With candidates filed for Legislature, Democrats hope to edge into GOP supermajority

Beleaguered Montana Democrats are hoping this year’s legislative election cycle, the first conducted with new state House and Senate maps drawn following the 2020 census, might give them a chance to edge into the historic Republican supermajority that shaped the politics of the 2023 Montana Legislature.

The minority party, which currently holds 32 of 100 House seats and 16 of 50 Senate seats, is unlikely to win outright majorities in either chamber in the November general election. However, even a handful of additional seats would give Democrats more negotiating leverage on issues where occasionally fractious Montana Republicans don’t maintain a united front.

Also key to the political dynamics of the 2025 Legislature will be the outcome of Republican primary elections in June, when voters will in some cases choose between hardline conservatives and comparatively moderate Republicans who are often more inclined to negotiate compromises across the aisle.