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Mary Ann Dunwell
2023 - Present
2027
2
Mary Ann Dunwell (Democratic Party) is a member of the Montana State Senate, representing District 42. She assumed office on January 2, 2023. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027.
Dunwell (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the Montana State Senate to represent District 42. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.
Dunwell (Democratic Party) was a member of the Montana House of Representatives, representing District 84 from 2015 to 2022.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Dunwell was assigned to the following committees:
- Highways and Transportation Committee
- Senate Local Government Committee, Vice Chair
- Senate Taxation Committee
- Legislative Consumer Committee
2021-2022
Dunwell was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Dunwell was assigned to the following committees:
- Human Services Committee
- House Legislative Administration Committee, Vice Chair
- 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 |
|---|
| • Human Services |
| • Legislative Administration, Vice chair |
| • Local Government |
| • Taxation |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Dunwell served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Legislative Administration |
| • Natural Resources |
| • 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 42
Incumbent Mary Ann Dunwell and Nick Lancette are running in the general election for Montana State Senate District 42 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Mary Ann Dunwell (D) | |
| Nick Lancette (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 42
Mary Ann Dunwell defeated Matt Olson in the general election for Montana State Senate District 42 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Ann Dunwell (D) | 55.3 | 5,071 |
 | Matt Olson (R) | 44.7 | 4,103 | |
| Total votes: 9,174 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 42
Mary Ann Dunwell advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 42 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Ann Dunwell | 100.0 | 2,857 |
| Total votes: 2,857 | |||
| = 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 State Senate District 42
Matt Olson advanced from the Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 42 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Olson | 100.0 | 2,072 |
| Total votes: 2,072 | |||
| = 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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2020
See also: Montana House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Montana House of Representatives District 84
Incumbent Mary Ann Dunwell defeated Charlie Hull in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 84 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Ann Dunwell (D) | 53.6 | 3,256 |
| Charlie Hull (R) | 46.4 | 2,819 | ||
| Total votes: 6,075 | |||
| = 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 84
Incumbent Mary Ann Dunwell defeated Jon Jackson in the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 84 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Ann Dunwell | 90.2 | 1,695 |
| Jon Jackson | 9.8 | 184 | ||
| Total votes: 1,879 | |||
| = 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 84
Charlie Hull advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 84 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Charlie Hull | 100.0 | 1,588 | |
| Total votes: 1,588 | |||
| = 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
General election
General election for Montana House of Representatives District 84
Incumbent Mary Ann Dunwell won election in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 84 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Ann Dunwell (D) | 100.0 | 3,638 |
| Total votes: 3,638 | |||
| = 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 84
Incumbent Mary Ann Dunwell advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 84 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Ann Dunwell | 100.0 | 1,472 |
| Total votes: 1,472 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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 Mary Ann Dunwell defeated Steve Gibson and Paula Bonar in the Montana House of Representatives District 84 general election.[1][2]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 84 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Mary Ann Dunwell Incumbent |
49.40% | 2,462 | |
| Republican | Steve Gibson | 47.01% | 2,343 | |
| Libertarian | Paula Bonar | 3.59% | 179 | |
| Total Votes | 4,984 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Incumbent Mary Ann Dunwell ran unopposed in the Montana House of Representatives District 84 Democratic primary.[3][4]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 84 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Mary Ann Dunwell Incumbent (unopposed) | |
Steve Gibson defeated Kit Johnson in the Montana House of Representatives District 84 Republican primary.[5][6]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 84 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Steve Gibson |
57.89% | 693 | |
| Republican | Kit Johnson | 42.11% | 504 | |
| Total Votes | 1,197 | |||
| 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. Mary Ann Dunwell was unopposed in the Democratic primary. District 78 incumbent Steve Gibson was unopposed in the Republican primary. Gibson was defeated by Dunwell in the general election. Nicholas Taffs (L) withdrew before the general election. Incumbent Mike Miller (R) ran in District 80.[7][8][9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mary Ann Dunwell |
50.3% | 1,885 | |
| Republican | Steve Gibson Incumbent | 49.7% | 1,862 | |
| Total Votes | 3,747 | |||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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2022
Mary Ann Dunwell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dunwell's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
Legislative committees I’ve sat on include Health & Human Services, Taxation, Local Government, Natural Resources, Consumer Committee, and Legislative Administration. I’ve worked with other legislators to pass Medicaid expansion, mental health system improvement, increased prosecution of child sexual abuse, water compact, and infrastructure bills to fund roads, bridges, and our Heritage Center. I’ve defended our beloved Montana Constitution when it’s been tested by unconstitutional bills that violate our rights. I’ve demonstrated leadership with courage and will continue to stand up for all Montanans.
- I’m a pro-choice candidate with experienced service leadership for public benefit, not my personal gain. I’ve had the pleasure of helping many of you, your friends, and families, and believe to my core that when everyone does better, all Montanans benefit.
- I have a strong background in revenue policy and continue to promote and vote for a fairer tax system. We must stop giving unfair tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations at the expense of hard-working Montanans and small businesses.
- My job is to serve you, whether you vote for me or not. When people ask me if I’m a Democrat or Republican, I reply that I’m a fellow Montanan with integrity, courage, and compassion, and the Democratic candidate for SD 42. Thank you for voting. I humbly ask for your vote.
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.
2020
Mary Ann Dunwell did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Dunwell's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[10]
- Education
- Excerpt: "We should be proud of our outstanding educators and the unique opportunities we provide for all students to flourish. Our shared commitment to public education provides a platform of achievement upon which we can continue to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow."
- Jobs & Economy
- Excerpt: "Montana has long been a leader in economic policy. As other states struggled during the recent recession, our careful budgeting and resourceful nature left “grain in the bin.” We must continue this legacy of leadership by shaping policies that encourage economic growth and help create good jobs."
- Health care
- Excerpt: "Affordable, accessible health care is a right for all, not a privilege for some. We cannot pursue our dreams while staving off illness, injury, or insurmountable health bills."
- Environment
- Excerpt: "Montana is a wonderful place to live, work, and play, and at the cornerstone of this enjoyment is our environment. The Montana Constitution even protects it, by guaranteeing all of us the right to a “clean and healthful environment.”
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.
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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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Montana State Legislature was not in session. |
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Montana State Legislature was in session from January 4 to April 29.
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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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See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Dunwell for HD84, "On the issues," accessed September 26, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jill Cohenour (D) |
Montana State Senate District 42 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Montana House of Representatives District 84 2015-2023 |
Succeeded by Jill Cohenour (D) |
