Meet mayoral candidate Brendan O’Connor

Unlike most people, Brendan O’Connor doesn't drink caffeine in the morning. He can’t, because he works overnight as a custodian at MSU, and needs to sleep during the day. 

At 24, O’Connor is the youngest candidate in Bozeman’s 2025 mayoral race. He was born and raised in Bozeman and has only lived in one other place: Yellowstone National Park, where he spent the summers with his parents, who worked as park rangers. 

O’Connor, who runs a cleaning company in the morning, said that while his dream isn’t to work two jobs, he must do so to remain in his hometown — a place he loves deeply. According to him, this is what lies at the heart of his bid for mayor.

“If you want an elected official who knows what it's like to be a young person in Bozeman trying to afford to live here, then you should consider voting for me — because unlike the other two candidates, I live in the same reality,” he said. “I do not just talk the talk, I am walking the same walk, every day.”

O’Connor said he is passionate about Bozeman being a place for everyone. From promoting affordable housing to increasing community amenities, his platform is focused on improving the lives of anyone who lives here, he said.

According to O’Connor, the most pressing concerns for Bozeman are the housing crisis and public safety. He said that public safety is an often-overlooked issue that concerns him just as much as affordable housing.

“I’m not someone who takes a stance of ‘We need to flood the streets with cops and be tough on crime,’” O’Connor said. “But we do need enough police to be addressing crime.” 

He said that there are not enough police officers for Bozeman’s population. According to O’Connor, increasing the police force would help shorten response times and improve the quality of service.

O’Connor said he is not opposed to development in Bozeman, but dislikes the way it has taken place in recent years. 

“Another obvious issue we’re seeing with all the change is, it’s all high-end and luxury,” he said. “It's not serving the people who live and work here; it's serving the people who moved here with a good career already.” 

He said he is also very concerned about the lack of parking downtown. According to him, developers often build hotels or apartment buildings without creating parking. He said requiring people to walk long distances to reach their cars or homes — especially during winter — could pose a public safety risk.

O’Connor said, as mayor, he would take steps to advocate for affordable housing, which is a crucial issue for him. He said that, like many other Bozeman residents, he is on the verge of being pushed out of the city. 

He said his main approach to addressing Bozeman’s lack of affordable housing would be requiring developers who receive Tax Increment Finance (TIF) support to build affordable units. TIF is a way that the city can use property taxes to help fund new development, according to the City of Bozeman website.

“I also think that the city should reevaluate the current affordable housing ordinance and see if there is anything that we can do to strengthen it,” O’Connor said. 

One measure on the ballot this election cycle is the water adequacy for residential development (WARD) initiative, which aims to help with the affordability of housing, according to WARD’s website. However, O’Connor said he believes it is a building moratorium dressed up as a community benefit, and that this initiative will stop development in Bozeman altogether. 

“Anyone who owns a small business would agree that being forced to sell one-third of your product or services way below market rate, you would simply take your business elsewhere,” O’Connor said. According to him, the WARD initiative will cause urban sprawl as developers move outside city limits, causing increased commute times. 

As for why he is qualified to be mayor, O’Connor said he understands that is a question on many people's minds, given his age and lack of political experience. 

“To serve a local government — whether it's on the commission or as mayor — you don't have to have a college degree,” he said. “You don't have to have already served in office. It's as simple as being able to adapt and listen to your constituents, to think critically and practically to implement policies.”