Montana House Elects Katie Zolnikov as Speaker
Republican Zolnikov becomes the first woman to lead the Montana House as Republicans keep control of both chambers.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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The Montana House of Representatives elected Republican Katie Zolnikov of Billings as Speaker, making her the first woman to hold the post. In the Senate, Matt Regeir of Kalispell was re-elected President of the Senate with no GOP challenges.
Why it matters
The votes set legislative leadership for the Montana Legislature as Republicans retain control of both chambers and Democrats gain two seats in each. Divisions within the Republican caucus that surfaced last session, when nine Republicans in the Senate voted with Democrats, may shape the next session.
The House holds a 56-44 Republican majority and the Senate a 30-20 Republican majority, with Democrats gaining two seats in each chamber. Vote tallies for the leadership elections were not reported in the source material.
The players
Katie Zolnikov
Republican representative from Billings elected Speaker of the Montana House, the first woman to hold the post, who previously served as Speaker Pro Tem.
Matt Regeir
Republican senator from Kalispell re-elected President of the Senate with no GOP challenges.
The details
State lawmakers selected legislative leadership at the State Capitol in Helena on Wednesday. Zolnikov, who is in her fourth House term and her final term before being termed out, previously served as Speaker Pro Tem. Four members of the nine-Republican "Nasty Nine" group are returning to the Senate.
Timeline
Last session: Senate Republican caucus schism, with the Nasty Nine voting with Democrats.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026: Legislative leadership elected at the State Capitol in Helena.
January 4, 2027: Next Montana Legislature session begins.
Legislative Policy Context
The leadership votes come after the Nasty Nine, nine Republican senators, broke with their caucus to vote with Democrats last session, and four of them return to the Senate. Whether that split reappears when the Legislature convenes on January 4, 2027, will test whether the GOP's majorities hold together.
The leadership choices determine which bills get committee hearings and floor time when the Legislature convenes. Montanans will see how the Republican majorities handle the internal divisions the last session revealed.
The takeaway
Watch whether the nine-member Republican bloc that broke ranks last session votes as a unit again, since that will shape which legislation passes in 2027.
What happens next
The Montana Legislature's next session begins January 4, 2027, when the new leadership will take over.
Further reading
For more on how the state's lawmakers are organized, see Montana Legislative Policy.
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