Art Wittich | |
---|---|
Member of the Montana Senate from the 35th district | |
Preceded by | Gary Perry |
Succeeded by | Bruce Grubbs |
Personal details | |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Candace |
Residence | Bozeman,Montana |
Alma mater | University of Montana |
Occupation | Attorney |
Art Wittich is an American politician from Montana. A member of the Republican Party,he was a member of the Montana Legislature,in the Montana Senate (2011 and 2013 sessions) from Senate District 35,and then the Montana House of Representatives (2015 session),from House District 68. [1] [2]
Wittich is from Englewood,Colorado. [3] He was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard from 1975 to 1979, [4] as an enlisted quartermaster. [3] He worked as a firefighter at the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management from 1980 to 1983. [4] He graduated from Utah State University in 1982 with a B.S. in economics/environmental studies. [4] He received a J.D. from University of Montana School of Law in 1985, [4] and began practicing law in Montana that year. [5] He was legal counsel for the Montana Power Company and for Governor Stan Stephens. [4] He was a civilian lawyer [3] for the U.S. Coast Guard in Washington,D.C. from 1992 to 1994. [4]
Wittich then engaged in the private practice of law in Bozeman,Montana [3] at the Wittich Law Firm,which had five attorneys as of 2011. [4] In 2016,he was counsel for Greg Gianforte in Gianforte's dispute with the Montana Department of Fish,Wildlife and Parks over a public-access easement over land owned by Gianforte along the East Gallatin River. [6]
Wittich ran for election to the Montana Senate in 2006, [3] in Senate District 32,covering a portion of Gallatin County. [7] [8] He ran unopposed in the primary, [7] and lost to Democratic nominee Larry Jent in the general election. [8]
Wittich won election to the state Senate in 2010,and became state Senate majority leader in 2013. [9] During acrimonious intra-party feuds within legislative Republicans over various policy issues (such as acceptance of the Medicaid expansion),Wittich and Republican Senate president Jeff Essmann belonged to the more conservative faction,working together to purge moderate Republicans from the party. [10]
In 2014,Wittich was elected to the Montana House of Representatives, [9] defeating Democratic nominee Ashley Stevick. [11] He was elected from House District 68,an area surrounding the River Rock area near Belgrade. [3] In early 2015,Wittich opposed the Medicaid expansion in Montana;as House Human Services Committee chair,he maneuvered in an attempt to block the legislation. [12] [13] Wittich's effort failed in April 2015,when 13 Republicans joined the entire 41-member Democratic caucus to support the expansion. [14] In the state House,Wittich,voting against legislation that benefited Montana State University,drawing criticism from university president Waded Cruzado. [15] In 2015,he introduced a "nullification" bill to instruct state and local police to ignore federal gun laws. [16] The bill passed the legislature and was vetoed by Governor Steve Bullock. [17]
The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices filed a civil lawsuit against Wittich for illegally accepting more than $19,000 in campaign contributions from a dark money group,the National Right to Work Committee and its affiliates,including the American Tradition Partnership,during his 2010 primary campaign for state Senate. [5] [9] [18] In April 2016,after a five-day trial,a jury in Helena found that Wittich had violated campaign finance and reporting laws. [18] [19] [20] [21] In August 2017,the Montana Supreme Court unanimously upheld the jury verdict, [18] and Wittich paid a fine of $68,232. [5] In October 2017,the Office of Disciplinary Counsel,which regulates the conduct of Montana lawyers,filed a professional misconduct complaint against Wittich,but it dropped the complaint the following month,and Wittich did not face disbarment or any professional disciplinary action. [5]
Following the verdict,Wittich kept his seat in the state House. [9] However,in June 2016,he lost his bid for renomination to Bruce Grubbs,who defeated him in the Republican primary. [22]
Wittich was a Montana delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention,which nominated Donald Trump for president. [23] Wittich was Montana co-chair of the Trump's 2020 presidential campaign. [24] Wittich is also a member of the Republican National Committee, [24] [25] as national committeeman, [26] and is also one of 13 members of the executive board of the Republican Party of Montana. [26] In 2023,Wittich,along with the other Montana Republican Party officials,denounced Marc Racicot,a former Republican governor and attorney general,for opposing Trump. [26]
Marc Racicot is an American attorney,lobbyist,and former Republican politician who served as the 21st Governor of Montana from 1993 until 2001. After leaving office,Racicot worked as a lobbyist for the law firm Bracewell &Giuliani. His notable clients included Enron,Burlington Northern Santa Fe,and the Recording Industry Association of America.
Michael R. Cooney is an American politician who served as the 36th lieutenant governor of Montana from 2016 to 2021. He previously served in the Montana House of Representatives (1977–1981),as the secretary of state of Montana (1989–2001),in the Montana Senate (2003–2011),as the president of the Montana Senate (2007–2009) and ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Montana in 2000. Cooney was the Democratic nominee for governor of Montana in the 2020 election,losing to Republican U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte.
Stephen Clark Bullock is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 24th governor of Montana from 2013 to 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Francis "Ed" Edward Buttrey is a Republican member of the Montana Legislature. He served in the Montana Senate from 2011 to 2019 and then served in the Montana House of Representatives. He was elected to Senate District 13,representing Great Falls,Montana,in 2011.
Gregory Richard Gianforte is an American businessman,politician,and software engineer serving as the 25th governor of Montana since 2021. A member of the Republican Party,Gianforte served as the U.S. representative for Montana's at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2021.
Kathleen Williams is an American politician from Montana. A member of the Democratic Party,she served in the nonpartisan Environmental Quality Council of the Montana Legislature and the Montana Department of Fish,Wildlife and Parks. In 2010,she was elected to the Montana House of Representatives and served three two-year terms before retiring. In 2018 and 2020,Williams ran,unsuccessfully,as the Democratic nominee for Montana's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives.
Matthew Martin Rosendale Sr. is an American politician. A Republican,Rosendale represents Montana's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. Rosendale served in the Montana House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013,and in the Montana Senate from 2013 to 2017. From 2015 to 2017,he served as Senate majority leader. Rosendale was elected Montana state auditor in 2016 and held that position from 2017 to 2020. Rosendale ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014 and for the U.S. Senate in 2018. He was elected to represent Montana's at-large congressional district in 2020. After Montana regained its second House seat in the 2020 census,Rosendale was elected to represent the new 2nd congressional district in 2022.
Casey Schreiner is an American politician and former educator who served as the Minority Leader of the Montana House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021,and where he represented the 26th district from 2013 to 2021. Before serving in the legislature,Schreiner worked as a middle school teacher,executive director of the Montana State Workforce Innovation Board,and as the director of work-based learning for the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
David M. Gowan Sr. is an American politician who currently serves in the Arizona Senate from January 14,2019,and previously as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives for the 2015–2017 legislative session and a Representative for Legislative District 14 from January 14,2013,to January 9,2017. Gowan served consecutively from January 2009 until January 14,2013 in the District 30 seat which redistricted into District 14 in 2012. In 2013,he was elected Majority Leader of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives. In 2015,Gowan was elected to serve as Speaker of the House. On October 5,2015,Gowan announced his candidacy for Arizona's 1st congressional district,but withdrew before the Republican primary.
The 2000 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 7,2000. Incumbent Governor of Montana Marc Racicot,who was first elected in 1992 and was re-elected in 1996,was unable to seek re-election due to term limits. Judy Martz,the Lieutenant Governor of Montana under Racicot for four years,won the Republican primary and advanced to the general election,where she faced Mark O'Keefe,the Montana State Auditor and Democratic nominee. Despite the fact that George W. Bush,the Republican nominee for president in 2000,won the state in a landslide,the race between Martz and O'Keefe was close. However,Martz managed to narrowly defeat him to win her first and only term as governor. This was the last time that a Republican was elected Governor of Montana until 2020,when Greg Gianforte was elected.
The 2016 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 8,2016,to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Montana,concurrently with the presidential election,as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Montana was held on November 6,2018,to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Montana,concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate,elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2020 Montana gubernatorial election was held on November 3,2020,to elect the next governor of Montana,concurrently with the U.S. presidential election,as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and various state and local elections. It resulted in voters selecting Greg Gianforte over Mike Cooney. Incumbent Democratic governor Steve Bullock was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term in office,and he ran unsuccessfully for Montana's Class II Senate seat.
In Montana,an at-large congressional district special election was held on May 25,2017,to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for Montana's at-large congressional district. The election was necessitated by incumbent Republican Representative Ryan Zinke's appointment as United States Secretary of the Interior. Zinke resigned on March 1,2017,upon his confirmation.
Albert Olszewski is an American orthopedic surgeon and perennial candidate. He served as a Republican member of both the Montana Senate and Montana House of Representatives. He ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 2018,governor in 2020,and U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. In addition,he also was a candidate for lieutenant governor in 2012 on a ticket with Montana transportation director Jim Lynch. He and Lynch lost in all 4 republican primaries.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives election in Montana was held on November 3,2020,to elect the U.S. representative from Montana's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate,and various state and local elections.
A general election in the state of Montana was held on Tuesday,November 3,2020,with the primary elections being held on June 2,2020. Voters will elect one member to United States House of Representatives and all five state constitutional offices,among other elected offices.
Kristen Juras is an American businesswoman,attorney,law professor,and politician serving as the 37th lieutenant governor of Montana. A Republican,Juras was first elected in November 2020 and assumed office on January 4,2021.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana were held on November 8,2022,to elect two U.S. Representatives from Montana,one from each of its congressional districts. Prior to this election cycle,Montana had one at-large district,represented by Republican Matt Rosendale. However,during the 2020 redistricting cycle,Montana regained the 2nd district that it lost in 1993.
Braxton Mitchell is an American politician and businessman serving as a Republican member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 3rd district. Elected in 2020,he assumed office on January 4,2021,and became one of the youngest elected officials in the country.