James Brown (Montana)
2025 - Present
2029
0
James Brown (Republican Party) is the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor. He assumed office on January 6, 2025. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Brown (Republican Party) ran for election for Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
James Brown graduated from Beaverhead County High School in 1989. Brown earned a degree in political science and history from the University of Montana at Missoula, a J.D. from Seattle University School of Law in 2004, and a master's degree in tax law from the University of Washington at Seattle in 2005. His career experience includes working as a policy aide, a legislative director, and owning and operating the James Brown Law Office.[1][2]
Elections
2024
See also: Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Auditor election, 2024
General election
General election for Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor
James Brown defeated John Repke in the general election for Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | James Brown (R) | 61.4 | 358,642 |
 | John Repke (D) | 38.6 | 225,251 | |
| Total votes: 583,893 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor
John Repke advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Repke | 100.0 | 92,480 |
| Total votes: 92,480 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jordan Ophus (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor
James Brown defeated John Jay Willoughby in the Republican primary for Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Brown | 69.5 | 114,604 |
 | John Jay Willoughby | 30.5 | 50,212 | |
| Total votes: 164,816 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Steve Gunderson (R)
- Keith Brownfield (R)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Brown in this election.
2022
See also: Montana Supreme Court elections, 2022
General election
General election for Montana Supreme Court
Incumbent Ingrid Gayle Gustafson defeated James Brown in the general election for Montana Supreme Court on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ingrid Gayle Gustafson (Nonpartisan) | 54.3 | 239,219 |
| James Brown (Nonpartisan) | 45.7 | 201,159 | |
| Total votes: 440,378 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Montana Supreme Court
Incumbent Ingrid Gayle Gustafson and James Brown defeated Mike McMahon in the primary for Montana Supreme Court on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ingrid Gayle Gustafson (Nonpartisan) | 48.1 | 126,423 |
| ✔ | | James Brown (Nonpartisan) | 36.4 | 95,607 |
 | Mike McMahon (Nonpartisan) | 15.5 | 40,872 | |
| Total votes: 262,902 | |||
| = 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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2020
See also: Montana Public Service Commission election, 2020
General election
General election for Montana Public Service Commission District 3
James Brown defeated Tom Woods in the general election for Montana Public Service Commission District 3 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Brown (R) | 54.3 | 75,464 |
 | Tom Woods (D) | 45.7 | 63,608 | |
| Total votes: 139,072 | |||
| = 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
- Rob Elwood (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 3
Tom Woods advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 3 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Woods | 100.0 | 33,066 |
| Total votes: 33,066 | |||
| = 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 Public Service Commission District 3
James Brown defeated Alan George in the Republican primary for Montana Public Service Commission District 3 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Brown | 64.8 | 24,076 |
| Alan George | 35.2 | 13,090 | ||
| Total votes: 37,166 | |||
| = 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
- Walter Derzay (R)
2012
Brown was a Republican primary candidate for District 3 of the Montana Public Service Commission in 2012. He faced Edward McCrone, Michael More and Roger Koopman in the June 5 Republican primary, which Koopman ultimately won. Incumbent John Vincent and Mark Sweeney ran in the Democratic primary. The general election took place on November 6, 2012.
| Montana Public Service Commissioner District 3 Republican Primary, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Roger Koopman |
39.6% | 9,431 | ||
| James Brown | 31.5% | 7,519 | ||
| Michael More | 18.9% | 4,504 | ||
| Edward McCrone | 10% | 2,383 | ||
| Total Votes | 23,837 | |||
| Election results via The Montana Secretary of State. | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
James Brown did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
James Brown did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
James Brown did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Republican National Convention
Delegate rules
Delegates from Montana to the 2016 Republican National Convention were elected at the state convention in May 2016 and allocated to the winner of the statewide primary. Montana's delegates were bound on the first ballot unless their candidate's name was not placed in nomination at the convention.
Montana primary results
- See also: Presidential election in Montana, 2016
| Montana Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
|
Donald Trump |
73.7% | 115,594 | 27 | |
| Ted Cruz | 9.4% | 14,682 | 0 | |
| John Kasich | 6.9% | 10,777 | 0 | |
| Jeb Bush | 2.1% | 3,274 | 0 | |
| Marco Rubio | 3.3% | 5,192 | 0 | |
| Other | 4.7% | 7,369 | 0 | |
| Totals | 156,888 | 27 | ||
| Source: The New York Times and Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Delegate allocation
Montana had 27 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, three were district-level delegates (representing the state's single congressional district), and 21 served as at-large delegates. Montana's district and at-large delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the plurality winner of the statewide primary vote received all of the state's district and at-large delegates.[4][5]
In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention. The RNC delegates were required to pledge their support to the winner of the state's primary.[4][5]
See also
| Montana | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
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Candidate Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Montana Public Service Commission, "Commissioners," accessed January 26, 2021
- ↑ Facebook, "James Brown for Montana Public Service Commission," accessed January 26, 2021
- ↑ CSPAN, "Campaign 2012-Election Results From the Associated Press," accessed June 6, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Troy Downing (R) |
Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Roger Koopman (R) |
Montana Public Service Commission District 3 2021-2025 |
Succeeded by Jeffrey Welborn (R) |
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State of Montana Helena (capital) |
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