Subscribe
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events
Menu
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events

Regier, Ler elected to lead 2025 Montana Legislature

in Regional
Republican lawmakers selected Brandon Ler, left, as House Speaker, and Steve Fitzpatrick, right, as House Majority Leader during a Nov. 12, 2024 caucus. PHOTO BY MARA SILVERS/MTFP
Carli Johnsonby Carli Johnson
November 15, 2024

Republican majority and Democratic minority pick their leaders for the 2025 session at Tuesday caucus meetings.

By Tom Lutey Montana Free Press

Senate and House Republicans, selecting leaders who will preside over the 2025 Legislature, chose Senator-elect Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, as Senate president and Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage, as speaker of the House in caucuses Tuesday.

The GOP holds majorities in both chambers for the eighth straight session of the biennial Legislature. Democrats chose Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, and Rep. Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, as minority leaders of their respective caucuses.

Article Inline Ad Article Inline Ad Article Inline Ad

The full chambers will formally vote on those leaders when the session begins Jan. 6. Caucus votes are conducted by secret ballot.

In the Senate, Regier, who was the House speaker during the 2023 Legislature, prevailed over current Senate President Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, and Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson.

In remarks to Senate Republicans, Regier stressed the importance of working with House lawmakers and the governor, a different focus than presented by Ellsworth, who said the caucus should have prioritized its own legislation over bills advocated by Gov. Greg Gianforte during the 2023 session.

“I think this session, we must take every opportunity to work with anyone. If there’s a good idea in the House, there’s a good idea on the second floor [the governor’s office], if there’s a good idea from an organization outside, let’s take it and run with it, amend it if we have to,” Regier told the caucus. “I believe the only people we should work for are our constituents.”

Hertz was eliminated in an initial round of voting before Regier was selected over Ellsworth in a final vote.

Regier’s father, Keith, ran for Senate president in 2023 but lost to Ellsworth. The elder Regier, who faced term limits, is now out of office. The younger Regier was also Speaker of the House in 2023 when a decorum dispute with Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, escalated into a vote that resulted in Zephyr being barred from the House floor for the closing weeks of the session. 

House Republicans chose Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage, as speaker over Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings. 

Ler told House Republicans he wants to focus on reducing state spending, cutting taxes and protecting Montana families. He also indicated he won’t shy away from continuing the Legislature’s ongoing feud with the judicial branch, which has struck down many Republican-backed laws in recent years. 

“With the radical overreach of the judicial branch, as speaker, I will not be afraid to flex the muscle of the power we hold,” Ler told his caucus before the vote. “The judicial branch has nothing over me.”

Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, was voted Senate majority leader, and longtime lawmaker Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, was voted House majority leader.

Senate Minority Leader Flowers said Democrats will focus on property taxes, housing, childcare, education and renewing the state’s expanded Medicaid health coverage program. 

“These priorities are not ours alone, they’re shared across the aisle,” Flowers said. “I think our challenge is just to figure solutions we both agree on that actually solve problems.”

Senate Democrats gained two seats in the 2024 election, which featured districts redrawn following the 2020 census. 

House Democrats were emboldened by gaining at least nine seats to their caucus, depending on the final outcome of a close Bozeman-area race. House Minority Leader-elect Rep. Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, was chosen by the caucus over Rep. Mark Thane, D-Missoula. 

Sullivan replaces 2023 House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, who has left the Legislature after running into term limits in the House. Sullivan told the caucus that she can effectively negotiate with Republicans to advance Democratic priorities while working to amend or kill bills Democrats don’t like.

“We should be able, with the power in this room, to do more,” she said.

Legislators in all four caucuses also selected lawmakers for down-roster leadership roles:

Senate Republicans unanimously accepted Sen. Ken Bogner, R-Miles City, as President Pro Tempore. Sens. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, Daniel Zolnikov, R-Roundup, and Barry Usher, R-Billings, and Senator-elect Sue Vinton, R-Lockwood, were selected as majority whips to shepherd Republican votes. 

Senate Democrats selected three minority whips: Sens. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, Laura Smith, D-Helena and Susan Weber, D-Browning.

House Republicans selected Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings, as Speaker Pro Tempore over Reps. Jodee Etchart, R-Billings, and Brad Barker, R-Red Lodge. Reps. Marta Bertoglio, R-Montana City, Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, Steve Gist, R-Cascade, Jedediah Hinkle, R-Belgrade, and Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, were elected House majority whips.

House Democrats elected a chair to run caucus meetings, Rep. Jennifer Lynch, D-Butte, and four minority whips: Reps. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, Rep. Melissa Romano, D-Helena, Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning and Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula.

Mara Silvers, Zeke Lloyd and Eric Dietrich contributed reporting.

Outlaw Realty Outlaw Realty
Outlaw Realty
ADVERTISEMENT

Listen

Hoary Marmot Podcast

Joe Borden & Michele Veale Borden

Lastest Episode
See More Episodes

Upcoming Events

May 27
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm Event Series

American Legion Bingo

May 30
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Event Series

Trivia at the Waypoint

Jun 5
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Event Series

Birds and Brews: Explore MOR Adult Exploration Series

Jun 6
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Event Series

Trivia at the Waypoint

Jun 13
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm Event Series

Trivia at the Waypoint

View Calendar
Event Calendar

Related Posts

Gallatin County seeking members for search and rescue communications team
Regional

Gallatin County seeking members for search and rescue communications team

May 23, 2025
U.S. Census: Gallatin, Flathead County add most residents in Montana 
Regional

U.S. Census: Gallatin, Flathead County add most residents in Montana 

May 22, 2025
‘Strident advocacy’: Zinke defends public lands in Trump tax cut bill 
Regional

‘Strident advocacy’: Zinke defends public lands in Trump tax cut bill 

May 22, 2025
Blacklegged ticks identified in two Montana counties
Environment

Blacklegged ticks identified in two Montana counties

May 21, 2025

An Outlaw Partners Publication

Facebook-f Instagram X-twitter Youtube

Explore Big Sky

  • About/Contact
  • Advertise
  • Publications
  • Subscriptions
  • Podcast
  • Submissions

Outlaw Brands

  • Mountain Outlaw
  • Plan Yellowstone
  • Big Sky PBR
  • Wildlands Music
  • Outlaw Partners
  • Outlaw Realty
  • Hey Bear

Copyright © 2025 Explore Big Sky | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Choices

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Yellowstone
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Real Estate
  • Events

©2024 Outlaw Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Explore Big Sky Logo
  • News
    • Local
    • Regional
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Outlaw Partners
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Yellowstone
  • Events
Subscribe
Facebook X-twitter Instagram Youtube