Mary Todd
Active candidates for U.S. House District 1 (West)
Todd, 68 as of Election Day, is a Kalispell business owner and a pastor at Purpose Church Kalispell. She was born in Pomona, California, and says she has lived in Kalispell full time since 2009. She says she and her husband, a retired U.S. Navy aviator, have four sons.
Todd became a public figure after the death of her son Shane, who Todd says was murdered in Singapore in 2012. She previously made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2022, failing to advance beyond that year’s western district Republican primary.
She cites border control as the nation’s most significant issue and also says she wants to fight alleged corruption.
“I'm running to end government corruption, which I have seen at the deepest level after the federal government covered up my son's murder when he refused to compromise the illegal transfer of technology to the CCP,” she said in a statement to MTFP.
This biography is based on Todd’s response to a MTFP candidate questionnaire and prior media reports, including coverage of her 2022 campaign.
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.
Currently, our open border is our biggest issue. A nation without borders is not a nation. As your congresswoman, I will use the power of the purse to defund our government until our border is shut. I will fight for limited and accountable government, Second Amendment rights and the sanctity of life. I will stand up to the ruling elite who are destroying the American way of life and all that has made our country great by taking away our liberty; by undermining our nation’s elections; and by pushing radical race and gender ideology in our schools, boardrooms and media. I will fight for Montana's water rights and logging rights. I will fight against tax hikes. I will say NO to manipulation used to cause fear, like pandemics and global warming. If we as Americans continue to abandon the principals that have made us the greatest and freest nation in the world and refuse to recognize the internal and external threats, we are sowing seeds of our own destruction.
I admire and respect Congressman Matt Rosendale because he is not afraid to stand up against the ruling elite and to put the people first.
I would stand against government corruption, which should be a bipartisan issue, and I will fight to boldly speak truth and seek justice for all.
I would do the same and stand against government corruption, which should be a bipartisan issue, and I will fight to boldly speak truth and seek justice for all.
Yes! I regard reigning in the federal government as a priority. I would support defunding all three-letter agencies. I would not support wasteful omnibus bills. I would not vote to support foreign governments over our own. I would support limited government and stop supporting liberal/woke agendas.
Abortion should not be decided at the federal level.
From a federal level, the only thing that can be done is to cut taxes and stop inflationary spending.
I do not see climate change as an urgent issue.
Rebuild the wall. Fentanyl is pouring through our unprotected borders. Where is fentanyl made? China. Who is buying fentanyl? The cartel. Who is funneling fentanyl into our country to kill our fellow Americans? The cartel through China. This insidious drug is the number one killer of people ages 18-45 and it must be stopped.
End Obamacare and allow free-market enterprise; give the power back to the state so they can manage their own health care system.
MTFP COVERAGE OF Todd
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Election outcomes
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| RYAN K ZINKE | 65,247 | |
| MARY TODD | 23,159 |
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.