Kenneth Britton “Britt” Cotter, 48, who was recently elected District Court Judge for Lake and Sanders counties, has been charged with one count of solicitation to commit criminal distribution of dangerous drugs and two counts of attempted criminal possession of dangerous drugs. The Montana Attorney General’s Office announced the charges following a months-long investigation led Read More…
Congressman Ryan Zinke announced that the Senate has passed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act. The EXPLORE Act is a comprehensive, bicameral legislation package that includes Zinke’s bipartisan Gateway Communities and Recreation Enhancement Act introduced with Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola in May 2023. The bill passed the House in April and will Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is spearheading a coalition of 28 states in urging the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to protect American firearm manufacturers from liability claims brought by the Mexican government. In a brief filed Tuesday, the coalition challenges a lower court ruling that Mexico alleges could hold U.S. gun manufacturers Read More…
Tracy Stone-Manning, a senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration who spearheaded its aggressive climate agenda, has been named the next president of The Wilderness Society, a prominent environmental organization based in Washington, D.C. Stone-Manning’s appointment will take effect in February, the group announced Tuesday. Stone-Manning’s tenure as Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Read More…
When it comes to sexual assault allegations against a conservative nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States- #BelieveWomen. When it comes to sexual assault allegations against a Democrat- #BelieveMen. That’s how the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s (NRSC) Nathan Brand sums up the news that liberal Gov. Steve Bullock (D-MT) is now defending former Read More…
With so much of our attention rightly focused on all of the coronavirus news, and the economic fallout from the COVID-19 closures- much of the election news has been pushed off to the sideline. But, as absentee ballots are soon to be shipped out to voters all across Montana- the important primary debates will come back Read More…
Montana’s Democratic governor, Steve Bullock, who has called for eliminating super PACs, appears to have a new outside super PAC backing his Senate run. The Big Sky Voters PAC—a Montana-based super PAC—was created April 23 and looks positioned to boost Bullock’s Senate bid against incumbent Republican senator Steve Daines. Its treasurer previously held the same role for Read More…
Republicans Brian Putnam will challenge incumbent David Dunn – currently in his first term – for the Montana House District 9 nomination in the June 2 primary election. The winner of the primary election will be uncontested in the Nov. 3 general election. Early voting begins May 8. David Dunn Age:32 Family: Bachelor, dog, cat, Read More…
Former Montana congressman Ron Marlenee, a Republican who served for eight terms representing the state’s old eastern district, died Sunday in Bozeman. He was 84. Marlenee, a farmer and rancher from Scobey in Montana’s northeastern corner, won the eastern district congressional seat in 1976 and was re-elected seven times. He then lost a close statewide Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., outlined the importance of a phased reopening of the Montana economy while discussing COVID-19 relief efforts on Capitol Hill during a virtual chat with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning. Daines said the good news is that Montana has seen a steady decline in confirmed COVID-19 cases – Read More…
If any projects should be moving forward right now- it’s infrastructure, it’s boots on the grounds, it’s shovel ready jobs that put money into the pockets of hard working Americans. And, oh by the way- a Montana firm landed the contract. We’re talking about the effort to build a wall on our nation’s Southern border. Read More…
Montana U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced Saturday that nearly $3.5 million will be directed to the Montana Board of Crime Control. “This funding will play a critical role to ensure our law enforcement on the front lines have the resources they need to protect our communities during the coronavirus outbreak,” Daines said in press release. Read More…
HELENA — Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte has loaned another $500,000 of his own money to his campaign, increasing his personal contributions to $1.05 million – about a third of his total funding. Even without the personal loans, Gianforte, Montana’s U.S. representative, has easily out-raised his two Republican rivals in the year-long campaign for Montana’s Read More…
Groups in Montana collecting signatures to get ballot initiatives included in the November election are pushing the governor and secretary of state to eliminate requirements for in-person signature gathering and notarization. New Approach Montana, a group working to legalize recreational marijuana, has sued Secretary of State Corey Stapleton over the state’s prohibition on electronic signature collection. The group Read More…
HELENA — In the past three months, investment funds owned by U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte have bought stock in several pharmaceutical and consulting firms doing work related to the coronavirus outbreak. Yet those purchases are a tiny fraction of the more than 200 transactions that Gianforte’s investment funds publicly reported since Jan. 1, as they Read More…
HELENA — A political action committee filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Montana law a week after a state Republican lawmaker lodged a complaint about them alleging they are using a name that fails to identify the special interests of contributors, some of whom are fellow GOP legislators. Doctors for a Healthy Montana filed Read More…
Senator Steve Daines (R., Mont.) asked President Trump to use “executive powers and existing authorities” as part of an effort to reinforce domestic pharmaceutical supply chains in the wake of the Wuhan coronavirus. “Moving forward, it is important that we incentivize innovation and the development of essential medical supplies and equipment in the U.S. in Read More…
Appearing on the KGVO Talk Back program on Monday, Montana GOP Chairman Don Kaltschmidt (Don K) made a bold statement that he believed that Democrat Governor Steve Bullock would not defeat Republican Steve Daines for the U.S. Senate. “It’s not going to happen, and let me tell you why,” said Kaltschmidt. “First of all, we Read More…
WASHINGTON — Montana’s delegates in Congress are urging President Donald Trump to approve federal funding that would allow the Montana National Guard to assist in efforts against the coronavirus. The following is a press release from the offices of Rep. Greg Gianforte, Sen. Steve Daines and Sen. Jon Tester: Congressman Greg Gianforte and U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Read More…
On Thursday, Montana Governor Steve Bullock issued a statewide stay-at-home order to all Montanans to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. According to County Attorney Kirsten Pabst, “all systems are go” at the Missoula County Attorney’s Office. She said there are four essential components to this new Directive. “The first is stay home,” Pabst said. “The second Read More…
Montana U.S. House candidate Kathleen Williams and members of her campaign staff are self-quarantining after learning an attendee at a campaign event tested positive for COVID-19. Williams’ campaign manager, Jeff Allen, said in a Thursday news release that neither the Bozeman Democrat nor her campaign staff have experienced symptoms and are self-quarantining “out of an Read More…
The federal government could soon be paying for the early manufacturing of potential coronavirus drugs while those drugs are still being researched, under a $10 billion proposal by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines. The proposal, which received mention on the Sunday news program “Face The Nation” and in the Wall Street Journal, would have the federal Read More…
Republican Greg Gianforte is continuing his prodigious fundraising in Montana’s 2020 gubernatorial race, blowing past $2 million for the campaign during the first two-and-a-half months this year – including a $500,000 loan he made to the campaign in February. In his report filed Friday, Gianforte said he raised another $390,000 from donors during the first Read More…
HELENA – Secretary of State Corey Stapleton said earlier this week he was taking a “deliberate pause” before giving direction on the June 2 primary election as concerns increase about the coronavirus. “There’s been a lot of interest, a lot of questions about how the newly touched-down coronavirus could affect our elections,” he said in a Read More…
Montana governor Steve Bullock has spent his entire political career saying he wants to remove dark money from politics. Now running for the U.S. Senate, Bullock is receiving help from one of the largest liberal dark money networks in America. Protect Our Care, a shadowy group that attacks Republicans on health care issues, announced Thursday Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock raised $1.2 million in campaign donations in the 24 hours after he filed to run against Montana Senator Steve Daines. According to a press release from Bullock’s campaign, more than 1,250 contributions from Montanans were made in the first day of the campaign. READ FULL STORY
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on Monday unveiled a handful of proposals that he said Congress and the administration should enact amid growing concerns about the coronavirus’s impact on the economy. “I will be working with the Trump administration, Congressional Leadership, and Republicans and Democrats in both chambers to ensure these priorities are addressed and put forward to help Read More…
Ending days of speculation, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock entered Montana’s U.S. Senate race Monday, immediately vaulting the contest into the top tier of Senate battles nationwide. Bullock, 53, who spent seven months running for president last year and had repeatedly rejected the idea of challenging Republican incumbent Steve Daines, announced his change of plans with Read More…
In the final days of filing for the 2020 elections, a flurry of candidates have announced bids for state legislative seats. The local race with the most candidates is House District 64, which will see both a Republican and Democratic primary in June. Rep. Kerry White, a four-term Republican, can’t seek reelection for the seat Read More…
Mar. 9 marked the filing deadline for public office in Montana. Three seats are up for reelection on the Republican-dominated Public Service Commission. The commission sets customer rates and approves new power, water and legacy telecommunications projects. In southeast Montana, two Republicans are challenging Commissioner Tony O’Donnell’s incumbency. State representative Daniel Zolnikov and former PSC Read More…
Democrat Tom Winter filed Thursday night to run for Montana’s sole U.S. House seat, becoming the second Democrat and seventh candidate overall in the crowded race. And, another candidate for the U.S. House – Republican Secretary of State Corey Stapleton – also is expected to file before the Monday deadline. Winter filed online from his Read More…
HELENA – Businesswoman Whitney Williams announced Buzz Mattelin as her Lieutenant Governor candidate. Buzz is a farmer and President of the National Barley Growers Association. He is from Culbertson. Williams is the last to announce her running mate. On Friday, Democrat Mike Cooney announced Casey Schreiner as his running mate. Schreiner is a former school Read More…
Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-MT) announced his much-anticipated running mate in the race for Montana governor and lieutenant governor on Sunday night in Billings. Gianforte selected Great Falls lawyer and former Montana Supreme Court candidate Kristen Juras to serve as his running mate. Juras told the crowd that she is excited to be Gianforte’s running mate, Read More…
The latest crop of local candidates filing for political office has set up a Democratic primary battle in one district and guaranteed a general-election contest in two other districts. Garrett Henson of Columbia Falls filed to run in House District 3 against fellow Democrat Debo Powers. Powers was appointed to represent the district – which Read More…
A second Republican has filed to run for the state House seat that covers south Bozeman, including Montana State University. Jason Zeng, a Ph.D. student at MSU in chemical engineering, will face Bryan Haysom in the primary June 2. Zeng, 28, has also worked as a research assistant at MSU and a potato inspector in Read More…
The two Democratic candidates for governor highlighted their differences and declared themselves the candidate who can beat U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte — the presumed frontrunner in the Republican gubernatorial race. In their second debate, businesswoman Whitney Williams said she has the new ideas necessary to keep the governor’s office in Democratic hands, while Lt. Read More…
Former state Rep. Kathleen Williams, D-Bozeman, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, was in Havre Thursday for a meet and greet event and spoke about her campaign. The seat is held by U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., who announced last year he would not be running for re-election in the House but will be Read More…
A second Republican and political newcomer has entered Montana’s U.S. Senate race, challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Steve Daines in the primary. Dan Larson, a hardware-store manager from Stevensville, paid his filing fee on Tuesday, as a Republican. He’s never run for office before. Also, Democrat Mike Knoles, a Bozeman physicist and mathematician, said he became Read More…
A hunky Congressional candidate wants to be your Valentine — and he’s not shy about showing his assets to get you to contribute to his campaign. Tom Winter, 33, a Montana Democrat, created a faux Tinder profile featuring a shirtless image of himself for the day of love fundraising pitch. “Swipe right for a representative Read More…
The two Democrats with their eyes on Montana’s governor’s office took to the stage Wednesday night at MSU-Billings. Lt. Governor Mike Cooney and businesswoman Whitney Williams will face each other in the June 2 primary, but Wednesday night they faced the crowd and answered questions on a number of topics important to Montanans, including healthcare Read More…
Current Montana State Auditor and Insurance Commissioner Matt Rosendale has received the official endorsement of President Donald Trump in his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives. KGVO News spoke with Rosendale after he received the news via a Presidential tweet. ‘Rosendale is a strong and conservative fighter for Montana. Matt Read More…
With Montana’s June primary election now less than four months away, voters can expect things to heat up on the campaign trail. Case in point: Montana’s race for governor, where incumbent Democrat Steve Bullock is term-limited after eight years in office. Two Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination: Lt. Gov Mike Cooney and newcomer Read More…
Former President Barack Obama met privately with Montana Gov. Steve Bullock on Thursday in Washington, an adviser confirmed, as Democrats hold out hopes that the red-state governor makes a surprise, last-minute splash into the state’s Senate race. Bullock has consistently said he will not run for the Senate after dropping his own White House bid Read More…
Democratic attorney general candidate Raph Graybill is not eligible for the ballot because he hasn’t actively practiced law in Montana for five years, alleges a complaint filed this week with the state political practices office. Graybill, however, said he will have met the requirement before the Nov. 3 election, and his campaign called the complaint Read More…