Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis won her first full four-year term, while Missoula City Council incumbents had mixed results in the race for seven open seats in the municipal election Tuesday, according to final, unofficial results.
Three of the four candidates endorsed by the Western Montana Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America lost their races, and a $1.8 million countywide infrastructure levy failed.
Of the candidates endorsed by the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter — Ward 3 incumbent Daniel Carlino, Ward 6 incumbent Kristen Jordan and newcomers Lucas Moody in Ward 1 and David Quattrocchi in Ward 4 — only Jordan won her race. The roster was the largest number of candidates the chapter, which has seen an increase in membership, has endorsed in a single election since its formation in 2018.
Local and state DSA leaders previously told Montana Free Press that interest in the organization was partly driven by the popularity of democratic socialists such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who drew a crowd of nearly 7,500 in Missoula earlier this year, and Zohran Mamdani, who was elected as New York City’s mayor on Tuesday. Mark Anderlik, a longtime labor organizer and member of the Western Montana DSA chapter, said people are fed up with the current system and are more open to alternatives to capitalism.
“We’re so excited that Kristen Jordan is returning to the council to fight for the Missoula we love. The rest of the results aren’t what we wanted, but we’re really proud of the fight we put up,” said Western Montana DSA co-chair Bredan Work in a statement to MTFP. “As Missoula becomes more expensive, more attractive to big developers, and more hostile to the rest of us, Democratic Socialists will always be here to present the just and viable alternatives the people want. As for right now, we’ve got a lot of people to keep warm this winter, fascists to fight, and a future to win. All power to the people.”
The four Missoula candidates presented a shared platform that included social housing, which they describe as self-sustaining, permanently affordable, mixed-income housing paid for with municipal bonds and removed from the for-profit real estate market. They also stated that they wanted to expand jail diversion plans and limit the use of tax increment financing for economic development. Some candidates argued the council is “rubber-stamping” the budget and other policies.
Jordan told Montana Free Press Wednesday that the election results are “bittersweet” as she is excited to continue representing Ward 6 but was hoping to see all DSA candidates make it onto the city council. She said socialism has gotten a bad name, and the more people learn about democratic socialism, the more they see its benefits.
“It’s a government-provided social safety net, our tax dollars used to make all our lives better rather than rewarding certain entities, people or ideas,” Jordan said.
Jordan said she hopes to chip away at enacting pieces of the candidates’ shared platform, starting with priority-based budgeting and implementing metrics to evaluate city programs. She said, “despite the rhetoric,” she has working relationships with council members and hopes to continue working together on sound policy.
The candidates’ opponents did not directly speak against the DSA endorsement or platform in forums ahead of the election, but some emphasized their ability to work together with other council members and get things done.
Council Member Mike Nugent, who defeated Quattrocchi, said in a statement on social media Wednesday that every council decision “comes with tradeoffs, tough questions and impacts that reach far beyond council chambers.”
“Picking one or two issues and making opponents villains doesn’t help — it weakens our discourse,” Nugent wrote. “Now more than ever, we need to separate disagreement from division and work with all willing partners to find solutions. That’s been my approach: bringing the public, private, and non-profit sectors together. While a few voices may misrepresent that collaboration, none of us can solve these challenges alone.”
All municipal seats are nonpartisan, but all winning candidates were endorsed by the Missoula County Democrats. Council Member Sandra Vasecka, one of the council’s most conservative members, lost her race to Sean Patrick McCoy.
Mayor Davis told MTFP Wednesday that voters chose council members who are “aspirational but also very pragmatic.” She said that just because the mayor and council members get things passed together does not mean they are rubber-stamping policies, but rather that they are working through decisions and compromising.
“I think at the end of the day we saw from voters that they want a council that can work together and that can deliver,” Davis said.
County and city voters decided on the levy. Voters citywide weighed in on the race for mayor, while only ward residents could vote for their council members. The voter turnout was almost 42%, slightly lower than the nearly 45% ballot return rate in the 2023 municipal general. Results are unofficial until the canvass Nov. 17.
MAYOR
Mayor Andrea Davis won her first full four-year term, defeating challenger Shawn Knopp by 39 percentage points. Davis received 68% of the vote, and Knopp received 29%. Davis, the former executive director of housing nonprofit Homeword, was elected in November 2023 to complete former Mayor John Engen’s term after he died in 2022. Knopp, a project manager at Montana Glass, previously ran for mayor in 2021 and 2023, and said the city needs to address budget shortfalls without raising taxes.
“These results tell me we are headed in the right direction,” Davis wrote in a social media post early Wednesday morning. “I’m grateful for those that believe in my leadership and for those that don’t, [I] hope to have a chance to do so.”
Davis, the city’s second woman mayor, has touted several city accomplishments during her first year in office, including starting construction on the Scott Street-Ravara affordable housing development, purchasing the Southgate Crossing property for redevelopment, adopting the new land use plan, redefining the city’s budget process and enhancing police and fire services.
“I really do feel we’ve made a lot of progress, and I feel we have more work to do,” Davis said Wednesday.
Davis said she will continue to focus on addressing cost-of-living challenges, improving housing choices, making wise infrastructure investments and making the city a more responsive government. She plans to continue managing the city with “fiscal discipline” to deliver services but being mindful of how the budget affects property owners and renters.
WARD 1
Political newcomer Betsy Craske appears to have defeated Lucas Moody for the Ward 1 seat vacated by Jennifer Savage, who moved to Ward 3 this year. Craske received 61%, 2,750 votes, to Moody’s 32%, or 1,448 votes.
Craske, a longtime educator, said the divisiveness from the 2024 election spurred her to run to help bridge gaps, build relationships and “make Missoula a place where we can all live.” Moody, who works at the Missoula Public Library and is endorsed by the local DSA chapter, said he wanted to represent working-class Missoulians, renters and unhoused people.
The winner will be sworn in earlier than other councilors, likely on Monday, Nov. 10, to fill the vacancy. The council decided in September to suspend its rules and appoint the general election winner to the seat rather than appointing an applicant in early October.
WARD 2
Justin Ponton led in the race for Sierra Farmer’s Ward 2 seat over challenger Rebecca Dawson with 1,907 votes, or 59% of votes to Dawson’s 1,167 votes, or 36%. Farmer did not run for re-election.
Ponton, the CEO of Montana Regional Multiple Listing Service, said he wanted to use his experience to help increase the city’s housing supply, balance the budget and improve infrastructure. Dawson, an operations and maintenance specialist who previously ran for city council in 2021 and 2023 and for the state Legislature in 2020 as a Republican, said she wanted to help stem rising property taxes and increase transparency around the city’s budget.
WARD 3
Former Ward 1 Council Member Jennifer Savage led Ward 3 incumbent Daniel Carlino by 173 votes. Savage moved to Ward 3 and vacated her seat in early September. Savage received 2,229 votes, 51%, and Carlino received 2,056 votes, or 47%.
Savage, the communications specialist for Missoula County Public Schools, said she wants to use the relationships she’s built to continue work started during her first term, including affordable housing projects and zoning code reform. Carlino, an aide for people with developmental disabilities who was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, said he wanted to push policies forward to address the city’s challenges of climate change, the rising cost of living and increasing homelessness.
In September, Savage filed a political practices complaint against Carlino for sending text messages without a “paid for by” attribution, a delayed filing to note the expenditure of the texts and a lack of reporting any in-kind contributions for the texts. Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Chris Gallus ruled Oct. 27 that Carlino’s campaign made several campaign law violations and referred one violation to the Missoula County Attorney for possible prosecution. On Oct. 30, Gallus dismissed a complaint Carlino filed against Savage’s campaign.
WARD 4
In the race for his second term, incumbent Mike Nugent appears to have fended off challenger David Quattrocchi. Nugent received 65%, 2,900 votes, and Quattrocchi received 32%, 1,421 votes.
Nugent, a real estate broker, said he is a “doer” on council who works through details to figure out how to implement ideas, including the city’s affordable housing projects. Quattrocchi, a Partnership Health Center community organizer backed by the DSA, said he ran for council to advocate for people who are historically marginalized and struggle to access housing, as well as improve transparency.
WARD 5
Stacie Anderson, who ran unopposed, is set to serve a third term on council. Anderson, executive director of the nonprofit A Better Big Sky, is the second-longest-serving active council member after Ward 3’s Gwen Jones.
WARD 6 (TWO-YEAR)
Sean Patrick McCoy had a 601-vote lead over Council Member Sandra Vasecka two years after they tied for the position. Vasecka was appointed in 2023 following the tie vote. On Tuesday, McCoy received 1,764 votes, 57%, and Vasecka received 1,163, or 38%.
Vasecka, one of the council’s more conservative members, said she wanted to address affordability by reducing property taxes and red tape, as well as continuing her efforts to lower sidewalk assessment costs for homeowners. McCoy, a farmer and planning board member, said he wanted to use his experience in dealing with government bureaucracy to continue serving the community. The winner of this position will be up for election again in 2027.
WARD 6 (FOUR-YEAR)
Incumbent Kristen Jordan, who was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated Chris Foster by 383 votes. Jordan received 1,602 votes, or 52% and Foster received 1,219 votes, or 40%. Jordan was the only DSA-backed candidate this year who won their race.
Jordan, who works for the Western Montana Conservation Commission, said the council should represent everyone regardless of political affiliation and should talk about issues from more perspectives. Foster, a retired electrician, said he ran for council because of the city’s homeless situation and would like to see Missoula implement solutions that have worked for other cities.
MISSOULA COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY
Voters shot down a countywide infrastructure levy that would have raised $1.8 million annually for Missoula County roads, bridges and trails. The mill levy received 19,795 no votes and 17,675 yes votes.
The county currently generates approximately $6.13 million annually for roads and $1.38 million for bridges, excluding grants, which are funded by property taxes, the state gas tax, and other state and federal sources. The public works department estimates it needs an additional $4.3 million annually to fully fund the county’s infrastructure needs.
If the levy passed, the owner of a $300,000 home would have paid an additional $11.40 annually, and the owner of a $600,000 home would have paid $26.21.
In a joint statement emailed Wednesday morning, Missoula County Commissioners Juanita Vero, Dave Strohmaier and Josh Slotnick said: “While we’re disappointed the levy didn’t pass, we know supporting a tax increase is not easy. We will continue to look into creative funding solutions to make much-needed repairs on county bridges and roads, though it will be more of an uphill battle without this additional funding.”
MUNICIPAL JUDGES
Missoula’s three municipal judges — Jennifer Streano, Eli Parker and Jacob Coolidge — are set to serve a second four-year term after they all ran unopposed. This is the second election for all three municipal judge positions, following a 2021 state law change that eliminated positions by appointment.
This story was updated Nov. 6, 2025, to include a comment from Western Montana Democratic Socialists of America chapter co-chair Brendan Work.
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