Greg Gianforte
Active candidates for Governor
Greg Gianforte, 63 as of Election Day, was elected as Montana’s governor in 2020, the first Republican to hold the position in 16 years in 2020. He originally ran for governor in 2016, losing to Democratic incumbent Steve Bullock. Gianforte was later elected as Montana’s at-large U.S. representative in 2017 and reelected in 2018.
A former technology entrepreneur who built Bozeman-based RightNow Technologies into a $1.5 billion business before selling it to Oracle in 2011, Gianforte has cut income taxes, capital gains taxes and reduced tax burdens for business equipment during his first term. He has signed into law government restrictions on abortion, religious freedom protections and school choice policies, and also established task forces intended to address housing affordability issues and property taxes.
In his campaign for a second term, Gianforte is pledging to grow Montana’s economy and rein in government regulations.
“For too long, Montana hasn’t lived up to our full, outstanding potential, and while we’ve made great progress to reach our potential over the last three years, there’s still more to do to create more good-paying Montana jobs, boost opportunities for all Montanans and protect our Montana way of life,” Gianforte told MTFP.
Gianforte pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in 2017 after he physically attacked a journalist in the closing days of his 2017 congressional campaign. He was also formally warned by state game wardens after trapping a wolf in 2021 without completing a required certification course and fined $70 in 2000 after self-reporting that he had shot a spike bull elk in a district where hunting was restricted to brow-tined bulls, according to Lee Newspapers.
This biography is based on MTFP’s reporting on Gianforte’s first term, media reports, and other existing public records.
ON THE ISSUES
Answers here were solicited from candidates via a written questionnaire conducted by MTFP in April 2024. Responses were limited to 1,000 characters and edited lightly for punctuation and spelling. Candidates were asked to focus on the positives their service would bring the state instead of making rhetorical attacks on their opponents. Responses have not been exhaustively fact-checked.
As I’ve said and as Montanans know all too well, property taxes are too high and need to be reined in. Last year, we delivered Montana homeowners property tax rebates of up to $1,350 and permanent reforms, saving them over $120 million. Taken together, these measures completely offset the property tax increase of the average Montana homeowner.
I’m committed to delivering long-term solutions to rising property taxes. With about 85% of property taxes being collected and spent at the local level, I support reining in out-of-control county spending. We tried to do just that in the 2023 legislative session with SB 511, but special interest lobbyists killed the bill. Just like hardworking Montanans, government at all levels, including local government, should live within its means.
I also support providing Montana homeowners with a homestead exemption, ensuring out-of-staters, who own second homes in Montana, pay their fair share for our law enforcement, schools, and roads and bridges.
My priority is to support teachers, empower parents, and deliver the best education possible for our kids so they can reach their full potential.
Last year, we provided record funding for our K-12 public education system. I also stood with our public schools and students when some counties refused to collect the full 95 public school mills. The state collects those mills and fully returns them to school districts to ensure each Montana student has access to a quality education, as the law and our Constitution require. The mills better ensure that students have access to a quality education, regardless of whether they live in lower-resourced school districts or better-resourced ones, like Big Sky. My opponent has criticized collecting the 95 mills, which would have cut public school funding.
I am also proud to have proposed the TEACH Act, and signed it into law in 2021. The TEACH Act provides millions of dollars in incentives to local school districts to raise starting teacher pay.
All life is precious and must be protected. We’ve made progress to protect life — protecting a child born alive as a result of botched abortion, requiring a doctor to provide a woman with the option to see an ultrasound, safeguarding parental consultation when a 16-year-old girl seeks an abortion, and eliminating taxpayer-funded abortion. Voters know where I stand, but my opponent refuses to say where he stands, including whether he thinks on-demand abortion should be available all the way up to the ninth month.
The reality is Montana is unique. The Montana Supreme Court in 1999 interpreted our Constitution to guarantee the right to abortion.
Abortion is a heart-wrenching decision facing pregnant mothers. As we work to protect as many unborn lives as possible, we must also have compassion for these women. We must love them both — mother and unborn child. We must also expand upon our successful work to encourage adoption, so that more children can find loving, healthy homes.
The safety net of Medicaid should be there for those who truly need it, but it will collapse if all are allowed to climb on it.
During the pandemic, the federal government didn’t allow states to verify eligibility for Medicaid, and Medicaid enrollment spiked. Last year, the federal government required states to begin verifying eligibility again. Since then, we’ve ensured only those who are eligible can participate, and enrollment is back down to pre-pandemic levels.
Medicaid should be a temporary program for most people to help them get back on their feet. We should encourage work and reduce government dependency by requiring able-bodied adults with no dependents, excluding seniors and single parents, to work to receive benefits.
Joe Biden’s inflation is making it harder for Montanans to make ends meet. Our housing problem has existed, but was ignored, since 2010, as our population grew faster than housing supply.
In the last few years, we’ve made progress to solve this crisis. Because government can’t spend its way out of the housing crisis, we’ve emphasized reforms to increase housing supply while protecting our way of life from sprawl.
Working with legislators and the bipartisan Housing Task Force I launched, we made Montana a national leader, delivering historic pro-housing reforms that will boost supply and make housing more affordable and attainable. Our reforms make it faster, easier and cheaper to build homes. We created incentives for communities to build more densely. We’ve allowed ADUs, apartments in commercial areas and increased access to starter homes.
The results won’t come overnight, but I’m proud of what we’ve done and remain focused on continuing to build on our pro-housing reforms.
My faith is a guiding light and deeply personal. Just as faith guides many Montanans, my faith has positively influenced my life.
Government alone can’t provide the full services and support to the people it serves. A central part of our Montana way of life is neighbors help neighbors. Our nonprofit organizations and places of worship also support and serve others. For example, about one in four individuals who seek help for mental health turn to faith leaders before they seek clinical professionals.
In 2022, our Department of Public Health and Human Services launched the Office of Faith and Community Based Services to strengthen partnerships with organizations that play a fundamental role in supporting health and wellness, as well as self-reliant individuals. By working with these organizations we’re expanding resources and strategies to improve health outcomes for all Montanans.
We’ll continue to emphasize partnerships between the state and organizations that support Montanans.
MTFP COVERAGE OF Gianforte
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
COMMON VOTING QUESTIONS
When are Montana’s 2024 elections?
Voters will pick which candidates advance to the November general election in the June primary, which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4. Voters will pick the candidates who will ultimately fill each office on the ballot in the November election, which is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Who runs Montana’s elections?
Montana elections are administered at the county level. The process is overseen by county clerks and election administrators, who help to train and monitor the volunteer election judges that staff the polls. Ballots are typically processed and counted at central county locations, with the results reported to the Montana secretary of state’s office via a statewide software system called ElectMT.
Once polls close, the secretary of state’s office provides results through its website. The state-level office also provides guidance to local election administrators to ensure compliance with state election laws. Additionally, enforcing compliance with some laws governing political campaigns, particularly those involving campaign finance, falls to a separate office known as the Commissioner of Political Practices.
Do I need to be registered in order to vote?
Yes. If you’re unsure about your registration status, you can check it through the Montana secretary of state's My Voter Page. You can register to vote by stopping by your county election office any time during regular business hours to pick up an application. After you’ve filled it out, you’ll need to get it back to your county election office by mail or in person (the latter option is strongly recommended close to Election Day to ensure your application is received in time). If you do present your application in person, you’ll have to provide a photo ID or the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you happen to be applying for a Montana driver’s license or identification card before the election, you can register to vote at the same time.
Can I register to vote on Election Day?
Yes. The state Legislature has sought to enact an earlier registration deadline, but under a March 2024 ruling by the Montana Supreme Court, same-day voter registration remains legal in Montana. Residents can register to vote or update their voter registration at their county’s election office prior to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Does Montana have voter ID requirements?
Yes, you will be required to present identification when voting at the polls. However, under the Montana Supreme Court’s March ruling, changes made to those requirements by the 2021 Legislature remain blocked. The current forms of identification voters can use at the polls are a current Montana driver’s license, state-issued photo ID, tribal or military photo ID, a U.S. passport or a student ID. If you don’t have a photo ID, you can use a utility bill, a bank statement, a voter confirmation card or any other government document that shows your name and address.
Are there situations where I wouldn't be eligible to vote?
According to state law, you can't vote if you'll be under age 18 on Election Day, are not a U.S. citizen, or have lived in Montana less than 30 days. Convicted felons who are currently incarcerated in a penal facility and people whom judges have ruled to be of unsound mind are also ineligible to vote. Otherwise, you're good to go.
Can I vote online?
No, that’s not an option in Montana.
Can I vote by mail?
Yes, you can sign up as an absentee voter by checking a box on your voter registration form. If you’re already registered to vote, you can fill out a separate form and submit it to your county election office.
If you’re registered as an absentee voter, a ballot should be mailed to you a few weeks in advance of each election day. You can make sure your address is current via the My Voter page. County election officials are slated to mail ballots to voters for the June 2024 primary election May 10.
You can return ballots by mail, or drop them off in person at your county’s election office. Either way, the election office must receive your ballot by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to count it.
How do I vote in person?
If you plan to vote at the polls, just be sure you know where your polling location is and head there between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day. You'll need to provide a photo ID and sign the precinct register, at which point you’ll get your ballot and be directed to a voting booth. If you have any technical questions or run into any problems, the election judges at your polling place should be able to help you.
I have a friend or family member who isn't able to drop off his or her mail-in ballot. Can I do it for them?
Yes, you can. The Montana Legislature did make some changes to ballot collection laws in 2021 related to paid ballot collection, those changes have also been blocked by the Montana Supreme Court.
Who should I vote for?
That’s your call, not ours. We hope the information we present on this guide is helpful as you make that decision for yourself, though.
About this project
This guide was produced by the Montana Free Press newsroom with production and web development by Eric Dietrich, editing by Brad Tyer and Nick Ehli and contributions from Arren Kimbel-Sannit, Mara Silvers, Alex Sakariassen, Amanda Eggert and Stephanie Farmer. Questionnaire responses for legislatiive candidates were collected with help from the Montana League of Women Voters, through the league's Vote 411 program. Contact Eric Dietrich with questions, corrections or suggestions at edietrich@montanafreepress.org.
Montana Free Press is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reader-supported news organization serving Montana. MTFP's donor base includes supporters from across Montana's political spectrum, including some Montanans who are candidates in this year's election. MTFP's major donors are listed here and a current list of other supporters is available here. MTFP's news judgments are made entirely independently from donor involvement.
This material is available for republication by other media outlets under Montana Free Press' standard distribution terms.