MT Dems appoint former Sen. Tester staffer as new vice chair after leadership shake-up

The Montana Democratic Party appointed a longtime staffer for former Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester as the new vice chair of its executive board, the party announced in a Friday press release.

Bruce Knutson, the former veterans liaison for Tester's office and a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Army National Guard himself, was elected by the party's executive board which includes the party's chair, a handful of legislators, the treasurer, the secretary and others. According to a congress-focused research site, LegiStorm, Knutson worked for Tester for roughly a decade until 2019.

Knutson, of Helena, also worked as a state game warden with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. He said in the press release that he is committed to helping the party "refocus" on issues such as improved access to healthcare, childcare, public education and the cost of living.

The announcement comes about a month since the previous vice chair, Max Johansen, resigned just three days into the job after criticizing Tester. Johansen still holds his position as chair of the Park County Democrats.

At the state party's convention in mid-September, Johansen said in a press gaggle that Tester failed to adapt over the years, ultimately culminating in his 2024 loss to Republican challenger and current Sen. Tim Sheehy. Johansen called Tester part of the  “old guard” that “represents a philosophy that no longer serves the interest of the party.”

Tester endorsed a candidate in the race for chair of the party who did not prevail. Johansen later said "most people recognize that the endorsement of Jon Tester ... no longer guarantees victory as it once did."

Pushback from those comments to reporters led to his resignation and spurred Tester to slam Johansen in his podcast.

"I am not a Max Johnson [sic] Democrat," Tester said, adding that he "doesn't know jack s---."

"This guy's a clown and he doesn't know what he's doing," Tester added. "And it's not because he's been critical of me, I don't really care about that. It's because if you read what he says, he ain't a Democrat. They've got a fox in the hen house; they need to get it fixed."

Tester nor the state party immediately responded to request for comment Friday.