Montana’s state Senate has been experiencing a surprising surge of bipartisanship in recent months. A group of nine Republican senators has been voting alongside Democrats to pass major legislation, not as part of some backroom deal, but as a conscious choice to put policy over party.  

They have been censured, shamed, and branded the “Nasty Nine” by leaders of their own party. But while some state GOP officials tried to paint them as traitors, many back home have been thanking them. Senator Wendy McKamey has kept a stack of handwritten notes from constituents at her desk. As the New York Times reports, one card reads, “Give ’Em Hell,” above a cowgirl charging forward on horseback. 

The Break That Changed the Session 

The split has been brewing since the start of the legislative session. After being assigned to what they considered a sham committee, the Nine pushed back and secured new roles with Democratic support, reshaping the chamber’s balance of power. With 18 Democrats and 9 breakaway Republicans forming a 27-member voting bloc, the majority has been passing bills that the GOP leadership could not stop. 

Together, they have reauthorized Montana’s Medicaid expansion, expanded health care access for moms, and passed both a child tax credit and property tax relief for homeowners, while also blocking legislation that would make judicial elections more partisan. 

Still Conservative, Still Republican 

All the while, none of the Nine have been trying to leave their party and most of them have continued to support conservative positions on social issues and tax policy. They have just not been willing to rubber-stamp every item on the hard-right agenda. Senator Josh Kassmier, a leader of the group, summed it up: “We’re voting on the policy. It’s not a deal we’ve made with the Dems.” 

What has been most notable is not the substance of the votes but the willingness to stand against party leadership, as well as the most vocal voices on the right. At a time when many lawmakers – at all levels of government – fear crossing their base, these senators have been standing by their votes even as they take heat from Republican colleagues and local party chapters. 

A Model with National Implications 

A 2024 Gallup poll revealed that a record-high 80% of U.S. adults perceive the nation as greatly divided on its most important values, up from 77% in 2016.? Additionally, a 2023 Pew Research Center study found that nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) often feel exhausted when thinking about politics, and 55% feel angry. Perhaps Montana offers away to reverse that trend. 

The Nine have been showing is that bipartisanship does not require compromising on your beliefs. It just takes a willingness to govern and a constant affirmation that serving your constituents is the most important role of a public servant. These Republicans have not stopped being conservatives. They have just stopped treating the other party as the enemy. 

Former Governor Brian Schweitzer said it best: “They’ve been voting with the people they represent, not the party bosses.” He joked about putting up $50 to bus members of Congress out to Helena to see how it is done. 

It has not been easy for them. It may not last. But for a few months in Big Sky Country, lawmakers have been doing something rare: working together and getting results. Washington should take notice. 

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