Emily Dean (Montana)
Emily Dean is a member of the Helena City Commission in Montana. She assumed office in 2020. Her current term ends on January 3, 2028.
Dean is running for election for Mayor of Helena in Montana. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. She advanced from the primary on September 9, 2025.
Dean completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Dean was the director of engagement for the Montana School Boards Association as of August 2025.[1]
2025 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the November 4, 2025, nonpartisan general election as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Emily Dean and Andy Shirtliff are running in the nonpartisan general election for mayor of Helena, Montana, on November 4, 2025.
Shirtliff and Dean advanced from the nonpartisan primary on September 9, 2025. Shirtliff received 48.33% of the vote and Dean received 36.53%.[2]
This election was the first since 2001 in Helena to require a mayoral primary.[3] According to KTVH, state law "requires local governments to hold primaries if at least five candidates are running for any single position."[3]
Incumbent Wilmot Collins did not run for re-election. Although the position of mayor is officially nonpartisan, Collins is a Democrat.[3][4]
Dean is the director of engagement for the Montana School Boards Association. She was elected to the Helena City Commission in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. She serves as mayor pro tem. Dean says, "As Mayor, my focus will be on modernizing our infrastructure, supporting responsible policies to increase affordable housing, and ensuring quality city services that meet the needs of all residents."[5] Collins and Helena City Commissioner Sean Logan endorsed Dean.[1]
Shirtliff is the executive director of the Montana Building Industry Association. He was appointed to the Helena City Commission in 2022. According to the Independent Record, Shirtliff says as commissioner he "led collaborative efforts with downtown business owners, tenants and workers to find parking solutions; joined businesses and event planners in working toward a streamlined city permitting process; and worked with city officials to keep events on the Walking Mall."[6] According to KTVH, as mayor "he will focus on improving city services and communication, champion housing solutions and encourage entrepreneurship."[7]
The AARP, the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce, and the League of Women Voters of the Helena Area hosted a candidate forum on September 30, 2025. Voters asked the candidates questions about government transparency, enforcement of city project timelines, and housing and homelessness. On housing, Dean said, "Helena has seen a surge in its 65-years-and-older population. That means the Queen City needs to focus on 'aging in place.' Due to housing costs, elders can sell a three-bedroom house but still struggle to afford a downsize. Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, could help elders downsize and open housing opportunities in Helena."[8] Shirtliff said, "Construction prices have shot up since 2018, so the city needs to reduce housing costs by expanding city infrastructure. Private contractors spend massive sums on sidewalks and water. Building up instead of out could be easier on utility and road costs."[8]
Helena has a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council, which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body, appoints a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the city council's policy and legislative initiatives.[9]
Elections
2025
See also: Mayoral election in Helena, Montana (2025)
General election
General election for Mayor of Helena
Emily Dean and Andy Shirtliff are running in the general election for Mayor of Helena on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Emily Dean (Nonpartisan)  | |
 | Andy Shirtliff (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Helena
Andy Shirtliff and Emily Dean defeated Sonda Gaub, Chris Riccardo, and Braxton Hudson in the primary for Mayor of Helena on September 9, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Shirtliff (Nonpartisan) | 48.3 | 5,468 |
| ✔ | | Emily Dean (Nonpartisan) | 36.5 | 4,133 |
 | Sonda Gaub (Nonpartisan) | 8.6 | 969 | |
 | Chris Riccardo (Nonpartisan) | 3.1 | 347 | |
 | Braxton Hudson (Nonpartisan) | 2.9 | 328 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 68 | ||
| Total votes: 11,313 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Election campaign finance
Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices. Click here to access those reports.
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[10][11]
If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.[12]
Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2023
See also: City elections in Helena, Montana (2023)
General election
The general election was canceled. Emily Dean (Nonpartisan) and Sean Logan (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Dean in this election.
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Emily Dean completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dean's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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She learned the value of public service at an early age through involvement in volunteerism and community building activities. Through the influence and example of her mother, grandparents and family, Emily learned the value of hard work and dedication to community.
Emily is a product of Carroll College where she served as Student Body President and spearheaded a number of student-centered campaigns that continue to impact students' well-being today. Upon graduation, Emily moved to Dallas where she taught high school U.S. Government and Economics. Through her experiences and those of her students, Emily's deep belief in the power of education to improve opportunities and building an inclusive community was affirmed. After receiving a Masters Degree from Southern Methodist University, Emily returned to Helena determined to bring opportunity to our community.
Emily serves as serves as Vice President of the Montana League of Cities and Towns, a committee member of the National League of Cities, and Chair of the Greater Helena Metropolitan Planning Organization.- Emily Dean will keep community vitality is at the center of all decisions. She will support responsible policies to increase affordable housing, expand collaboration with community partners, and make it easier for local organizations and businesses to interact with the City.
- Emily Dean will ensure effective city services that meet the needs of all residents. She is committed to investing in emergency services to ensure the well-being and safety of our growing community. Dean will prioritize open lands conservation and expanding recreational opportunities recreational opportunities and continue to modernize the City’s digital infrastructure, transparency, and security.
- Emily Dean will prioritize modernizing city infrastructure. This includes improving and expanding safe street infrastructure. Dean will prioritize and expand sustainability program and explore innovative and efficient initiatives to further secure and maintain City water.
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.
2023
Emily Dean did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KTVH, "Helena mayoral candidate: Emily Dean," August 18, 2025
- ↑ KTVH, "UPDATE: Helena School Bonds and City Municipal Primary Results (Unofficial)," September 9, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 KTVH, "Helena holds first city primary election in more than two decades," August 15, 2025
- ↑ The Intercept, "Liberian Refugee Wilmot Collins, Mayor of Helena, Launches Bid for Montana Senate Seat," May 13 2019
- ↑ Independent Record, "Commissioner Emily Dean to run for Helena mayor, Mayor Collins endorses her," April 9, 2025
- ↑ Independent Record, "Commissioner Shirtliff announces candidacy for Helena mayor," June 6, 2025
- ↑ KTVH, "Helena Commissioner Andy Shirtliff announces run for Helena Mayor," June 6, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Independent Record, "Helena mayor and commission candidates talk issues at forum," September 30, 2025
- ↑ City of Helena, "City Charter," accessed December 8, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ Amee LaTour, Email correspondence with the Center for Responsive Politics, August 5, 2022
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