Daniel Zolnikov
2023 - Present
2027
2
Daniel Zolnikov (Republican Party) is a member of the Montana State Senate, representing District 22. He assumed office on January 2, 2023. His current term ends on January 4, 2027.
Zolnikov (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the Montana State Senate to represent District 22. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.
Biography
Daniel Zolnikov earned a B.S. in business administration, information systems, marketing, and management from the University of Montana, Missoula, in 2010 and an M.B.A. from the University of Montana in 2019. His career experience includes working as a management consultant at Zolnikov Consulting, a sales and marketing manager in a Billings, Montana, small business startup, and as an implementation consultant at Fast Enterprises.[1]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes yearly updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org
2023-2024
Zolnikov was assigned to the following committees:
- Committee on Committees
- Energy and Telecommunications Committee
- Senate Legislative Administration Committee
- Senate Local Government Committee
- Senate Taxation Committee, Vice Chair
2019-2020
Zolnikov was assigned to the following committees:
- Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations Committee, Chair
- House Local Government Committee
- House Taxation Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Business and Labor |
| • Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations, Chair |
| • Legislative Administration |
| • Local Government |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Zolnikov served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications, Vice Chair |
| • Legislative Administration |
| • Local Government |
| • Taxation |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Zolnikov served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Federal Relations, Energy, and Telecommunications |
| • Local Government |
| • Taxation |
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.
Elections
2026
See also: Montana State Senate elections, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Montana State Senate District 22
Incumbent Daniel Zolnikov is running in the general election for Montana State Senate District 22 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Daniel Zolnikov (R) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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2022
See also: Montana State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Montana State Senate District 22
Daniel Zolnikov defeated Terry Dennis in the general election for Montana State Senate District 22 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel Zolnikov (R) | 65.7 | 4,853 |
| Terry Dennis (D) | 34.3 | 2,529 | ||
| Total votes: 7,382 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 22
Terry Dennis advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 22 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Terry Dennis | 100.0 | 1,376 | |
| Total votes: 1,376 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 22
Daniel Zolnikov advanced from the Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 22 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel Zolnikov | 100.0 | 3,279 |
| Total votes: 3,279 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2020
State executive election
See also: Montana Public Service Commission election, 2020
General election
General election for Montana Public Service Commission District 2
Incumbent Tony O'Donnell defeated Valerie McMurtry in the general election for Montana Public Service Commission District 2 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tony O'Donnell (R) | 63.3 | 68,040 |
| Valerie McMurtry (D) | 36.7 | 39,482 | ||
| Total votes: 107,522 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 2
Valerie McMurtry advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 2 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Valerie McMurtry | 100.0 | 20,630 | |
| Total votes: 20,630 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 2
Incumbent Tony O'Donnell defeated Kirk Bushman and Daniel Zolnikov in the Republican primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 2 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tony O'Donnell | 36.2 | 14,281 |
 | Kirk Bushman | 33.0 | 13,036 | |
| Daniel Zolnikov | 30.8 | 12,130 | |
| Total votes: 39,447 | |||
| = 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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State house election
Zolnikov was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.
2018
General election
General election for Montana House of Representatives District 45
Incumbent Daniel Zolnikov defeated Danny Choriki in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 45 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel Zolnikov (R) | 66.8 | 3,150 |
| Danny Choriki (D) | 33.2 | 1,563 | ||
| Total votes: 4,713 | |||
| = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 45
Danny Choriki advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 45 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Danny Choriki | 100.0 | 753 | |
| Total votes: 753 | |||
| = 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 Montana House of Representatives District 45
Incumbent Daniel Zolnikov advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 45 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel Zolnikov | 100.0 | 1,614 |
| Total votes: 1,614 | |||
| = 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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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 Daniel Zolnikov defeated Ken Crouch in the Montana House of Representatives District 45 general election.[2][3]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 45 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Daniel Zolnikov Incumbent |
69.46% | 3,305 | |
| Democratic | Ken Crouch | 30.54% | 1,453 | |
| Total Votes | 4,758 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Ken Crouch ran unopposed in the Montana House of Representatives District 45 Democratic primary.[4][5]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 45 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Ken Crouch (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Daniel Zolnikov defeated John Bedford in the Montana House of Representatives District 45 Republican primary.[6][7]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 45 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Daniel Zolnikov Incumbent |
63.09% | 1,212 | |
| Republican | John Bedford | 36.91% | 709 | |
| Total Votes | 1,921 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
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. Stephen Hoklin was unopposed in the Democratic primary. District 47 incumbent Daniel Zolnikov was unopposed in the Republican primary. Zolnikov defeated Hoklin in the general election. Incumbent Tom Berry (R) ran in District 40.[8][9][10]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Daniel Zolnikov Incumbent |
72% | 2,494 | |
| Democratic | Stephen Hoklin | 28% | 971 | |
| Total Votes | 3,465 | |||
2012
Zolnikov won election in the 2012 election for Montana House of Representatives, District 47. Zolnikov ran unopposed in the June 5 primary election and defeated Dale E. Rumph (D) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[11][12]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Daniel Zolnikov |
57.3% | 2,930 | |
| Democratic | Dale Rumph | 42.7% | 2,182 | |
| Total Votes | 5,112 | |||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2022
Daniel Zolnikov did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Daniel Zolnikov did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Daniel Zolnikov completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Zolnikov's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Energy Policy Technology and Data Policy Economic Development
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I have worked tirelessly on energy policy and civil liberties. Montana has large energy development opportunities on the horizon and I don't want the state to miss out on these large investments.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Collaboration
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
The ability to understand the perspectives of my colleagues and constituents.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
My core responsibility is passing well thought out, long term policy that can guide Montana for years to come.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I would rather have left and impact and had no legacy than had a legacy without an impact. Politicians are forgotten over time although our policies can impact the state for decades to come.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
9/11 occurred when I was 14.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
As a teenager, I was a lifeguard and worked on a farm for multiple summers.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
I enjoy Halloween and Christmas.
What is your favorite book? Why?
I thoroughly enjoyed the book the Road Less Traveled.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Batman, of course.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
The kitchen. I enjoy cooking.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
School has never come easy.
Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?
I appreciate the different mindsets of the two bodies. One is a bit more wise and patient, the other a bit more excited and full of ideas. The balance is brilliant.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
I do not. It takes all types, and experience has to be derived from a beginning at some point.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
We need to look at a big picture for economic development. We think in stages of two years and should by thinking in terms of ten.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?
Our governor is rarely involved. It would be nice to have more communication so we can identify and tackle the common ground.
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
Definitely. At some point, you will need to rely on their insight or their support.
If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?
Energy is a much less political committee than other committees. We get to focus on policies.
Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
No.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2012
From Zolnikov's website:[13]
Daniel Believes In…
Fighting the wasted and inefficient use of our tax dollars.
Working to make Montana job friendly.
Allowing for the safe extraction of our natural resources.
Limiting the growth of state government.
Preventing tax increases.
Ensuring our constitutional rights to bear arms.
Standing up for the rights of Montanans.
Increasing access to our public lands for outdoor enthusiasts.
Supporting a parent’s right to be involved with their child’s education.
Campaign finance summary
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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.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Montana State Legislature was not in session. |
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Montana State Legislature was in session from January 2 to May 2.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Montana State Legislature was not in session. |
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Montana State Legislature was in session from January 7 through April 25.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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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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Endorsements
2016 presidential endorsement
✓ Zolnikov endorsed Gary Johnson for the 2016 presidential general election.[16]
- See also: Endorsements for Gary Johnson
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Montana State Senate District 22 |
Officeholder Montana State Senate District 22 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Daniel Zolnikov," accessed March 28, 2023
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Daniel Zolnikov for House District 47, "Other Issues," accessed October 16, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ Montana Contractors' Association, "Stronger Together: Political Representation," accessed November 5, 2015
- ↑ Montana Weed Control Association, "2013 Legislative Report & Scorecard," accessed September 17, 2014
- ↑ Reason.com, "Gary Johnson Endorsed by Two More GOP State Reps," accessed July 25, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Doug Kary (R) |
Montana State Senate District 22 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Montana House of Representatives District 45 2015-2021 |
Succeeded by Katie Zolnikov (R) |
| Preceded by James Knox (R) |
Montana House of Representatives District 47 2013-2015 |
Succeeded by - |
