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HELENA, Mont. — In a surprising turn following the Montana Republicans’ substantial victories in the recent elections, a faction of GOP lawmakers has initiated the 2025 legislative session by granting power to the Democrats.
This shift has enabled the minority party to reshape legislative committees and collaborate with a few moderate Republicans, successfully blocking efforts by GOP leaders to skew Montana’s judicial framework towards partisanship. This emerging coalition has also supported Medicaid expansion, increased teacher salaries, and a state budget boost that prioritizes health care.
This cooperation seems to run counter to the growing polarization evident in many state and national political arenas. However, it may be a temporary alliance, especially if local political trends continue to align with national partisan divisions, particularly under the influence of former President Donald Trump, to whom both conservative and moderate Republicans in Montana have pledged their support.
Montana’s legislature meets biennially for a few months at a time inside the Capitol, situated on a hill that overlooks Helena, a city with a history tied to the 1864 gold rush. Its citizen-led legislature fosters a spirit of compromise, as highlighted by political scholar Jeremy Johnson.
“Montana is becoming an outlier in the behavior of state legislatures, embracing a distinct dynamics,” stated Johnson, who teaches at Carroll College.
As the 2025 session nears its conclusion, possibly by Wednesday, GOP leaders express dissatisfaction over their inability to reshape the state’s judiciary and limit fiscal expenditures.
Despite the intra-party strife, Republicans managed to enact more restrictions on transgender rights and implement an income tax reduction that Democratic opponents criticized as favoring the wealthy. However, moderate Republicans often sidelined their more conservative counterparts as they forged agreements with Democrats on pivotal issues like health care and education, effectively establishing a new governing majority.
Senate President Matt Regier characterized the situation as “weird,” acknowledging the dynamic struggle for control within the legislature.
“Political maneuvering is inevitable,” Regier remarked in an interview. “What’s perplexing is how the conservative element seems largely excluded from discussions and decision-making.”
To exert pressure on dissenting party members, GOP leadership sought to publicly admonish nine senators in February. By April, they declared that these individuals would no longer be recognized as Republicans and would lose party support in future campaigns.
Unperturbed, the senators have stood by their decisions, aligning with Democrats on significant votes.
“Our main intention was to ensure fair treatment for all,” commented Senator Josh Kassmier, one of the nine lawmakers facing backlash.
Their stance is not unique; moderate Republicans also played a role in defeating attempts to politicize Montana’s judiciary in the state House, where they hold considerable influence.
Moderates have found some backing from Republican Governor Greg Gianforte, who has appeared alongside them at various public engagements. Gianforte noted, “Every legislator is accountable to their constituents,” in response to questions about ongoing party conflicts undermining their electoral mandate.
Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers emphasized that Montana’s libertarian inclinations — exemplified by a skepticism of extensive governance and a commitment to gun rights — transcend typical party boundaries.
Montanans “desire to avoid hyperpartisan conflicts where citizens are divided into winners and losers,” Flowers articulated.
On a national scale, Republicans currently dominate both legislative chambers in 27 states compared to 17 for Democrats. This political landscape has seen Republicans holding more statehouse seats consistently since 2002, with recent electoral cycles exhibiting tighter partisan divisions and diminishing occurrences of chamber control shifts, as reported by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
However, even within these controlled states, emerging factions can create distinct dynamics.
In Wyoming, for instance, the far-right Freedom Caucus has gained its first majority in the state legislature, advancing significant property tax cuts and prohibiting diversity initiatives as their ideological distinctions from traditional Republicans become increasingly consequential.
Meanwhile, in states like Oklahoma and South Carolina, mainstream Republican figures continue to battle challenges from both moderate and extremist factions.
Historically, Montana has embraced “ticket splitting,” voting for a diverse array of Democrats and Republicans in higher offices, which necessitated a culture of collaboration among legislators.
This year, both parties united to officially recognize Indigenous People’s Day in Montana, achieving a compromise after numerous failed attempts over the past decade. In contrast, Trump recently announced he would not continue the practice of nationally recognizing Indigenous People’s Day initiated by his predecessor.
“With each legislative session, I ponder whether we will witness further bipartisan cooperation—especially in the absence of a Democratic governor,” Johnson remarked, referring to former Governor Steve Bullock, who concluded his two terms in 2021. “Thus far, we have seen an enduring coalition. I question how long this can be sustained.”
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Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City.
Source
abcnews.go.com