Former state senator and public educator Shannon O’Brien of Missoula beat out Whitefish farmer and former state Rep. Mike Jopek to win election to chair of the Montana Democratic Party.
“I think it’s time that we come together as Democrats and make some bold decisions about a clear path forward that includes our rural areas,” O'Brien said.
O’Brien won with 112 votes to 39. That was despite former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester throwing his support behind Jopek. Tester didn’t attend the party’s convention in Livingston, but called in to offer his endorsement.
Tester said Montana Democrats are seen as “woke and weak.”
Park County Democrat Max Johansen was elected vice chair. He said Jopek and Tester represent the old guard, but that it’s time for a change.
“We’re tired of hearing from people who feel like they know everything because they’ve been at the top of the heap for so long," Johansen said."That is actually how parties get stale and that's exactly how parties lose ground.”
Johansen said state Democrats need to be far more aggressive in their messaging, focus on economic issues, and figure out how to avoid being baited into "culture war"’ debates.
Montana Democrats running for statewide office have been courting moderate voters for years with little success.
State Rep. Zooey Zephyr is of a younger, more progressive generation of the party and says moderating Democratic stances hasn’t worked. She says the party should continue courting rural and conservative-leaning voters.
“But we need to do so while making sure we are bringing forward every value that we have,” Zephyr said.
Missoula state Rep. Melody Cunningham was elected Secretary, and director of the Montana American Indian Caucus Lance FourStar was re-elected Treasurer.
New chair O’Brien said the 2024 election was a gut punch and that it’s time to turn a new page. The party will be hiring a new executive director and a few new staffers in the coming months
