The newly appointed vice chair of the Montana Democratic Party, Max Johansen, has stepped down shortly after criticizing former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester. The Livingston area Democrat resigned on Wednesday, admitting his comments post-convention were disruptive and not aligned with the executive board’s goals, as per a party statement.
The Montana Democratic Party has not disclosed the specific remarks leading to Johansen’s resignation. Johansen was the sole candidate for vice chair at last weekend’s officers’ convention in Livingston. The party did not provide further details when asked.
Johansen did not reply to a voicemail from the Montana Free Press on Wednesday. After his election, Johansen criticized Tester in an interview with the Montana Free Press for not being sufficiently proactive regarding his 2024 Republican opponent, Tim Sheehy.
Credit: Lauren Miller / Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local/Report for America
Sheehy, now a U.S. senator, defeated Tester by over 40,000 votes, marking a complete Republican takeover of Montana’s statewide and federal offices since 2020.
In a recent interview with MTFP, Tester remarked, “Things have changed. There’s too many people in the party right now that don’t think I have any value. And I’m OK with that.” Tester did not attend the convention but endorsed former state legislator Mike Jopek for chair, stating, “The Democratic Party is in trouble. We have done it to ourselves. We have focused on blue districts and not other districts throughout the state. We are seen in polling as woke and weak.”
Jopek lost the chair vote to Shannon O’Brien, 39 to 112. O’Brien, who ran unsuccessfully for state superintendent in 2024, advocated for “something new in the Democratic Party.”
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