The Montana Republican Party faced scrutiny in court over allegations of wrongly excluding Republican state senators during the June convention. Defending its actions, MTGOP leadership claimed First Amendment rights allow them to manage internal affairs like member expulsion. The controversy centers around blocking nine Montana Senate Republicans from voting on party leadership.
The Montana Freedom Caucus influenced a 136-to-97 vote to exclude the nine senators due to their controversial legislative votes during 2025. These lawmakers broke ranks on issues such as the state budget, leading Sens. Jason Ellsworth, Denley Loge, and Shelley Vance to initiate a lawsuit. Vance testified, questioning the fairness of being invited and then denied a vote.
“Shelley, do you agree that a majority of the delegates at the Officers’ Convention voted not to have you participate?” asked GOP attorney Emily Jones, revealing her husband’s previous work on Vance’s campaign.
Vance labeled the exclusion as a “gotcha,” expressing concerns over the abruptness of the decision. After the vote, the nine senators were asked to leave their seats and stand aside, unable to partake in proceedings.
Seeking a new vote, the disenfranchised lawmakers challenge Art Wittich’s appointment as party leader. Wittich aims to implement a “red policy committee” for legislative reviews and a “conservative governance committee” for candidate endorsements during primaries.
MTGOP parliamentarian C.J. Cavan testified the exclusion didn’t change leadership outcomes and that objections should’ve occurred during the convention. “None of the nine senators raised a point of order following the vote on the exclusion motion,” he noted.
The lawsuit follows months of internal GOP disputes, with moderate Republicans partnering with Democrats to pass significant legislation like budget increases and Medicaid expansion. Former MTGOP Vice Chair Lola Sheldon Galloway confirmed the executive board’s meeting with key senators before issuing a censure that effectively ousted the nine lawmakers from the party.
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