Mike Cooney

Mike Cooney

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Montana House of Representatives

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Montana Secretary of State

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Montana State Senate District 26

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Montana State Senate District 40

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Lieutenant Governor of Montana

Successor: Kristen Juras

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

High school

Butte High School, 1972

Bachelor's

University of Montana, 1979

Personal

Profession

Deputy director, Montana Department of Labor and Industry

Contact

Campaign Facebook

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Mike Cooney (Democratic Party) was the Lieutenant Governor of Montana. He assumed office on January 4, 2016. He left office on January 4, 2021.

Cooney (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of Montana. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Governor Steve Bullock (D) first appointed Cooney as lieutenant governor on December 30, 2015. Cooney was sworn in by Montana Supreme Court Justice Mike McGrath on January 4, 2016.

Cooney ran for re-election in 2016 as Governor Bullock's running mate. They won the Democratic nomination on June 7. He won the general election on November 8, 2016.

Biography

Cooney was an officer for Cooney Food Brokerage from 1972 to 1979. From 1980 to 1988, he was on the staff of United States Senator Max Baucus (D). He was executive director for Montana Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, from 2001 to 2006. He became division administrator for the Montana Department of Labor in 2006 and was the deputy director for the Montana Department of Labor and Industry at the time of his appointment as lieutenant governor.

Education

Cooney earned his B.S. from the University of Montana in 1979.

Political career

Lieutenant Governor of Montana (2016-2021)

Governor Steve Bullock (D) appointed Cooney as lieutenant governor on December 30, 2015, and he was sworn in by Montana Supreme Court Justice Mike McGrath on January 4, 2016. Bullock and Cooney won re-election on November 8, 2016.

Montana State Senate (2003-2011)

Cooney joined the Montana State Senate in 2003. He served from 2003 to 2011, representing first the 26th District and later the 40th District. He was elected as the president of the Senate in 2007. State term limits disqualified him from re-election in 2010.

Montana Secretary of State (1989-2001)

Cooney served as secretary of state for Montana from 1989 to 2001. He ran for governor of Montana in 2000 but was defeated.

Montana House of Representatives (1976-1980)

Cooney served in the Montana State House of Representatives from 1976 to 1980.

Elections

2020

See also: Montana gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020

Montana gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)

Montana gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Governor of Montana

Greg Gianforte defeated Mike Cooney, Lyman Bishop, and Chris Hall in the general election for Governor of Montana on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Greg Gianforte (R)	54.4	328,548
		Mike Cooney (D)	41.6	250,860
		Lyman Bishop (L)	4.0	24,179
		Chris Hall (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	21

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 603,608
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Robert Barb (G)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Montana

Mike Cooney defeated Whitney Williams in the Democratic primary for Governor of Montana on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Cooney	54.9	81,527
		Whitney Williams	45.1	67,066

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 148,593
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Casey Schreiner (D)
• Reilly Neill (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Montana

Greg Gianforte defeated Tim Fox and Albert Olszewski in the Republican primary for Governor of Montana on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Greg Gianforte	53.4	119,247
		Tim Fox	27.3	60,823
		Albert Olszewski	19.3	43,080

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 223,150
= 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

• Gary Perry (R)
• Corey Stapleton (R)
• Peter Ziehli (R)

Green primary election

Green primary for Governor of Montana

Robert Barb advanced from the Green primary for Governor of Montana on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Robert Barb	100.0	713

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Lyman Bishop advanced from the Libertarian primary for Governor of Montana.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ron Vandevender (L)

2016

See also: Montana gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2016

Cooney ran for re-election with Governor Steve Bullock (D) on a joint ticket for governor and lieutenant governor of Montana in the 2016 election. The two won the Democratic primary election on June 7, and competed with challengers Greg Gianforte (R) and Lesley Robinson (R), who ran together on the Republican ticket, Ted Dunlap (Lib.) and Ron Vandevender (Lib.) on the Libertarian ticket, and independents Christopher Zarcone and Casey Filler.

Incumbent Steve Bullock & Mike Cooney defeated Greg Gianforte & Lesley Robinson, Ted Dunlap & Ron Vandevender, Casey Filler, and Christopher Zarcone in the Montana governor election.

Montana Governor, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Steve Bullock & Mike Cooney Incumbent	50.25%	255,933
	Republican	Greg Gianforte & Lesley Robinson	46.36%	236,115
	Libertarian	Ted Dunlap & Ron Vandevender	3.40%	17,312
	Independent	Casey Filler	0.00%	0
	Independent	Christopher Zarcone	0.00%	0
Total Votes				509,360
Source: Montana Secretary of State

Democratic primary for Montana governor and lieutenant governor, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steve Bullock and Mike Cooney (incumbents)	91.2%	111,675
Bill McChesney and Mike Anderson	8.8%	10,744
Total Votes		122,419
Election results via Montana Secretary of State 686 of 686 precincts reporting.

2006

On November 7, 2006, Cooney won re-election to the 40th District Seat in the Montana State Senate, defeating Bob Leach (R).

Montana State Senate, District 40 (2006)
Candidates		Votes
Mike Cooney (D)		5,871
Bob Leach (R)		2,739

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mike Cooney did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Cooney’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Strong Leadership Leading the state out of the COVID-19 crisis Even before COVID-19 had come to Montana, Mike was working with Governor Bullock to prepare for the impending pandemic. As a result of their foresight and preparedness, Montana is far better off than many other states in the country. This is the kind of experience that distinguished Mike: he’s dealt with this crisis hands-on and knows what it will take to help Montana come back stronger and more resilient. As Governor, Mike will continue to work with Republicans and Democrats to ensure Montana’s economy doesn’t just come back, it emerges stronger and more resilient than ever before – all the while listening to science and public health experts to make sure Montanans remain healthy and informed. As we continue to steer Montana through this once-in-a-lifetime crisis, we need to keep our eye on the ball. Just because COVID-19 hit doesn’t mean other challenges have gone away. Good-Paying Jobs Jumpstarting our economy to Keep Montanans Working During his time as Lt. Governor, Mike worked with Governor Steve Bullock to build a foundation for a strong economy. Before COVID-19 hit our state, the Montana economy was strong and growing stronger. As COVID-19 reached Montana, Mike continued to bring together businesses, workers, medical experts, and people from both parties to develop a plan to safely restart our economy and get people back to work faster than neighboring states. As Governor, Mike will make sure Montana businesses have the tools and resources they need to bounce back stronger and more resilient than ever and create more good-paying jobs. The Keep Montana Working Plan will: Establish the Hire Montanans First Act Establish the Buy Made in Montana Act Issue an Executive Order on outsourcing Establish the Office of Rural Prosperity Expand apprenticeship tax credit Expand broadband access, especially in rural Montana Propose legislation to create renewable energy Worker Training Grants Establish the Office of Economic and Workforce Development Empower Montana women in the workforce by continuing the fight for equal pay, offer paid family leave, increasing childcare incentives and investing in public pre-K Affordable Healthcare Working across the aisle to Keep Montanans Healthy As we continue to navigate through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, access to quality, affordable health care is one of the most important issues facing Montana families. Mike has fought to increase access to quality and affordable healthcare his entire career: from securing coverage for Montana kids as Executive Director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies to working across the political spectrum to pass Medicaid expansion in Montana, providing healthcare to thousands of Montanas. As Governor, Mike will continue his efforts to work across the aisle to lower the overall price of healthcare. The Keep Montana Healthy Plan will: Protect the health and safety of Montanans through the COVID-19 pandemic Preserve and protect Montana’s Medicaid expansion Protect Montanans with pre-existing conditions Bring down the cost of prescription drugs Cap the price of insulin copays End price gouging by Big Pharma companies Increase access to behavioral and rural health care Increase direct-care worker wages Address Native American health disparities Public Lands Protecting the Last Best Place Montanans enjoy some of the best access laws and programs in the United States and Mike knows first-hard how much Montana’s outdoor recreation contributes to the state’s economy. As Montanans, access to our public lands is crucial to our way of life. Mike has dedicated his career to protecting and expanding access to Montana’s public lands. As Governor, Mike will work to ensure that the current work underway to increase access remains, and is strengthened. The Protect the Last Best Place Plan will: Expand public access and veto any legislation that limits access Strengthen Habitat Montana Establish the Public Access Lands Act Strengthen and support Block Management Unlock public lands and increase landowner participation Expand and maintain Fishing Access Sites and give full funding to Land and Water Conservation Fund Protect Stream Access Laws Establish the Office of Outdoor Recreation Public Education Investing in public education and the next generation of Montanans Mike is the proud product of Butte public schools and sent his three kids to Montana public schools. Casey Schreiner is a former public school teacher. They don’t need a lesson on the importance of public education and the responsibility of leaders to invest in our future. Mike and Casey are committed to finding innovative ways to support educators and increase funding. Mike has a proven record of fighting for Montana’s students when he fought alongside Governor Bullock for access to quality preschool, college tuition freezes, the 6-mill levy, and other initiatives that directly impact students and families all across Montana. Mike also knows there’s more to be done to bring down the costs of Montana’s higher education system and to expand access to learning opportunities. Now more than ever, Montana must protect and invest in our public education system. The Brighter Montana Future Plan will: Protect the health & safety of students by investing in remote learning resources, offering a lunch debt waiver, and increasing funding for Special Education Reduce college debt and build the state’s workforce Invest in Montana’s future leaders through the establishment of a public pre-K, a college tuition freeze, and a Student Borrower Bill of Rights Support good-paying jobs Indian Country Respecting tribal sovereignty while strengthening government-to-government relations Mike has spent years working directly with tribal leaders on Montana’s reservations on issues from education, to COVID-19, to healthcare, to addressing the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. Since serving in the state legislature and as Secretary of State, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor & Industry, and now Lt. Governor, Mike has a proven track record of working with Montana tribes to increase economic opportunity. It is imperative that we respect tribal sovereignty while strengthening our government-to-government relationships with Montana’s tribal nations. As Governor, Mike will work directly with tribal leaders to increase access to healthcare, to grow business and job opportunities, to expand investment in tribal colleges, improve voting access, and to preserve the rich history and traditions of Native Americans. With Mike as Governor, the sovereign tribal nations of Montana will have a seat at the table. Equality for All Montanans Standing up to discrimination and fighting for equality Mike has always been a vocal supporter of equal protection under the law for all Montanans. Throughout his tenure in public office, he’s opposed any anti-LGBTQ legislation that would discriminate against or deny protection based on sexual identity, gender identity or gender expression. Even though some local jurisdictions across the state now have non-discrimination ordinances in place, the State of Montana still does not. As Governor, Mike will work with the legislature and the courts to ensure that Montanans of all identities, orientations and backgrounds are protected under the full extent of the law. Affordable Housing Working with local governments to mitigate the rising costs of housing Housing affordability is an issue that crosses county and political lines. Addressing this issue will require local and state governments to work together. It is essential that we protect Montana families, students, farmers, ranchers – Republicans and Democrats – from being priced out of their homes by wealthy out-of-staters moving into multi-million dollar homes. Mike has spent years working with local governments to solve local issues and his approach would be no different with the issue of affordable housing. Tools include Housing Trust Funds, State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and Tax Increment Financing Districts are some of the ways we can make sure communities have the resources they need to address local housing issues, and that we’re protecting our Montana values and way of life. Climate Change Mitigating the effects of a changing global climate Montanans know our climate is changing because we see it in front of our own eyes. Glaciers are melting, crop seasons are getting shorter and more unpredictable, fire seasons are getting longer and more expensive. Across the state folks including farmers, ranchers, outdoorsmen and women, and students agree we must take action to protect Montana for future generations — for our kids and our grandkids — without leaving workers behind. It is essential that we rely on the science behind climate change while making informed decisions that reflect Montana values. In July of 2019, the Bullock administration joined governors across the country in signing an executive order to join the U.S. Climate Alliance in response to President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Mike proudly stood by the Governor’s side when this was signed and will continue to focus on progressive legislation at the state level addressing climate change as Governor. Montana has always been an energy leader, and we can continue to be a leader in transitioning to a clean energy economy, supporting good new jobs for Montanans who have helped power the country for decades. As Governor, Mike will be committed to providing renewable energy incentives to encourage the transition to cleaner energy sources. He supports the continuation of the Climate Change Solutions Councils and would invest resources into achieving statewide Greenhouse Gas Neutrality. Agriculture Supporting Montana’s number one industry Agriculture remains Montana’s number one industry, but Montana’s ag industry is hurting right now. It’s critical that we continue to fight for Montana farmers, ranchers and the agriculture industry in Montana. Mike understands production agriculture and the unique challenges family farmers face, particularly given the Trump Administration’s disastrous trade policies, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasing impacts of a changing climate. As Governor, he’ll work tirelessly to ensure a bright future for our state’s number one economy. The Growing Montana Plan will: Support good-paying manufacturing jobs Reinstate Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef and pork products Support local meat processing and expand the Made in Montana/Grown in Montana labels to meat products Support hemp as a crop Support “Right to Repair” legislation for ranchers and farmers Veterans Caring for those who fought for us Montana’s veterans are an integral part of Montana’s communities and we honor their service and it is our duty to fulfill the promises that we have made to them. As Governor, Mike will be committed to making sure to stand up for Montana’s military families, and make sure they get the care and respect they deserve. The Supporting America’s Heroes Plan will: Increase investment into suicide prevention Convene a Veteran Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Council Expand access to rural broadband and telemedicine Preserve and protect Medicaid Expansion Strengthen authorization and acceptance of VA education benefits for curriculum and programs Provide for equal and fair treatment of National Guard members Increase the apprenticeship tax credit for veterans and military technical training and certification Streamline Occupational Licensing reciprocity for military family members Support elementary and secondary school transition to include children of the National Guard and Reserve Support military families members entering the workforce Support veteran outreach to ensure services are being delivered Establish a program for donors to give hunting licenses to disabled veterans	”
—Mike Cooney’s campaign website (2020)

Campaign finance summary

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Committee assignments

• Finance and Claims Committee, Montana Senate
• Rules Committee, Montana Senate
• State Administration Committee, Montana Senate

Noteworthy events

Violation of state ethics laws

On July 8, 2020, the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices fined Cooney the maximum amount of $1,000 for violating state ethics laws by participating in a campaign call from his office. The conference call with the Democratic Governors Association, which Cooney said he took from his office in the state Capitol due to a busy schedule, was reported to the commissioner by the Montana Republican Party. Montana state law prohibits elected officials from using taxpayer-funded resources, such as public office spaces, to conduct campaign-related activities. In issuing the fine, commissioner Jeff Mangan wrote, "Objectively and clearly, Mr. Cooney's participation in the DGA conference call was in his capacity as a candidate for governor and his participation is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than support for his nomination and election."

A representative from Cooney's campaign said in response to the incident, "The lieutenant governor was in the office helping manage the state through the onset of the COVID pandemic. He holds himself to the highest ethical standards — and this is a small price to pay for leadership, for being on the job working with Gov. (Steve) Bullock in an unprecedented crisis."

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Cooney and his wife DeeAnn, formerly a judge for the Montana 1st Judicial District Court in Helena, Mont., have had three children.

See also

• Lieutenant Governor of Montana
• Lieutenant Governor

2020 Elections

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External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Mike Cooney's profile on Montana State Senate website
• Project Vote Smart biography
• Project Vote Smart legislative profile

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Angela McLean (D)	Lieutenant Governor of Montana 2016-2021	Succeeded by Kristen Juras (R)
Preceded by '	Montana Senate District 40 2007–2011	Succeeded by Mary Caferro (D)
Preceded by '	Montana Senate District 26 2003–2007	Succeeded by '