, may be programmed for first time homebuyers and raising the income limits as Homes has grown up in price it’s much more difficult to get into a starter home and actually be able to make the mortgage payment with wages in the $13 per hour range, Plus these days a typical job might be $18-$20 an hour in Billings and that would put you outside of the program limits under the current stipulations.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • This is a horrible idea, mostly because it’s going to overburden the poor and middle class. Of course we would need to see the details of this program, but there is a reason why we’ve never done this in the past.

Denise Baum (D)

Website: https://baumformontana.com

Endorsements: MT Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood Advocates of MT, MT Rural Voters Action Fund

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • Change the entitlement-share system (state general-fund money provided to local governments) so that distributions are tied to current cost of providing services, or the economic activity in a community versus being tied to historical distributions. The state-funded entitlement share formula should be updated to better reflect population growth, inflation costs of providing public services, public-safety demands and economic activity occurring in a community.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • Housing prices are rising faster than wages which could still leave families out in the cold even if more units are built. I would support expanding the GO Housing Fund which leverages state funds (revolving loans) with private or federal investment for affordable-housing projects such as workforce housing, rehabilitation of existing housing, and housing for essential workers (teachers, healthcare), along with supporting workforce development, skilled trades and apprenticeships.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support moving Montana to a 4.7% flat income tax. Montana has already reduced its top individual income-tax rate substantially—from 6.9% in 2021 to 5.4% beginning in 2027. I would favor targeted tax relief where it provides the greatest benefit to working and middle-income Montanans, while protecting the state’s ability to fund essential services. How? By further expanding the Montana EITC, and increasing the standard deduction.

Denise Joy (D)

Endorsements: Montana Federation of Public Employees, Montana AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • The taxes collected from gas, gambling and income.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • Add state funding to incentives already passed by Congress. Additionally, the legislature needs to address the imbalance of incentives for homeownership with those who choose to rent and/or can’t not own homes. MT state laws does not adequately address the rights and needs of renters.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No, I will not support a flat income tax. As wage earning Montanans have not had increases to cover higher cost of living. A flat income tax would be economic disaster for Montanans. Likewise those on fixed incomes would like have every increase in income taxed. Our income tax is presently progressive, but needs to increase the tax for those with incomes of $500,000 to correct unfairness.

James Reavis (D)

Website: https://www.reavisformontana.com

Endorsements: Montana Rural Voters, MT AFL-CIO, Montana Federation of Public Employees

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • I am proposing a new tax bracket for Montana families making over $1 million a year so everyone pays their fair share. This additional revenue can be used to fund public safety and infrastructure to reduce reliance on property taxes.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • I support an all of the above approach to increase the supply of housing, such as reducing unneeded regulations and zoning reform. I support the passage of a tax credit for renters to help them save money for a down payment.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I strongly oppose this proposal. I am proposing adding an additional tax bracket so that millionaires pay their fair share.

Rebecca Noell (D)

Website: https://noell4mt.com

Endorsements: Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana, MT AFL-CIO, Montana Rural Voters Action Fund

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • No Response
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • I would support legislation that incentivizes developers to build low income housing and I would also encourage workforce development in the trades.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not. I believe the wealthiest in our state can and should pay a higher income tax rate than the average Montanan. A flat rate system would be regressive in much the same way as a sales tax, by shifting more tax burden to low income households.

Mark Peters (D)

Endorsements:

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • We would advocate for a more tiered tax system that taxes the wealthy at a much higher rate than the middle class. As a flat tax only benefits the wealthy.
    New tax revenue streams could be an answer. Perhaps taxing the coal cars passing through town.
    Creating revenue by allowing businesses to get involved to raise money for public schools.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • Allowing new construction to consist of pre- built homes or new construction to be sourced with different building materials at a much lesser cost. Allowing zoning changes that promotes cluster construction.
    Don’t subsidize the builders but do subsidize the new buyers. These should be the 1st time homeowners that meet an income guideline and other requirements.
    We would try to get these programs passed at the state level.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No, it only benefits the wealthy, hurts the middle class and devastates the poor.

Precious McKenzie (D)

Website: https://mckenzieformontana.com/

Endorsements: MFPE, Planned Parenthood Advocates

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • Block future mill levies, support impact fees for new developments
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • Invest in redevelopment projects and programs to help first time homebuyers.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No. The wealthiest Montanans need to pay a fair percentage.

Janine Coole (D)

Website: https://janine4laurel.com

Endorsements: AFLCIO

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • Big question with no easy answer. I will look at all options to make Billings and Laurel more affordable. Mill levies even when absolutely necessary rarely pass. The Laurel High School Mill Levie was shot down by the voters earlier this year. Even with it obvious the High School needs a serious upgrade.
    
    Rarely occupied Resort/Vacation homes of the rich and famous should pay higher property taxes than the rest of us, they can afford it. Hyper scale Data Centers like the one targeted for Broadview should pay the same property tax rate we do. A property tax rate of .9% for date centers is inappropriate and unfair.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • Each and every development should require Lower Cost Options for them to be granted approval to build. Trailer Park owners are profiteering with high lot rents, some more than the mortgage for my modest home. We need to develop higher paying jobs into overall solution (not data centers that provide minimal long term high paying jobs after construction is over).
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • The wealthy need to pay their fair share. I have not had the chance to look at the calculations for wage ranges based on a flat tax. I will not vote for anything that makes it more difficult for the Low and Middle class to be able to afford to live here.

Emma Kerr-Carpenter (D)

Website: https://emmaformontana.org

Endorsements: Planned Parenthood Action Fund, MFPE, Montana Conservation Voters

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • The main bottleneck is our City Charter’s limit on new mills, but at the state level, we could look at equalization like we do for schools where all property taxes across the state would be fairly redistributed across all counties. I would love to see the property taxes paid on mansions in Big Sky or on Flathead Lake go to benefit every Montanan, not just those in the adjacent communities.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • No one should be homeless or be paying more than they can afford. I am willing to look at anything from the state directly building affordable housing, to regulation changes to make new housing easier to build, to tax programs that defray the costs of renting or homeownership, to reforms to keep existing housing available for long-term residents rather than short-term rentals.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No. A flat income tax is unfair. Not only would middle and lower-income people and families see less of the benefit but they would also feel the pinch as there is less state money available to things like roads, schools, and healthcare.

Julie Hippler (D)

Website: https://www.hipplerformontana.com/about-me

Endorsements: Montana Rural Voters Action Fund, Big Sky 55+, and Montana Federation of Public Employees

• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education to reduce districts’ reliance on school levies? 
  • Yes
• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration? 
  • Yes
• Billings is heavily reliant on local property taxes while state revenue limits restrict municipal budgets, often forcing local voters to pass mill levies to fund essential public safety and infrastructure. What specific changes to state tax law or revenue-sharing formulas will you support to ensure Billings receives an equitable share of state revenue and reduces the tax burden on local homeowners?
  • Billings can advocate for increased state funding based on population growth and local needs. A common complaint about many of our current legislators is that they do not advocate for Billings. If elected, I plan to work with city and county governments to bring state funding back to Billings and Yellowstone County. The state has an extremely unfair funding formula for education (the decrement). This formula decreases the per-student funding amount for the second and subsequent students in a district, which punishes large school districts like Billings. This forces our school district to run mill levies which rarely pass, since taxpayers are feeling overtaxed already. Changing the funding formula is another way to relieve local property tax owners.
• As the median price of homes has continued to rise while local wages have not, what specific state legislative steps do you plan to support to help make housing more affordable for Montanans? 
  • I have been doing a lot of research actions with the Yellowstone Valley CItizen’s Council on the issue of affordable housing in Billings. There are several suggestions that sound worth pursuing to me. Trust Montana is a Community Land Trust organization that has been working on affordable housing in many cities in Montana. They own the land, and work with groups like Habitat for Humanity to build homes where people qualify for loans which are affordable, because they only own the home, while the land is held in trust. When they sell their home, there is a limit of 1-2% of their cost added per year on what they can sell the home for, which keeps the cost affordable for the next buyers. I believe programs like these can be incentivized through legislation.
    
    Another area where legislation could help is zoning codes can be eased to incentivize building in infill areas. Accessory Dwelling Units are becoming an effective way to increase housing affordability within Montana. There is already existing legislation, but in order to make ADU building more attractive and affordable, regulations on ADUs can be relaxed or the city could have pre-approved plans for ADUS which could help smaller developers become specialized in this area. I could see a huge benefit in a partnership between small developers and the school district career/vocational programs and the city. This would grow a skilled workforce while also creating the housing that we need desperately.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support Gianforte’s proposed flat tax rate, or a sales tax. I believe both taxes place a larger tax burden on low-income people. Since low-income people have the smallest disposable incomes and spend a higher proportion of their money on basic survival needs, such as housing, food, and healthcare, they are punished with a flat tax. We are experiencing an affordability crisis in Montana and the U.S. I believe that a tiered tax rate, where wealthier individuals who can afford it, should pay a larger portion of the tax burden. I also believe that corporations should be paying their fair share. Even if they simply stopped getting tax abatements or tax credits, and paid their fair share, our economy would be in better shape and our tax system would be more equitable.

Katie Fire Thunder (D)

Website: https://www.firethunderformontana.com

Endorsements: Bozeman Tenants United, Montana Federation of Public Employees, and the AFL-CIO

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • I support a moratorium on new large-scale data center development until Montana has enforceable protections in place for our water, energy grid, ratepayers, and local communities. We cannot sacrifice our water, air, climate, or energy in service of the profits of out-of-state big tech corporations. If they want to work in Montana, they need to be good neighbors, carry their own weight, and contribute fairly to the community.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • This problem is personal for me. My family relied on subsidized housing, Medicaid and SNAP when I was growing up. Today I still worry about how long I will be able to afford to live in Montana. In 2025, the Legislature cut taxes for the wealthiest Montanans while slashing vital services that working Montanans rely on. We have immense wealth in this state and we need to create an equitable tax system where everyone, even the billionaires of the Yellowstone Club, pays their fair share. I will fight to restore top income tax brackets, collect reasonable taxes from corporations doing business here, shift our state’s tax burden away from renters and homeowners, and invest state money into creating a truly affordable Montana for all.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I strongly oppose a flat income tax. This proposal is part of a destructive pattern we’ve seen to protect the wealth of a few at the expense of the rest of us. A flat income tax would cut rates for highest-income individuals in the state while shifting even more of the tax burden onto residential homeowners and working Montanans. We need to do the opposite: restore to the progressive income tax brackets we have had in the past and invest in things that Montanans actually want, like affordable housing, healthcare, education, and conservation.

Marc Greendorfer (R)

Website: https://www.marc4hd59.com

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • Yes
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • No
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • I don’t see a disconnect. A data center can use water and energy without causing environmental harm.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • The free market.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not. It’s an answer to a question few people care about.

Alanah Griffith (D)

Website: https://griffithformt.com

Endorsements: Montana Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood, MT AFL-CIO

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • Based on the information that is available to use today, I believe that the water and energy demands of data centers, along with their e-waste, noise pollution and hazardous wastewater discharge for closed loop systems would be a violation of Montanans right to a Clean and Healthful environment if the case was brought in Court. In order to reconcile with this right, a large-scale data center would need to account for the water use and wastewater and how they were handling their e-waste, need to use renewable energy and show that they were not harming senior water rights holders, as a start. Based on current technology, I do not believe that they would be able to comply with the Montana Constitution.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • As a real estate and contract attorney, I have worked closely with a number of Housing Trusts to provide attainable housing for all. Anytime there is a law that stands in the way of our ability to provide attainable housing, I have worked on getting a solution passed to clear the way. Outside of the legislature, I (and a lot of others) continue to research what other areas are doing and find ways to apply that to Montana. I think the new Cold Smoke model in Big Sky can be replicated other places (see Big Sky Community Housing Trust website). I also toured a truly innovative project in Salt Lake City called Arbor 515, which allows renters to take part of the profit in the building and ultimately positions them to purchase their unit or another property after renting 10 years. (See Arbor 515 website.) Ultimately, this needs to be addressed at the Federal Level, but I am doing what I can with my limited ability to affect change in Montana.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No. Because it is a regressive tax and I do not support regressive taxes.

Greg Leman (R)

Website: https://leman4mt.org

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • Yes
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • No
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • I don’t accept that these two things have to be in conflict. Our clean and healthful environment is a constitutional promise, and I take it seriously. That’s exactly why data centers should have to meet strict standards, not get waved through with special favors.
    
    I posted my position back in March on Facebook: no special tax breaks, period. If a company wants to build here, it pays its own way like everyone else. On power, they can bring their own. A data center shouldn’t be driving up electricity rates for Montana families or leaning on the grid the rest of us depend on. On water, the demand isn’t fixed, it’s a design choice. Closed-loop and air-cooled systems use a fraction of the water older evaporative designs do, and any large new water user in Montana still has to answer to our water laws. We can require the responsible version by setting standards.
    
    So the answer isn’t to throw up our hands, and it sure isn’t to hand out subsidies and hope for the best. It’s to set the bar high, make them pay their own way, and protect our water and our rates while we do it. That’s how you honor the clean and healthful guarantee and still let people build.
    
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • Montana’s housing crunch, and Gallatin County is the sharp end of it, comes down to two things: we haven’t built enough, and we’ve made building too slow and expensive. My approach is supply-first.
    
    Cut the permitting delays and the fees and regulatory costs that pile tens of thousands onto a home before a nail is driven. Build on the bipartisan land-use reforms the Legislature passed in 2023 that made it easier to add housing, more density and smaller lots where they fit, an ADU on your own property, starter homes that actually pencil out. The fastest way to bring prices down is more roofs.
    
    For resort communities like Big Sky, give them the tools to house the workforce that keeps them running, including letting local resort-tax dollars, paid largely by visitors and approved by local voters, go toward workforce housing. That’s local control, and it doesn’t reach into any resident’s pocket. And protect the people already here. A huge part of “affordable” is being able to afford to stay, which is why property tax relief for homeowners and folks on fixed incomes is at the center of my campaign. Build more, and stop taxing people out of the homes they already own.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I support a flatter, simpler, lower income tax, and I don’t accept the premise that it “guts” anything.
    
    Start with the numbers. The projection was that revenue would fall 1.7%. Instead, general fund revenue grew 4.1%, driven mostly by income tax, even after years of rate cuts. That’s the opposite of the doom scenario. Now the same kind of static projection says a flat 4.7% rate “costs” $130 million a few years out. I’d take that with a large grain of salt, because these projections have a track record of underestimating what Montanans actually earn and produce.
    
    But I’ll be straight where the governor’s office won’t: this wasn’t the product of iron spending discipline in Helena. The budget has grown faster than population and inflation. The cuts held up because the economy and paychecks grew, not because the Legislature held the line. That’s exactly why my support comes with a condition, pair the rate cut with real spending restraint. Lean on a boom to last forever and you’ll get burned.
    
    And honestly, the income tax isn’t the tax hurting families in this district. Property tax is. Bills jumped 30% while incomes didn’t, and that’s the one pushing retirees out of homes they’ve owned for decades. I’ll support a responsible flat income tax. I’ll fight hardest on the property tax hitting your kitchen table right now.

Esther Fishbaugh (R)

Website: https://www.estherformontana.com

Endorsements: Montana Shooting Sports and Montana Family Foundation

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • Yes
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • No
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • Data centers come in a variety of forms/sizes and current practices and new technology can help decrease the demand for coolant water. I support data centers providing their own electrical generation via all sources or technologies available to that location.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • I support less regulations or restrictions on building new housing.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • A flat tax would actually benefit middle income families as they are usually taxed at the higher rate. Businesses would be able to better plan for their future, pay employees more and benefit from stability in knowing their tax burden. Lower income families pay taxes at the current lowest rate and that would not change. We can definitely find savings in our current state budgets to offset any decrease in revenue.

Josh Seckinger (D)

Website: https://www.seckingerformontana.com

Endorsements: Planned Parenthood of Montana, MT AFL-CIO, Montana Conservation Voters

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • I support a moratorium until we can figure out how to reconcile data centers’ needs with our constitutional duty to maintain a clean and healthful environment. I believe the data center siting act we plan to introduce next session is a great start.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • We need a state-level LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit) and a whole host of other incentives to encourage developers to build affordable housing instead of luxury apartments and condos.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • A flat tax is not the answer. It will lead to fiscal imbalance and budget cuts across the board.

Peter Strand (D)

Website: https://strandformontana.com

Endorsements: MFPE, Montana Conservation Voters, AFL-CIO

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • I support a moratorium on AI data centers until we can count on robust guardrails around their development.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • There is so much to answering this question. To begin with, we must push back on simplistic legislation brewing in Helena that favors business interests at the expense of renters. We must find ways to push back on bills seeking to help the rich at the expense of the rest of us. In other words, we need lots of people showing up in committee hearings to give testimony. Strong defense is essential right now.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • Absolutely not. The pattern here is essentially to give big handouts to the rich, and then to say we can’t afford to have our government do anything. The rich get more support, and the rest of us get less. Then the same people repeatedly cutting income taxes will tell us that we need a sales tax to make up the difference, a tax that leans heaviest on people with the least money.

Brady Bremer (D)

Website: https://www.bremerformontana.com

Endorsements: College Democrats of Montana, Montana Federation of Public Employees, Victory Fund, Run for Something

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • We are absolutely in a climate crisis and the rapid construction of data centers has impeded our ability to prevent disaster from occurring. I would expect that any data center constructed in Montana should meet strict guidelines about energy consumption and water usage, until then I support a moratorium or complete pause on construction of data centers in Montana
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • Montana needs more housing supply across the board. Whether its Montanans holding onto their last affordable option or students looking to put down roots, the cost of living in Montana is unsustainable. I would support policies that allow cities like Bozeman to require the construction of affordable units, protect the most vulnerable renters from being priced out of their homes by bad landlords and private equity, and support robust but responsible development that will together bring the cost of living down and protect Montanans at all levels from losing their homes.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support a flat tax rate at all. A flat tax is an incredibly regressive tax that expects working class Montanans to pay an equal or higher effective tax rate than the wealthiest of people living in Montana. Working class Montanans should feel confident knowing that their public services are funded and adequately managed, and this can be done through more progressive tax brackets and corporate taxes that ensure that working class Montanans arent footing the bill for a more affordable state.

Daniel Martinez (R)

Website: https://www.martinezforthepeople.com

Endorsements: Montanans for Limited Government, right to life Montana, Montana Conservative Alliance

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • Yes
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • No
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • Technology advances so rapidly that data centers risk becoming outdated before long, which would make them a poor use of Montana’s valuable land.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • I believe property taxes should ultimately be eliminated. They place a heavy and continuous burden on landowners—especially fixed-income residents—effectively forcing them to rent their own property from the government for life. Government must control spending and live within its means so that hardworking Montanans can truly own what they have earned. Until full elimination is possible, I will support every practical measure that reduces this pressure and protects homeowners.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • As a candidate for Montana House District 64, I support moving toward a flatter income tax structure.
    A simpler, flatter system would ease the complexity and compliance costs that currently weigh on working families, small businesses, and wage earners. By reducing the layers of deductions, brackets, and administrative burden, we can return more of people’s hard-earned money to them and make the tax code more transparent and predictable.
    My priority remains protecting Montana’s fiscal health while lessening the load on taxpayers so they can invest in their families, their businesses, and our communities.

Brian Close (D)

Website: https://brianclose4montana.net

Endorsements: MFPE, AFL-CIO, Montana Conservation Voters

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • Yes
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • WE can’t. Ban them, or at least a moratorium
• MontanWE can’t. Ban them, or at least a moratoriuma is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • Pushing a state Low Income Housing Tax Credit; incentivizing using government property for new units
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I oppose. It is just a ploy to push a sales tax by creating a budget crisis. Raise taxes on high income and capital!

Eric Matthews (D)

Website: https://matthewsformt.com

Endorsements: MFPE, AFL CIO

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • I don’t think they reconcile very well. Any talk of unrestricted use of water is horrible idea and could be catastrophic for communities in Montana. Energy production is not a position to scale up to support data centers and we must protect consumers!
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • I plan to support any any legislation that makes it easier to develop affordable housing. I am not the housing expert and I follow the lead of those that understand it better than I do.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I absolutely do not support a flat tax. A flat tax is a disaster waiting to happen. People making considerably higher incomes can afford a slightly higher tax rate to support services for the state of Montana. I would support adding back more tax brackets as incomes go exponentially higher.

Logan Henke (D)

Website: https://www.loganformontana.com

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • In whose interest is it to build data centers in Montana? I don’t think Montanans asked for or want data centers. Reconciliation is simple: don’t build them here. We have enough stresses on our natural resources and our bills are high enough as it is.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • We need to build, build, build more affordable housing. Zoning regulations, an aversion to dense urban cores, and luxury developers are all impediments. We need to address housing from the perspective of actually providing everyday folks a place to live. Housing should benefit the people, not line the wallets of developers.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No, not at all, for the reason the question just articulated. A flat tax rate burdens middle and lower income folks much more than the wealthy and ultra-wealthy.

Scott Rosenzweig (D)

Website: https://www.rosenzweigformontana.com

Endorsements: MFPE, AFL-CIO

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • Working with others to make sure that guards are in place, and calling for a moratorium until they are.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • I am an advocate for state-sponsored LIHTC, as well as other programs, that create affordable residences at the low end of the market.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support a flat tax – it is unfairly balanced towards people who get income from financial investments more than people who work for a living. I will be bringing a tiered tax bill to the legislature this session.

Kathleen Williams (D)

Website: https://www.kathleenformontana.com

Endorsements: Montana Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood of Montana, Montana AFL-CIO

• Are you in support of Montana Medicaid’s newly enacted work requirements?
  • No
• Do you support repealing the state ban on inclusionary zoning to allow cities to require developers to include affordable housing?
  • Yes
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • We must develop strict criteria for any new data centers in Montana to protect our environment, energy ratepayers, and communities – and ensure we have the time and authority to do so in an enforceable manner.
• Montana is now one of the least affordable housing markets in the US. What are your plans to address this issue in Gallatin County and statewide?
  • We need to continue to work on supply, including supply chain costs; work at the national level to create the economic conditions where we can reduce interest rates for buyers; provide attractive options for those who are overhoused (like me) to downsize or convert single-family to multi-; ensure incomes grow to increase purchasing power; work on creative ownership mechanisms (e.g., cooperative ownership, underlying land held in trust, etc.); and advocate to maintain state and federal housing affordable housing programs (HUD, USDA Rural Development, etc.). I am open to many other creative ideas to address these issues.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No. We do not need to give upper earners more tax breaks, especially when reductions in federal funding to states will threaten the viability of needed programs. I served three terms on the Taxation Committee in the Montana House, and vice-chaired it in 2015. I look forward to working on tax issues again, and ensuring we can fund important programs without making our our system more regressive.

Debo Powers (D)

Website: https://powersforthepeople.us

Endorsements: Montana Conservation Voters, Montana Federation of Public Employees (includes teacher unions), AFL-CIO

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • Climate Change–Every year there are more devastating emergencies caused by climate change. This will continue to get worse. This summer, we lost weeks of outdoor time due to unhealthy smoke from wildfires. Young people’s future depends on finding solutions.
    
    In the last legislative session, I introduced 2 bills to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. I will continue to find ways to educate other lawmakers on the causes of climate change and what we need to do to reverse it.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • Affordability is a top priority. In the last legislative session, I introduced a bill to give local government’s another tool in creating affordable housing. The legislature needs to keep working on solutions to our affordability crisis.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • Absolutely not. In the next legislative session, I will work hard to defeat this proposal. I don’t think that billionaires should pay the same income tax rate as hard working Montanans—people who work in our schools, fire stations, national parks and forests, and small businesses. We need a fair and equitable tax system with more tax brackets, not a flat tax. Billionaires should not pay less while hard working Montanans pay more.

Paula Koch (D)

Website: https://www.kochbestformontanahd4.org

Endorsements: MCV, MFPE, AFL-CIO, MT55+

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • Housing and affordability are the most important issues facing the young adults in our state. The growth that has hit Montana has been fast and furious, and the challenges surrounding housing and affordability are complex. There is no isolated solution. We need all parties and people working together to determine solutions that best serve their communities while also benefiting the state as a whole
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • For the Flathead, the goal should be to ensure that growth brings more housing opportunities without overwhelming infrastructure or reducing residents’ quality of life.
    
    The link between affordability and growth is well documented in Montana. The 2023 legislative reforms legalized accessory dwelling units, duplexes, and multifamily housing in certain areas and streamlined permitting. The 2025 session reforms built on those changes by expanding where accessory dwelling units can be built and allowing greater building heights in some commercial zones.
    
    All of these efforts are moving Montana forward, but they also highlight the need to revisit these decisions during the 2027 legislative session to ensure they remain manageable and workable for our local Flathead city governments.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I support responsible tax relief when the state can afford it, but I don’t believe Montana should pursue a flat tax simply because it is politically appealing. Before making another permanent reduction, the Legislature should examine long-term revenue projections, the needs of growing communities, and whether the proposed savings will actually improve affordability for ordinary Montana families.
    
    My concern is that Montana is already facing significant demands for infrastructure, education, public safety, health care, and local government services. Giving up another $130 million in recurring revenue could make those challenges harder to address.

Luca Welle (D)

Website: https://lucaformontana.com

Endorsements: MFPE, 3.14 Action Fund

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • Young Montanans are finding it difficult to find housing that they can afford in the places they grew up. There has been recent progress making it easier for the lower-income housing we need to exist and reduce property taxes, but more must be done if we want our younger generations to remain here while enjoying a good quality of life.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • The legislature should provide tools, guidelines, and support for our local communities, while being able to step up with statewide programs for affordability when there are shortfalls.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support a flat tax rate, as the legislature should be reducing the burden on low and middle income citizens so that they can lead high quality lives and contribute to our local economy, while ensuring that ultra-high earners are paying their fair share to support our communities.

Darren Fix (D)

Website:https://www.fixforsix.com

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • Young Montanans can’t afford to stay here. A living wage means benefits and enough left over to build a life, not just get by. Building more houses won’t fix that if we sell them to out-of-state money. Montana already hands tax breaks to data centers that hire a few dozen people. I’d tie those dollars to employers paying wages Montanans can actually live on.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • Helena spends more time overriding local governments than helping them. I’d flip that. Growth should pay for growth. Let counties charge developers for the water, sewer, and roads their projects require instead of dumping it on local taxpayers. Keep the homestead exemption that shifted taxes off primary residences and onto second homes and short-term rentals. And let Flathead communities plan their own growth.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No. We’ve given the wealthy plenty already. Most Montanans pay 4.7% right now, so a flat 4.7% is a tax cut for exactly one group, and it isn’t working families. It costs $130 million a year, and that bill comes back to the rest of us in property taxes. Working people carry this state. They shouldn’t have to fund that too.

Madison Evans (D)

Website: https://www.madisonformontana.com

Endorsements: Big Sky 55+, Montana AFL-CIO, Badge for Mental Health Now

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • I have found things can rarely be summed into just one issue. I believe young Montanans are being priced out of the places they grew up in. The cost of living and housing in Kalispell now outpaces local wages more than almost anywhere else in the state, while the public lands that make this place special face growing pressure from unchecked development. If elected, I’ll push for housing and cost of living solutions that keep families here, defend public land access, and expand mental health resources so young people have real support as they build their lives in Montana. I grew up in this valley and I am running to make sure the next generation can afford to stay in it too.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • The Legislature’s job is to support our people, to make it easier to build a good life here, not harder. Right now, Flathead County has one of the highest rates of new residents moving in across the state, but housing supply and infrastructure funding haven’t kept pace, and that gap is driving up costs, clogging our roads, and eroding the quality of life this area used to offer. That means dedicating state infrastructure dollars to fast-growing communities like ours for road capacity and water/sewer expansion, and giving local governments planning tools like incentives for workforce housing development and streamlined permitting for starter homes, and addressing the increase in short term rentals, instead of leaving them to manage growth with outdated resources. Local communities know their own needs best, Helena’s job is to protect them, not put more barriers in their way.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No, I don’t support a flat income tax for Montana. A flat tax sounds simple, but in practice it shifts the burden onto middle and lower income families while giving the wealthiest Montanans a bigger break, that is the opposite of what our state needs right now, especially when families in places like the Flathead are already struggling to keep up with the cost of living. Losing $130 million in state revenue also means less money for the things our community depends on: schools, infrastructure, and mental health services – right as growth is already straining those systems. I believe in a tax structure that is fairly distributed and doesn’t balance the budget on the backs of working Montanans.

Kate McLaughlin (D)

Website: https://mclaughlinformontana.com/k84mt

Endorsements: Candidate For Common Good

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • Housing is the most pressing issue. I would address this issue by increasing the supply of more affordable housing.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • Montana Legislature can provide infrastructure funding and give local governments ways to ensure the new development contributes to the water and sewer systems and the roads. Policies can also be created to study or fund public transportation solutions in the Flathead County.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No I do not support a flat income tax. We would lose revenue and I believe they will try to introduce a sales tax to make up the difference.

Catherine Allen (D)

Website: https://catherineallenformontana.com

Endorsements: Planned Parenthood, Moms Demand Action Gun Safe Advocate, AFL-CIO

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • Affordability, specifically housing, healthcare, and childcare. We need more housing that is directed towards first-time home-buyers and those who can only afford smaller, lower-cost homes. This way, young people can work where they live while building equity and putting down roots in our communities. I would support any legislation that promotes increasing workforce housing–townhomes, cottages, manufactured homes–that aren’t just apartments. I would love to see the state expand first-time homebuyer savings programs.
    
    On the healthcare side, I would support Medicaid expansion in our state and fight to keep the new reporting requirements simple and straight-forward so that people don’t lose access over missed paperwork. I would also work to fund community behavioral health: school services, young-adult services, and telehealth access.
    Regarding childcare, I would support and expand SB 321 to create childcare tax credits for families, childcare workers, and businesses that help employees with childcare. I would also work to raise the income threshold for the Best Beginnings scholarship.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • The Legislature’s job is to give communities the tools and funding to manage the growth. It should pay for the mandates it creates instead of requiring new land use plans to be funded by local taxpayers. It should give towns the option, by local vote, to capture revenue from tourists and second-home owners so the burden doesn’t fall on permanent residents. And, as stated above, it requires building homes for young families and workforce.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I am strongly against this flat tax. I think it would be terrible for Montana’s economy and hurt exactly those who need the help most. I also think it would come at a time when the state needs more revenue to meet an oncoming budget shortfall due to federal cuts from the past 1.5 years. If anything, we need an additional higher tax bracket for the highest income earners in Montana to subsidize programs that keep our workforce and young families in Montana and keep our communities vibrant.

Maeve Kintzler (D)

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • Housing and land. We must protect our environment from corporations.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • We must grow and develop our state with a people-first mindset. For example, building more sustainable and affordable housing. We should also provide more stable jobs that provide and REQUIRE living wages.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • Income taxes should be impactful on the wealthiest demographics. Lower and middle class Montanans already have to face challenges such as whether or not to have food or have heat in the winter.

Dalton Bradford (D)

Website: https://www.bradfordformontana.com

Endorsements: Montana AFL-CIO, Montana Federation of Public Employees

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • The most pressing issue for young Montanans today is affordability. Rising costs for housing, childcare, healthcare, and everyday necessities are making it harder for young people to stay in the communities they call home.
    If elected, I’ll focus on making Montana more affordable by supporting strong public schools and career programs, attainable housing, reliable rural healthcare, small businesses and local employers, and meaningful property tax relief for working families.
    
    Young Montanans are asking for a hand out; they’re asking for a fair chance to work hard, raise a family, and build a good, fulfilling life here in Montana. I’m going to make sure they have that opportunity.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • While growth can bring opportunity, it also creates real challenges for housing, roads, infrastructure, and the cost of living. The Legislature should help communities plan for that growth without imposing some one-size-fits-all solution from Helena. I’m all for giving our local governments the tools and resources they need to invest in their roads, water and sewer systems, affordable housing, and all other critical infrastructure before the growth overwhelms existing services. We should also absolutely pursue meaningful property tax relief, support responsible housing development, and ensure that our longtime residents aren’t priced out of the communities they call home.
    Growth should only strengthen our communities, not alter what makes them worth calling home. The state’s role should be to fully support local solutions that keep our communities affordable, functional, and distinctly Montana.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support this flat income tax that Governor Gianforte has proposed. While a flat rate may look and sound good on paper, in reality it disproportionately benefits the wealthiest Montanans while doing far less for everyday middle and working class families.
    Our tax system should be fair and equitable. If we significantly reduce the state revenue to simply give large tax breaks to the wealthiest Montanans, we risk cutting funding for schools, healthcare, infrastructure, and other essential services or shifting more of the burden onto property taxes and working families.
    Of course Montanans deserve meaningful tax relief, but it should be targeted toward the people who need it most and not set up to in a way that leaves middle-class families bridging the revenue gap.

Jonathan Jameson (D)

Website: https://www.jonathan-russell-jameson-for-mt-sd1.com

Endorsements: Action 314

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • Finding purpose. Each step on the path of growth is difficult so supporting teachers is a must
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • Difficult question. Solar will ultimately be the keystone to the path of affordability. Cutting down on fossil fuel reliance and helping people get solar installed will drop energy prices down. Transitioning to electric cars will help. Improved public transportation and also traffic light communication, im a fan of round abouts. In truth we are all thrown into the world trying to play catch-up. We need more life coaches. Better logging practices and building with locally scorced lumber. More communication with local farmers and producers to get more Montana food on Montanans plates.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support the flat tax. The budget is already seeing a short fall from the Big Beautiful Bill and the flat tax will lower taxes for the 1% income earners.

Kyle Waterman (D)

Website: https://waterman4senate.com

Endorsements: Montana AFL-CIO and Big Sky 55+

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • All Montanans are facing the challenges of being able to afford to live in Montana. This issue is facing young and old Montanans and the challenge is that we aren’t all working together to address affordability for Montanans. I think it is very difficult to build affordable housing so I believe we have to enlist other affordability strategies which I would pursue in the Legislature. The strategies I would pursue would be more childcare for working families and more local public transportation if elected to the Montana State Senate. Providing affordable childcare specifically assists younger families. These families are at the beginning of their career, paying higher than I paid student loans and struggling in this expensive housing market. This also helps these younger peoples parents who are asked to volunteer their time to babysit while struggling with their own affordability issues. Public transportation can also help young and old Montanans too – young families can car share and seniors can have rides to medical appointments. When elected to the Senate, I will focus on more solutions that work for families in the Flathead, not just more affordable housing.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • The Montana Legislature plays a critical role in communities addressing growth by funding proactive solutions for local government to use. Our property taxes should be going into preparing our communities for growth with pipes in the ground and sidewalks replacing ditches by the side of the road. Local government shouldn’t have to raise property taxes more to do these projects because property taxes should be funding infrastructure NOT the General Fund. Growth should pay for Growth before we lower income taxes more or issue property tax refunds. Income taxes and tourist taxes should be paying for General Fund needs so that Montana can grow responsibly and sustainably.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I don’t. We have recently installed a tier system to our property taxes and I think we will find in time that it works. I think having a tiered income tax system would be effective as we have more millionaires in Montana to make sure we have public employees like teachers, firefighters and police too. I agree with red tape initiatives to streamline our tax code but not at the cost of essential services. I believe that having people who earn more than $1M should pay a higher tax rate than those who earn less then $1M is fair. I will fight to fund our public employees and essential services first before cutting revenue.

Patrick Fitzpatrick (D)

Website: https://pat4mt.com/

Endorsements: Vote Vets, The Politician’s Creed, Big Sky 55+

• Should Montana invest more in transportation and infrastructure to help growing communities meet future needs? 
  • Yes
• Do you support state funding and legislative standards to regularly test and mitigate ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) in Montana’s lakes, rivers, and municipal water supplies?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue? 
  • It’s become more difficult for young people to afford to live in MT; the average age of people who can afford a down payment on a home is 40+. I don’t believe that we can ask young people to have faith in a state that cannot offer them affordable housing. I will write legislation that will offer first-time homebuyers better options and an earlier shot at the American Dream.
• Many communities in the Flathead are experiencing rapid growth alongside rising housing costs, increased traffic, and pressure on local infrastructure. What role should the Montana Legislature play in helping communities prepare for growth while maintaining affordability and quality of life?
  • Growth isn’t the enemy. Growth without a plan is. I’ve watched the Flathead change for fifty years, and the communities that do it well are the ones where the people who live here get a real say in how it happens. The Legislature’s job is to give us the tools to manage growth on our terms, not to dictate one-size-fits-all solutions from Helena. That means: real property tax relief so working families aren’t priced out by rising valuations, state investment in water, sewer, and road infrastructure that keeps pace with development instead of lagging behind it, and protecting local governments’ authority to use zoning and planning tools that fit their community’s character.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No. A flat tax sounds fair until you picture the pie: everyone gets a slice, but a flat percentage costs a struggling family far more than it costs a millionaire. This plan would drain $130 million from Montana’s budget, and independent analysis shows middle and lower income families absorb the impact, not the wealthy. I support a tax code where people contribute based on what they can actually afford.

Lona Running Wolf (D)

• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration?
  • Yes
• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue?
  • Access to higher education is a considerable worry that I have for young Montanans today. It is becoming increasingly difficult to afford to attend college. With new federal financial aid policies, we will soon begin to see a larger gap in access for those who already struggle financially to pursue their degrees. Montana can do something different. I will advocate for more accessible ways for young Montanans to be able to go to college and be able to afford it. With so many tribal/community colleges and state-controlled universities, I will work hard to create laws that bridge this gap.
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • There are two considerations to this issue. One is that data centers are only as in demand as the consumers that use them. So we not only have to create laws and safeguards that protect the natural resources, but we also have to educate people on their usage, which creates the demand for these centers. I know there is a balance in terms of cost-benefit. If we are destroying our Earth for consumption, that is not progress. The balance of responsible technology is something we all have to work towards.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I am against this income tax change. It doesn’t benefit anyone but the wealthy. Montana has a legacy of having a strong workforce, working families, being community-minded, helping each other in times of need, and caring about the next generation. This decision is not following what Montana was built on and will hurt the people who are already struggling.

Shelly Fyant (D)

Website: https://shellyformontana.com/

Endorsements: MFPE, BigSky 55+, Gun Sense Voter

• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote by mail programs, same-day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration?
  • Yes
• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue?
  • Affordable Housing. Create down payment assistance/low interest rate program for first time homebuyers. Preserve existing affordable housing, increase affordable housing funding.
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • I do not support large scale data centers in Montana. No matter what the developers say as far as water use, there will be problems with water quality. Montana is already over-appropriated with water quantity. I would rather see water used for food production and household use, not unneeded data centers. Energy producers look at data centers as customers and do not have any “vetting” standards in place for water or other resource needs.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I absolutely do not support a single, flat income tax rate that favors the Governor’s wealthy friends, while my lower and middle income constituents will suffer the impacts on their already tight budgets. Many constitutents are having to make choices between utility bills, transportation costs, childcare, food and housing.

Tyson Running Wolf (D)

Endorsements: MDLLC, Western Native Voice, MFPE

• Do you support protecting access to the ballot for all voters by maintaining and expanding vote-by-mail programs, same-day voter registration services, satellite elections offices, and automatic and online voter registration?
  • Yes
• Do you support increasing state investment in K–12 education?
  • Yes
• What do you consider to be the most pressing issue facing young Montanans? If elected, how would you address this issue?
  • Affordable housing is an issue all across Montana. Young Montanans are facing this issue while still trying to build their careers and find ways to make a living. We need to work on both sides of the aisle to incentivize and encourage cities, towns, and rural communities to build affordable housing, create incentives for new homebuyers, decrease property taxes, and strengthen the incomes of young people entering the workforce to be able to afford housing.
• How do you reconcile the massive water and energy demands of new data centers with our constitutional duty to maintain a ‘clean and healthful’ environment? 
  • There is a lot to learn and know about these data centers. Anything that has the potential to destroy our natural resources is not a new technology that we should support. We can’t have growth while we destroy. Transparency is key, and giving the people a voice should be a priority.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I don’t support this because this decision will cost all Montanans. This is not the Montana that we know and have worked hard to maintain. To create jobs, we need to strengthen middle- and lower-income people and families. This is how to create a strong economy. When middle-and lower income people have disposable income, they can spend more in local businesses and stores. It is already difficult for them to do this today due to the high prices of goods and services. Gutting the budget for this tax change is like pouring fuel on a currently out-of-control fire. I will work hard to suppress that fire.

Mark Thane (D)

Website: https://www.thaneformontana.com

Endorsements: Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE), Planned Parenthood, Montana AFL-CIO

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • No
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • Yes
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • Efforts to sell off or privatize our public lands.
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • I have consistently voted to protect the rights of LGBTQ2S+ citizens in my three terms in the Montana House. Protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity should be included in sexual harassment and intimidation policies and statutes in Montana.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support the governor’s flat tax proposal. Since 2017 the tax cuts implemented in Montana have reduced revenue by over $658 million annually. Most of the cuts have benefitted the wealthy and have put programs such as expanded Medicaid and public education at risk.

Ben Davis (D)

Website: https://www.davisformontana.com

Endorsements: Montana Conservation Voters, AFL-CIO, Big Sky 55+

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • No Response
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • Yes
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • The greatest threat is the push to sell off or “exchange” public lands into private hands, followed by the degradation of our lands through mining and logging activities.
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • LGBTQ+ rights are human rights and all Montanans are protected by our state and federal constitutions and I will work to uphold and protect these rights every day for all Montanans.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No. I support a progressive income tax that ensures that the wealthiest Montanans pay their fair share.

Robin Kendall (D)

Website: https://www.robinkendall4montana.org

Endorsements: AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Montana (PPAMT), Montana Representative Marilyn Marler, Montana Federation of Public Employees PAC (MFPE)

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • No
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • Yes
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • I believe the greatest threat to our access to public lands, and to Montana’s rivers, is the push to privatize, develop, or restrict access to resources that belong to all of us. Our rivers, public lands, and the access to them are part of Montana’s heritage and our constitutional rights, and we have a responsibility to protect them for everyone, not allow them to become privileges for the few.
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • I would support policies that protect LGBTQ2S+ Montanans from discrimination in housing, employment, healthcare, education, and public services, and that ensure everyone has equal protection under Montana law. The 2025 legislative session showed why these protections are necessary. We saw bills such as HB 121, which restricted transgender and intersex Montanans’ access to certain restrooms and public facilities; HB 300, which restricted transgender students’ participation in school sports; HB 400, which allowed teachers and students to refuse to use a transgender student’s chosen name or pronouns; and HB 446, which created additional criminal consequences around restroom and changing-room use. Several of these measures became law.
    
    I would oppose legislation that singles out LGBTQ2S+ Montanans for discrimination or interferes in personal healthcare decisions between patients, families, and their doctors. Montana should be a place where every person can live openly, safely, and with dignity—and where our laws protect individual rights rather than take them away.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support moving Montana to a single flat income tax rate. Montana’s tax system should be fair and sustainable, and a flat tax would move us in the wrong direction. Our income tax is one of the few parts of the state tax system that asks more from those with the greatest ability to pay, helping offset the more regressive impact of property and consumption taxes.
    
    I also believe we need to be honest about what a tax cut means for the state budget. If we reduce revenue by roughly $130 million, that is money that could otherwise support public education, healthcare, infrastructure, behavioral health, and other services Montanans depend on. And when we cut taxes disproportionately for higher-income households, we risk putting more pressure on working and middle-class families to make up the difference. I want Montana to have a tax system that is fair, responsible, and sustainable—not one that prioritizes another tax break for the wealthiest at the expense of the services our communities rely on.

Bob Carter (D)

Website: https://cartermt.us

Endorsements: Montana Conservation Voters, 314 Action, The Center for Freethought Equality

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • No
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • Yes
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • The sale of our public lands is our most significant threat.
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • Democrats winning elections is the best thing we can do you protect our rights.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support regressive tax policies like a flat tax, that’s why I ran a bill to include a new upper tax bracket.

Melody Cunningham (D)

Website: https://melodyformontana.org

Endorsements: MFPE, AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • No
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • Yes
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • Private money and the Federal Legislators voting to allow purchase and development of public lands.
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • I have and would fight against any bills that try to restrict those rights. I would also support bills that work to protect their rights for voting, bathroom access, and medical care.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • No because it will deplete the funds that are imperative for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and other important services for working Montanans and disproportionately impact young Montanans and our seniors. The previous Tax Bill that was passed, on party lines, in 2025 already gives a disproportionate relief to the top 1% of Montanans and costs $1 billion in revenue every 4 years.

Michael HagEstad (R)

Website: https://hagestadformontana.com

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • Yes
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • No
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • The Checkerboard allotment system which creates pockets of public land that have no public access except by corner crossing
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • By strengthening trust in our judicial system through reforms which increase the throughput of cases through the Courts, thereby making it cheaper and easier to access the Courts
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I support a flat income tax for Montana. Income taxes hurt lower and middle class people harder because their income tends to come from employment. The middle class is hit especially hard by income taxes because their income disqualifies them from receiving state assistance and the higher tax rate reduces the concrete gains seen from increased worker productivity. If you work for a living, lower income taxes are going to be a major boon to climbing out of the Benefits Cliff.

SJ Howell (D)

Website: https://howellformt.com

Endorsements: AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, MT Conservation Voters

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • No
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • Yes
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • Currently, efforts at the federal and state level to transfer or sell public lands into private ownership is a serious threat. I oppose these efforts.
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • I support a statewide nondiscrimination policy that protects people on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression. I support policies that allow trans Montanans to access gender affirming care, correct identity documents, and public spaces, and oppose all policies that restrict this access. I also support inclusive education policies and oppose book bans and other policies that infringe on the rights of queer and trans youth in educational settings.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • I do not support a flat tax. Flat taxes are regressive and negatively impact working Montanans while letting the very wealthy off the hook for paying their fare share. I support a tiered, progressive income tax system that ensures low- and moderate-income Montanans don’t pay more than they can afford while still raising the revenue we need to invest in communities.

Andrea Olsen (D)

Website: https://www.andreaolsenmt.com

Endorsements: Montana Conservation Voters, AFL-CIO, BigSky55+

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • No
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • Yes
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • Privatization of our public lands for sale.
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • I believe the Montana Constitution already protects the rights of LGBTQ2S+ and maybe funding protection of rights, attorney fees for plaintiff’s when constitutional rights are violated, and DEI funding.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • NO. Because it is regressive – transferring the tax burden once again to those who least can afford it, and it cuts vital services we all need to make our communities work.

Brad Tschida (R)

• Do you support local ordinances that enforce civil and criminal penalties for individuals sleeping or camping in public when there is no space available at emergency shelters?
  • Yes
• Do you support Montana’s current vote-by-mail and absentee system?
  • No
• In your own words, what is the greatest threat to our access to public lands?
  • Lawsuits that prevent responsible and balanced use.
• What policies, if any, would you support to ensure the rights of LGBTQ2S+ people are protected at the state level?
  • They are all citizens and are entitled to the same rights as all other citizens. No more or no less.
• Governor Gianforte has made it clear that he intends to gut Montana’s budget by pushing for the state to have a single, flat income tax rate during the 2027 Legislative session. This would cost the state $130 million in revenue and ultimately impact middle and lower income people and families more drastically than wealthy Montanans. Do you support a flat tax rate for Montana? Why or why not?
  • The issue is not flat tax or current tax policy as much as it is keeping the expenditures of government restricted to their constitutionally mandated duties. We are far outside of those parameters at this time.