Montana Gov. Gianforte is the new vice chair of the national Republican Governors Association.
Shaylee Ragar | Montana Public Radio
Gianforte will serve a one-year term as the second to newly-elected chair, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. The organization aims to expand GOP control of governorships and rally leaders around conservative priorities, like cutting taxes and regulation for businesses.
The group has often pushed back against Biden Administration proposals, like a rule to require car manufacturers to sell more electric vehicles. Kemp and Gianforte said in a statement they are looking forward to working with President-elect Donald Trump again.
Gianforte will be sworn into his second and final term as governor in January.
Montana’s elected officials show support for President-elect’s cabinet nominees
Shaylee Ragar | Montana Public Radio
Montana’s returning and newly-elected U.S. Senators are already backing some of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees to lead top agencies. The nominees must go through the upper chamber’s confirmation process to take office.
Sen.-elect Tim Sheehy closely aligned with Trump during his campaign.
Sheehy said in an emailed statement that he’s looking forward to meeting Trump’s nominees to make sure they’re the best pick to enact “an America First Agenda and deliver results for Montana.” Sheehy took to social media to congratulate several nominees.
“We got some awesome nominations coming out of the Trump administration,” Sheehy said.
Sheehy has publicly backed former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for director of National Intelligence, firebrand independent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for head of Health and Human Services, oil industry executive Chris Wright for U.S. Energy Secretary and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for U.S. Interior Secretary.
U.S. Sen Steve Daines is also a close ally of Trump. In an emailed statement, he said he respects Gaetz’s decision, but did not offer comment on the allegations against him. Daines said he’s looking forward to getting Trump’s nominees confirmed “as quickly as possible.”
On social media, Daines congratulated nominees Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for Secretary of State and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York for United Nations ambassador.
So far, neither Sheehy nor Daines have voiced opposition to any of Trump’s picks.
That includes Trump’s controversial nominee for Attorney General, former Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida, who on Thursday withdrew his nomination. The far-right conservative withdrew his nomination Thursday morning amid allegations he engaged in sex trafficking and illicit drug use. Gaetz said his candidacy had “unfairly” become a distraction.
Trump announced Friday evening he’s now nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for Attorney General.
Cabinet nominees need a simple majority to earn the Senate’s stamp of approval.
