Austin Knudsen
2021 - Present
2029
4
Austin Knudsen (Republican Party) is the Attorney General of Montana. He assumed office on January 4, 2021. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Knudsen (Republican Party) ran for re-election for Attorney General of Montana. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Austin Knudsen earned an undergraduate degree at Montana State University at Bozeman and a law degree from the University of Montana.[1][2] Knudsen's career experience includes working as Roosevelt County Attorney and owning a law firm.[1]
Political career
Below is a list of offices within Ballotpedia’s scope. Offices outside of that scope will not be listed. If an update is needed and the office is within our scope, please contact us.
Knudsen's political career includes the following offices:
- 2021-present: Attorney General of Montana
- 2011-2019: Montana House of Representatives District 34
Elections
2024
See also: Montana Attorney General election, 2024
General election
General election for Attorney General of Montana
Incumbent Austin Knudsen defeated Ben Alke in the general election for Attorney General of Montana on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Austin Knudsen (R) | 59.7 | 352,682 |
 | Ben Alke (D) | 40.3 | 237,928 | |
| Total votes: 590,610 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Montana
Ben Alke advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Montana on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ben Alke | 100.0 | 93,478 |
| Total votes: 93,478 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Montana
Incumbent Austin Knudsen defeated Logan Olson in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Montana on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Austin Knudsen | 82.2 | 148,458 |
 | Logan Olson | 17.8 | 32,141 | |
| Total votes: 180,599 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Knudsen in this election.
2020
See also: Montana Attorney General election, 2020
Montana Attorney General election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
Montana Attorney General election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)
General election
General election for Attorney General of Montana
Austin Knudsen defeated Raph Graybill in the general election for Attorney General of Montana on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Austin Knudsen (R) | 58.5 | 348,322 |
 | Raph Graybill (D) | 41.5 | 247,025 | |
| Total votes: 595,347 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Roy Davis (G)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Montana
Raph Graybill defeated Kimberly Dudik in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Raph Graybill | 57.1 | 80,038 |
 | Kimberly Dudik | 42.9 | 60,143 | |
| Total votes: 140,181 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- James Cossitt (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Montana
Austin Knudsen defeated Jon Bennion in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Austin Knudsen | 59.8 | 116,475 |
 | Jon Bennion | 40.2 | 78,419 | |
| Total votes: 194,894 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Green primary election
Green primary for Attorney General of Montana
Roy Davis advanced from the Green primary for Attorney General of Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Roy Davis | 100.0 | 752 | |
| Total votes: 752 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
Austin Knudsen was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.
2016
Elections for the Montana House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 14, 2016.
Incumbent Austin Knudsen defeated Evelyn Carlisle in the Montana House of Representatives District 34 general election.[3][4]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 34 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Austin Knudsen Incumbent |
77.49% | 4,278 | |
| Democratic | Evelyn Carlisle | 22.51% | 1,243 | |
| Total Votes | 5,521 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Evelyn Carlisle ran unopposed in the Montana House of Representatives District 34 Democratic primary.[5][6]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 34 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Evelyn Carlisle (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Austin Knudsen ran unopposed in the Montana House of Representatives District 34 Republican primary.[7][8]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 34 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Austin Knudsen Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Montana House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014, and a general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 10, 2014; minor party and independent candidates had until June 2, 2014, to file. Gene Hartsock was unopposed in the Democratic primary. District 36 incumbent Austin Knudsen was unopposed in the Republican primary. Knudsen defeated Hartsock in the general election. Incumbent Wendy Warburton (R) did not seek re-election.[9][10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Austin Knudsen Incumbent |
76.2% | 3,279 | |
| Democratic | Gene Hartsock | 23.8% | 1,022 | |
| Total Votes | 4,301 | |||
2012
Knudsen won re-election in the 2012 election for Montana House of Representatives, District 36. Knudsen ran unopposed in the June 5 primary election and was unchallenged in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[12][13]
2010
On November 2, 2010, Knudsen won election to the Montana House of Representatives. He faced incumbent Julie French (D) in the November 2 general election.[14][15]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 36 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Austin Knudsen (R)
|
2,174 | |||
| Julie French (D) | 1,729 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Austin Knudsen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Austin Knudsen did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Knudsen said the following in response to a Montana Public Radio questionnaire :
| “ |
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” |
| —Austin Knudsen 2020 Election Questionnaire (2020)[17] | ||
2012
Knudsen's website highlighted themes including expanding natural resource development "while protecting private property and surface interests," and "cutting pointless regulations and bureaucracy."[18]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy events
Office of Disciplinary Counsel complaint (2023)
See also: Noteworthy professional misconduct in American politics (2023-2024)
On September 5, 2023, Montana’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed a professional complaint against Knudsen. The complaint alleges that Knudsen’s office violated professional rules "intended to preserve public confidence in the fairness and impartiality of our system of justice in the State of Montana" during the proceedings of McLaughlin v. Montana State Legislature, a lawsuit concerned with legislative subpoena power.[19][20]The complaint requests that an Adjudicatory Panel of the Commission on Practice hold a hearing and recommend to the Montana Supreme Court whether or not Knudsen should face further disciplinary action.
Knudsen's attorneys filed a response on November 29, 2023, arguing that Knudsen hasn't violated any professional rules and that the complaint should be dismissed.[21]
In a statement, Deputy Communications Director Emilee Cantrell said, "No one should be prosecuted for holding a different opinion than those in power. The Attorney General looks forward to filing his response with the commission."[22]
State legislative tenure
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Montana scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2018
In 2018, the Montana State Legislature did not hold a regular session.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Montana State Legislature was in session from January 2 through April 28.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Montana State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Montana State Legislature was in session from January 5 through April 28.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Montana State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Montana State Legislature was in session from January 7 to April 27.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the Montana State Legislature did not hold a regular session. |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations |
| • State Administration |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Knudsen served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications |
| • Rules |
| • State Administration |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Knudsen served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications |
| • Legislative Administration, Vice Chair |
| • Rules |
| • Taxation |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Knudsen served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications |
| • Fish, Wildlife, and Parks |
| • Taxation |
See also
| Montana | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
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Candidate Attorney General of Montana |
Officeholder Attorney General of Montana |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Austin Knudsen for Attorney General, "Meet Austin," accessed December 26, 2020
- ↑ Facebook, "Austin Knudsen for Montana," accessed December 26, 2020
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 Candidate Filing List: Legislative," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 Legislative General Election Canvass," accessed December 21, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 Candidate Filing List: Legislative," accessed March 24, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 primary election - June 7, 2016," accessed June 7, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 Candidate Filing List: Legislative," accessed March 24, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 primary election - June 7, 2016," accessed June 7, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2014 Candidate Filing List: Legislative," accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2014 Statewide Primary Election Canvass," accessed June 30, 2014
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2014 Statewide General Election Canvass," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2012 Legislative General Election Canvass," accessed February 13, 2014
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2012 Legislative Primary Election Canvass," accessed February 13, 2014
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Legislative Primary Canvass - June 08, 2010," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2010 Legislative General Election Canvass," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Montana Public Radio, “Austin Knudsen 2020 Election Questionnaire," accessed October 2, 2020
- ↑ Austin Knudsen for House District 36, "Issues," accessed October 16, 2012
- ↑ Special Counsel for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, "Complaint", accessed September 11, 2023
- ↑ NBC Montana, "Complaint against Austin Knudsen: Knowns, and unknowns," accessed September 11, 2023
- ↑ KTVH, "Knudsen files response to legal complaint," accessed November 29, 2023
- ↑ AP, "Montana’s attorney general faces professional misconduct complaint. Spokeswoman calls it meritless," accessed September 11, 2023
- ↑ Montana Contractors' Association, "Stronger Together: Political Representation," accessed November 5, 2015
- ↑ Montana Weed Control Association, "2013 Legislative Report & Scorecard," accessed September 17, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tim Fox (R) |
Attorney General of Montana 2021-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Montana House of Representatives District 34 2011-2019 |
Succeeded by Rhonda Knudsen (R) |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
