Francis "Ed" Edward Buttrey (born December 14, 1965) is a
Republican member of the
Montana Legislature
The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Montana
Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to t ...
. He served in the
Montana Senate
The Montana State Senate is the upper house of the Montana Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The body is composed of 50 senators elected for four years. Half of the Senate is up for election every two years. ...
from 2011 to 2019 and then served in the
Montana House of Representatives
The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years.
Composition of the House
In the event that the parti ...
.
[Vote Smart-Edward Buttrey]
/ref> Since 2019 he has served as a Representative for House District 21 which covers northwest Great Falls and Black Eagle
The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South a ...
. Due to Montana term limits he will be unable to seek re-election for this seat in 2026.
Legislative history
Buttrey served as Majority Whip in the Senate during the 2015-2016 session.
Buttrey has garnered a mixed reputation in regards to policy during his tenure in both Montana legislative bodies. Though Buttrey was lauded by centrist Republicans and Democrats alike for working on Medicaid
Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...
expansion in Montana, he was criticized by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities for his legislation which the Center said "would likely cause coverage losses similar to or even higher than those of Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, the first state with a Medicaid work requirement. That state ended coverage for more than 18,000 people.”
In 2013, Buttrey voted for SB 405 which repealed same-day voter registration. Then-AARP
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those 50 and older. The organization, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., said it had more than 38 ...
President Jeannine English described the bill and other measures like it as "...a form of voter suppression."[
In 2019, Buttrey voted against Montana HB 547 which prohibits employers from stopping employees from discussing wages.][
]
Campaign for U.S House
On December 18, 2016, Buttrey announced his candidacy for the special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
to fill Montana's at-large U.S. House seat vacated by United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natura ...
appointee Ryan Zinke
Ryan Keith Zinke ( ; born November 1, 1961) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Zinke served in the Montana Senate from 2009 to 2013 and as the U.S. re ...
.
At the Republican party convention on March 3, 2017, Buttrey and multiple other GOP candidates were eliminated in favor of businessman Greg Gianforte
Gregory Richard Gianforte ( ; born April 17, 1961) is an American politician, businessman, and software engineer serving as the 25th governor of Montana since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Gianforte served as the U.S. representativ ...
who would go on to win the general election as well.
Election history
Buttrey first ran for the Montana legislature in 2010. For Senate District 13 he defeated Kathleen Galvin-Halcro with 58% of the vote. A complaint was lodged against Buttrey for illegally coordinating with a dark money
In politics, particularly the politics of the United States, dark money refers to spending to influence elections, public policy, and political discourse, where the source of the money is not disclosed to the public.
In the United States, ...
group during the campaign. The charges against Buttrey were dismissed, though nine others were found culpable. During the legislative session Buttrey was appointed Chair of both the Local Government and Legislative Administration committees.US census
The United States census (plural censuses or census) is a census that is legally mandated by the Constitution of the United States. It takes place every ten years. The first census after the American Revolution was taken in 1790 under Secretar ...
Buttrey ran for Senate District 13 in the 2014 elections.general election
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
he defeated Democrat Leesha Ford with 54% of the vote. For the 2020 election he won against Sally Tucker in the primary. He then defeated opponent Jaime Horn with 66% of the vote to retain his House seat. During the campaign Horn submitted a picture to MTN News showing Buttrey in a room with a swastika. It was quickly shown to be a captured flag hanging at the VFW.
Buttrey ran for re-election in 2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
. He faced no challengers in the primaries. He contested the general election against Lela Graham, Executive Director of Independence Rock Coalition and Army Veteran. Buttrey received 65% of the vote securing his seat for another term. For the 2023 session he was appointed Chair of the Business and Labor committee. In 2024 Graham ran again. Buttrey won with 67% of the vote. He was again assigned as Chair to the Business and Labor committee.
Personal life
Buttrey received a degree in electrical engineering from Montana State University
Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana, United States. It enrolls more students than any other college or university in the state. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's d ...
. He owns several business in Great Falls.
References
External links
Buttrey on legmt.govButtrey on Ballotpedia2020 interview with KRTV
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buttrey, Edward
Republican Party members of the Montana House of Representatives
Republican Party Montana state senators
Montana State University alumni
1965 births
Living people
Politicians from Great Falls, Montana
Politicians from Helena, Montana
21st-century members of the Montana Legislature