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government & politics

Montana Senate race takes shape as Bankhead emerges from Democratic primary

HELENA — With music bumping in a backroom at the Rialto Bar, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alani Bankhead was pacing, in a little bit of a shock following her Tuesday night victory in the party’s primary. Bankhead, seemingly out of nowhere, won by almost 12,000 votes over Reilly

Whitefish councilor beats state GOP Chairman Art Wittich for precinct committee seat

When Giuseppe “GMan” Caltabiano put his name in the hat for Republican precinct “committee man” in Flathead County, he figured he’d be running unopposed. Those officers elect party leaders and vote at county GOP conventions for delegates to the state convention, where delegates to the Republican National Committee convention

Federal appeals court denies youth climate lawsuit against Trump executive orders

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a June 2 ruling rejected a youth-led constitutional climate lawsuit seeking to overturn three of President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at supporting the fossil fuel industry, curbing renewable energy and suppressing climate science. A three-judge panel agreed

Pondera County man sentenced for poaching trophy buck

A Pondera County man has been sentenced after poaching a trophy white-tailed deer buck last year. Tony Zimbelman, 23, initially claimed that he’d taken the deer with archery equipment during archery season, a press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said. Following a tip, game wardens discovered

State, feds give 2026 wildfire season outlook

While recent rains are part of a reason for some optimism surrounding this year’s wildfire outlook, it could “turn on a dime” officials warned during a seasonal briefing. Gov. Greg Gianforte, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Director Amanda Kaster, and representatives from other state, local and federal

In eastern Montana, Brian Miller wins Democratic primary for U.S. House

Brian Miller won the Democratic primary Tuesday for the U.S. House seat in Montana’s eastern district. The Associated Press called the race for Miller, an attorney in Helena, who fended off a challenge from state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, a longtime legislator from Box Elder, and Sam Lux,

Bankhead holds early lead over Neill in Dem primary

Alani Bankhead holds an early lead over Reilly Neill in the Democratic primary for Montana’s open U.S. Senate seat, with thousands of ballots left to count. With slightly over 18% of the vote in, Bankhead had drawn 42% of the ballots tabulated so far. Reilly Neill was second