Tom Burnett
Tom Burnett (Republican Party) was a member of the Montana House of Representatives, representing District 67. Burnett assumed office on January 5, 2015. Burnett left office on January 3, 2021.
Burnett (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Montana House of Representatives to represent District 67. Burnett won in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Previously, Burnett represented District 63 in the Montana state House from 2011 to 2013.
Biography
Burnett earned his B.A. in Agriculture from the Montana State University. His professional experience includes working as the owner and operator of Marathon Seat Covers.
Committee assignments
2019-2020
Burnett was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Education |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Burnett served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Appropriations |
| • Health and Human Services |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Burnett served on these committees:
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
2020
Tom Burnett was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.
2018
General election
General election for Montana House of Representatives District 67
Incumbent Tom Burnett defeated Kristine Menicucci in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 67 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tom Burnett (R) | 54.5 | 2,682 |
| Kristine Menicucci (D) | 45.5 | 2,240 | ||
| Total votes: 4,922 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 67
Kristine Menicucci advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 67 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kristine Menicucci | 100.0 | 760 | |
| Total votes: 760 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 67
Incumbent Tom Burnett advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 67 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Burnett | 100.0 | 1,098 |
| Total votes: 1,098 | |||
| = 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 Tom Burnett defeated John Jurmu in the Montana House of Representatives District 67 general election.[1][2]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 67 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Tom Burnett Incumbent |
68.81% | 3,290 | |
| Democratic | John Jurmu | 31.19% | 1,491 | |
| Total Votes | 4,781 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
John Jurmu ran unopposed in the Montana House of Representatives District 67 Democratic primary.[3][4]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 67 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | John Jurmu (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Tom Burnett defeated Mike Houghton in the Montana House of Representatives District 67 Republican primary.[5][6]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 67 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Tom Burnett Incumbent |
74.41% | 980 | |
| Republican | Mike Houghton | 25.59% | 337 | |
| Total Votes | 1,317 | |||
| 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. Jeannie Brown was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Tom Burnett was unopposed in the Republican primary. Burnett defeated Brown in the general election. Incumbent Gordon Vance (R) ran for District 34 of the Montana State Senate.[7][8][9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Burnett |
67.7% | 2,151 | |
| Democratic | Jeannie Brown | 32.3% | 1,027 | |
| Total Votes | 3,178 | |||
2012
Burnett ran for re-election in the 2012 election for Montana House of Representatives, District 63. Burnett ran unopposed in the June 5 primary election and was defeated by incumbent Franke Wilmer (D) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Franke Wilmer Incumbent |
51% | 3,567 | |
| Republican | Tom Burnett Incumbent | 49% | 3,425 | |
| Total Votes | 6,992 | |||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Burnett won election to the Montana House of Representatives. Burnett did not have any opposition in the June 8 primary. He faced incumbent Jennifer Pomnichowski (D) in the November 2 general election.
| Montana House of Representatives, District 63 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Tom Burnett (R)
|
2,735 | |||
| Jennifer Pomnichowski (D) | 2,664 | |||
Campaign themes
2012
From Burnett's campaign website:[12]
"I am excited to serve in the legislature for two reasons. First, to get our fiscal house in order. Government finances are frankly a mess. Second, to create the conditions for a new prosperity. That means getting the incentives right for job creation and business formation, for solid economic growth."
Presidential preference
2012
Tom Burnett endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.[13]
State employee pay increase
Although the legislature had imposed a freeze on pay increases for state employees by rejecting the contracts negotiated between Governor Brian Schweitzer and the unions in 2011, some departments gave their employees raises by using surplus cash from savings under the "broadband plan" option. As reported in Montana Policy Institute's Pig Book, Burnett conducted his own investigation and discovered that a number of workers had received pay hikes due to promotions, longitudinal pay, and pay raises from the broadband plan.[14][15]
Transparency
As reported in the Montana Policy Institute's Montana Pig Tales (2012), the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) gave Montana an "F" for online transparency, noting that the state lacked an "online checkbook" for citizens to use to track state spending. The Department of Administration (DOA) worked with Burnett to draft House Bill 444, a bill to increase transparency which was passed by the legislature in 2011. However, the bill did not provide any funding, so Schweitzer vetoed it, saying the $400,000 cost would not be a good use of taxpayer money.[16]
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.
2020
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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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Burnett and his wife, Melani, have four children.
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Campaign Facebook page
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2010
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
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Tom Burnett For Montana Legislature House District 63, home page, accessed October 17, 2012
- ↑ Mitt Romney for President, "Mitt Romney Announces Montana Leadership Team," March 6, 2012
- ↑ Montana Policy Institute, Pig Book, 2012, 28
- ↑ Charles S. Johnson, Billings Gazette, "Despite pay freeze, some state workers seeing raises," January 28, 2012
- ↑ Montana Policy Institute, Montana Pig Book, p. 11
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gordon Vance (R) |
Montana House of Representatives District 67 2015-2021 |
Succeeded by Jedediah Hinkle (R) |
| Preceded by Jennifer Pomnichowski (D) |
Montana House of Representatives District 63 2011–2013 |
Succeeded by Franke Wilmer (D) |
