The Montana Democratic Party announced the selection of Bruce Knutson as its new vice chair on Friday, tapping the former aide to U.S. Sen. Jon Tester to replace a freshly elected vice chair who had resigned after making impolitic statements about the former senator.
Knutson served as the veterans liaison for Tester after a career in public employment that included serving in the U.S. military and as a game warden with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. He now lives in Helena.
In a statement Friday, Knutson highlighted health care, child care, public education, affordable living and “protecting our freedom” as issues for the party to focus on.
Democrats had previously elected Max Johansen, the chair of Park County Central Committee, as vice chair during routine executive board elections at the party’s September convention. In remarks made to reporters after his election, Johansen criticized Tester, a longtime party leader who lost his reelection bid in November 2024. Tester was the last Democratic statewide officeholder in Montana when he lost his race to Republican Tim Sheehy.
Johansen called Tester part of the “old guard” that “represents a philosophy that no longer serves the interest of the party,” according to the Helena Independent Record.
Johansen resigned three days later. Party Chair Shannon O’Brien said in a statement then that Johansen had left his role “after acknowledging that certain comments he made following the Convention were disruptive and inconsistent with the direction of the Executive Board.”
The Livingston Enterprise reported earlier this month that Johansen was withdrawing from the race for Park County commissioner. He is still the chair of the county’s Democratic central committee, he said in a brief interview Friday.
The party executive board, which includes the chair, vice chair and 22 other members, is responsible for selecting the party’s executive director and helping coordinate Montana democratic campaigns.
Both Knutson and O’Brien were unavailable for comment beyond the party’s written announcement Friday.
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