Montana Republican Party

Montana Republican Party
Chairman	William Deschamps
Headquarters	1005 Partrige Ste #4 Helena, MT 59602
Ideology	American Conservatism Center-right American conservatism Social conservatism Fiscal conservatism Economic liberalism Neoconservatism
National affiliation	Republican Party
Official colors	Red
Website
http://mtgop.org/
Politics of the United States Political parties Elections

The Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Montana. The party is led by Chairman William Deschamps (Missoula) and Vice Chair Christy Clark (Choteau). The National Committeeman is Errol Galt (Martinsdale) and the National Committeewoman is Betti Hill (Helena). The MTGOP is located in Helena, Montana and is a private company organized of political organizations which include political action groups, political advocacy groups, political interest groups, and other types of political organizations.

Gary K. Carlson was the 2010 Executive Director. He replaced Max Hunsaker in January.

Republican John McCain won Montana in 2008 with 49.43% of the total statewide vote over Democrat Barack Obama who received 47.17%, a 2.4-percent margin of victory for the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona.

Current elected officers

Office	Name	County
Chair	William Deschamps	Missoula
Vice Chair	Christy Clark	Teton
Secretary	Cynthia Johnson	Pondera
Treasurer	Shirley Warehime	Lewis & Clark
Assistant Treasurer	Lorna Kuney	Lewis & Clark
National Committeeman	Errol Galt	Meagher
National Committeewoman	Betti Hill	Lewis & Clark

Current elected officials

The Montana Republican party controls one of the six statewide offices and holds majorities in the Montana House of Representatives and Senate. It also holds the state's at-large congressional district.

Member of Congress

U.S. House of Representatives

• Denny Rehberg; At-Large district

Statewide offices

• Lieutenant Governor: John Bohlinger

Legislative leaders

• President of the Senate: Jim Peterson
  • Senate Majority Leader: Jeff Essman
• Speaker of the House: Mike Milburn
  • House Majority Leader: Tom McGillvray

Members of the Montana Senate

District	Senator	Residence
1	Aubyn Curtiss	Fortine
2	Ryan Zinke	Whitefish
3	Bruce Tutvedt	Kalispell
4	Gregory Barkus	Kalispell
5	Verdell Jackson	Kalispell
6	John Brueggeman	Polson
7	Greg Hinkle	Thompson Falls
9	Rick Ripley	Wolf Creek
14	Jerry Black	Shelby
15	Jim Peterson	Buffalo
18	John Brenden	Scobey
19	Donald Steinbeisser	Sidney
20	Keith Bales	Otter
22	Taylor Brown	Huntley
23	Kelly Gephardt	Roundup
25	Roy Brown	Billings
28	Jeff Essmann	Billings
29	Daniel McGee	Laurel
30	Robert Story, Jr.	Park City
31	John Esp	Big Timber
34	Joe Balyeat	Bozeman
35	Gary Perry	Manhattan
36	Debby Barrett	Dillon
39	Terry Murphy	Cardwell
42	Dave Lewis	Helena
44	Rick Laible	Victor
45	Jim Shockley	Victor

Members of the Montana House of Representatives

District	Representative	Residence
1	Gerald Bennett	Libby
2	Chas Vincent	Libby
3	Dee Brown	Hungry Horse
5	Keith Regier	Kalispell
6	Bill Beck	Whitefish
7	Jon Sonju	Kalispell
9	Scott Reichner	Bigfork
10	Mark Blasdel	Somers
11	Janna Taylor	Dayton
13	Pat Ingraham	Thompson Falls
14	Gordon Hendrick	Superior
17	Russell Bean	Augusta
18	Jesse O'Hara	Great Falls
19	Mike Milburn	Cascade
24	Brian Hoven	Great Falls
27	Llew Jones	Conrad
28	Roy Hollandsworth	Brady
29	Edward Butcher	Winifred
30	Dave Kasten	Brockway
34	Wendy Warburton	Havre
35	Wayne Stahl	Saco
37	Walter McNutt	Sidney
39	Lee Randall	Broadus
43	Duane Ankney	Colstrip
44	William Glaser	Huntley
45	Tom Berry	Roundup
46	Ken Peterson	Billings
47	Dennis Himmelberger	Billings
50	Tom McGillvray	Billings
53	Elsie Arntzen	Billings
55	Cary Smith	Billings
56	Don Roberts	Billings
57	Penny Morgan	Billings
58	Krayton Kerns	Laurel
60	David Howard	Park City
61	Joel Boniek	Livingston
67	Gordon Vance	Bozeman
68	Scott Sales	Bozeman
69	Ted Washburn	Bozeman
70	Michael More	Gallatin Gateway
71	Bob Wagner	Harrison
72	Jeffrey Welborn	Dillon
77	Scott Mendenhall	Clancy
83	Harry Klock	Harlowton
84	Mike Miller	Helmville
87	Ron Stoker	Darby
88	Bob Lake	Hamilton
89	Gary MacLaren	Victor
90	Ray Hawk	Florence
100	Bill Nooney	Missoula

Sherman Silver Act

Sanders and Power were Republicans from Helena, Montana. At the Fifty-first Congress they were two representatives that helped pass the Sherman Silver Act on September 11, 1890. The Sherman Silver Act made silver to be purchased at market price. This was during the urban populism and free silver era in Montana. The pass of this act was historical in the state of Montana.

Platform

The Montana Republican Party Platform was adopted June 19, 2010. It shows the Montana Republican Party's support of the Montana and United States Government along with the programs provided to help the citizens of Montana.

Agriculture

The party supports the importance of the agriculture industry. It is the most efficient industry in Montana and the party recommends elimination of programs to help better the industry and support private property rights.

American Indian Affairs

The party supports the governments and legal rights of the American Indian tribes.

Business and labor

The party supports the free market methods and believes it is the best way to distribute the state’s resources and is the best way in setting fair wages and prices that help the citizens of Montana.

Crime

The party supports fair and equal enforcement of the law. The citizens have the right to live in a crime free environment. It supports all the programs including truth in sentencing, lifetime supervision for convicted sexual offenders, school safety, homosexual acts, youth court, prison reform, sexual offense victims, restitution, limit appeals, jury authority, seatbelts, cyber crime, drugs and alcohol, medical use of marijuana, and parental rights.

Economic development

The party is in favor of a good state environment for economic development. It believes that there should be business friendly environment promoting the private sector to create jobs for the citizens. Also, attracting more industries and businesses with promoting this business friendly environment in the state of Montana.

Education

The party believes that education is very important. It supports equal access to education for all citizens and want to have highly skilled and educated individuals in Montana. It supports public school funding, local support from the school boards, a basic system of quality schools, educational choice for the parents and children, vocational and technical education, and the Montana university system.

Human services

The party supports family beliefs and values. It believes that treatment and care should be provide to families at all times at the local level. It also wants to work to improve the Montana human service delivery system by providing more services with more participation in each department.

Health care

The party supports the repeal of Obamacare. It supports patients' maximum freedom of choice of health care providers and the type of care desired. It supports all programs that provide care for the elderly, handicapped, services to children and youth, and general public safety and human service issues.

Immigration

The party agrees with securing the borders and removing all illegal immigrants. It wants the federal government to enforce all laws of illegal immigration to protect the job opportunities to the citizens.

Local government

The party supports all local authorities and wants to give them full control of the local units for being the most responsible and trustworthy people.

National affairs

The party supports individual freedom and liberty to all citizens. It believes in the United States Constitution and that it is the supreme law of the land. It is strongly against any attempts to destroy the United States Constitution amendments.

Natural resources

The party recognizes that Montana has great natural resources and great economic development because of the management and distribution of these natural resources. It supports all programs that protect the environment to keep the natural resources safe.

State administration

The party supports the state constitution and the rights that are provided to the citizens to guarantee protection to these individual rights. These rights should not be undermined by the executive, judicial, or legislative branches of the state government.

Functions and duties

The Montana GOP has certain policies that it follows. It has rules and amendments that follow within state law and the Republican National Committee. They are used to govern the organization and everything within it. The Montana GOP has conventions, committees, and officers and members of these committees. Together they come up with the policies, enforce the policies, raise money, elect and appoint members within the committees, and also help select delegates for the Republican National Convention. This is what makes the Montana GOP possible.

Conventions

There are some conventions that are held within the state. The State Platform convention, which meets once every even-numbered year between the primary and general elections, the purpose of this convention, is to adopt a state platform. There is a State Delegate Convention, which meets every presidential year prior to the Republican National Committee; during this convention they elect the delegates and alternate delegates to the Republican National Convention. Then there is the State Officer’s Convention, which meets in June each odd-numbered year, this is when the state chairman and state vice chairman are elected. These conventions are given notice by convention calls and they give notice to all meetings or conventions. There is a quorum for any business actions and are entitled to vote thereat, in person, or by proxy, and weighted votes are not considered. Proxies are allowed except when selecting delegates for the national convention. Voting is an individual basis and are only for people entitled to vote at the conventions. The Parliamentary practice is Roberts’ Rules of Order, it governs all conventions and meetings and allows the State Chairman to appoint a parliamentarian for any State Central Committee meeting or convention.

Committees

State Central Committee is made up by the County Chairman, State committeemen and committee women, and Finance Chairman for each county. This committee is the governing body the Montana GOP and makes up all the rules and policies for the state party. State Executive Committee is made up of many members such as State Chairman, Vice Chairman, National committeeman and committeewoman, statewide elected federal and state officeholders, elected Republican Public Service Commissioners, the highest ranking Republican leader from state Senate and House of Representatives, and many other Republican groups or Clubs within Montana. The main purpose of this committee is to execute policies and programs of the Montana GOP between the State Central Committees. The terms of these members last as long as the Chairman’s term and can also end by resignation or removal. County Central Committee is found in each county in Montana and only consists of elected or appointed committeemen and committeewomen from each precinct of the county and hold officer for two years. The committee elects County Chairman and Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, State and Congressional committeeman and committee woman, Finance Chairman, and anything else that seems important. It can adopt its own rules and come up with a County Executive Committee that executes the counties rules and policies. There are also other committees such as the Rules Committee. The members are appointed by the Chairman and they consider or recommend rules and rule changes. Any other special committee such as the Rules Committee can be appointed by the Chairman if needed.

Elected officers

Chairman is the leader of the Party and is responsible of the hiring and firing of any employees. The Chairman can appoint all committees except the Executive Committee. The Chairman has the power of supervision and management. The Chairman also works with the Treasurer to make sure the right resources are provided. Vice Chairman performs all the duties assigned by the Chairman. Secretary keeps the minutes for all meetings and anything assigned by the Chairman. Treasurer controls the financial record keeping and practices of the party. Assistant Treasurer is there to become familiar with the responsibilities of the Treasurer and will perform any duties assigned by the Chairman and Treasurer.

Appointed officers

Executive Director is appointed by the Chairman after approval from the Executive Committee. The main duty is to preserve all permanent records of the State Central Committee and any other duty assigned by the Chairman. Finance Chairman is appointed exactly like the Executive Director. The main duty of this officer is to raise funds for the Republican Party.

General Counsel is also appointed the same way as the first two officers. The main duty of the General Counsel is to advise the Chairman, State Central Committee, and all other officers and committees on all legal matters. The General Counsel is licensed to practice law within the state.

There can be other types of officers that are appointed by the Chairman. These types are only appointed if needed for a particular purpose.

Nominations

The State Central Committee will appoint a nominee to fill a vacancy for a party candidate and the person who receives the most votes is the nominee. If one or two Congressional Districts for the state need to be filled, a committee appointed by the County Central Committee will make the appointment and the person with the most votes wins the nomination. The votes entitled to the certain members shall be weighted by comparing the Republican primary vote in each county and the Republican primary vote for the office being voted for. For each two percent or less of the total vote, there are four votes awarded to the county. Anything higher than two percent will be awarded an extra vote. The delegates at the meetings will divide the votes to each county and then the delegates will individually cast their votes.

Voting trends

Montana is considered to be a moderately Republican state. There is a small percent of Hispanic and African American votes. A majority of the votes comes from the majority. There also is a significant amount of votes from the Native American population as well. In the last ten presidential elections Montana has voted Republican, except in 1992. As of December 2011 the Montana Senate has a Republican majority with twenty-eight of the fifty seats. The Republican also has a majority in the Montana House of Representatives with sixty-eight of the one hundred seats.

Historical figures

Jeanette Rankin

RankinJ

Rankin was a Republican from Montana and was also an important figure with the women’s suffrage movement . Her efforts were rewarded when Montana gave women the right to vote in 1914. In 1916 she was the first woman to be elected to Congress. During her term in Congress she voted against U.S. entry in World War I. She left Congress in 1919 but was reelected in 1940. Once again she voted for peace and opposed U.S. entry in World War II.

Benjamin Potts

Benjamin F Potts

Potts was a Republican Governor of Montana and he sustained a successful program of financial responsibility and economy of government during the territorial politics and government era in Montana.

John Schuyler Crosby

John Schuyler Crosby

Crosby was a Republican governor for 1883. He was considered to be a “Republican of Republicans”. He created a Republican stronghold in the territory of Montana. In December 1983 he invested more than $20,000 dollars in Montana. He was known to use his executive powers very freely and vetoed many legislative bills.

Wilbur F. Sanders

Sanders was a lawyer, Civil War veteran that was considered to be known as the essence of Montana Republicanism.

See also

• Political party strength in Montana
• United States presidential election in Montana, 2008
• Montana Democratic Party

External links

• Montana Republican Party
• Montana Federation of College Republicans
• Montana Young Republican Professionals