Wendy McKamey
2023 - Present
2027
2
Wendy McKamey (Republican Party) is a member of the Montana State Senate, representing District 12. She assumed office on January 2, 2023. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027.
McKamey (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the Montana State Senate to represent District 12. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.
Wendy McKamey (Republican Party) was a member of the Montana House of Representatives, representing District 19 from 2017 to 2022.
Biography
Wendy McKamey earned her B.S. in housing and home management from Brigham Young University in 1969 McKamey's career experience includes working as a community relationship manager for the American Cancer Society and as an account executive for Statewide Publishing and KFBB. She also worked on her family's ranch.[1][2]
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
McKamey was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee
- Senate State Administration Committee, Vice Chair
- Senate Taxation Committee
2021-2022
McKamey was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
McKamey 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 |
|---|
| • Agriculture |
| • Ethics, Vice chair |
| • State Administration, Vice chair |
| • Transportation |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, McKamey served on the following committees:
| Montana committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Transportation |
| • State Administration |
| • Agriculture |
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 12
Incumbent Wendy McKamey is running in the general election for Montana State Senate District 12 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Wendy McKamey (R) | |
| ||||
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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 12
Wendy McKamey defeated Jacob Bachmeier in the general election for Montana State Senate District 12 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendy McKamey (R) | 56.0 | 3,358 |
 | Jacob Bachmeier (D) | 44.0 | 2,641 | |
| Total votes: 5,999 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 12
Jacob Bachmeier advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana State Senate District 12 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jacob Bachmeier | 100.0 | 1,175 |
| Total votes: 1,175 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 12
Wendy McKamey defeated Desma Meissner in the Republican primary for Montana State Senate District 12 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendy McKamey | 65.0 | 1,463 |
| Desma Meissner | 35.0 | 787 | ||
| Total votes: 2,250 | |||
| = candidate completed 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 19
Incumbent Wendy McKamey defeated George Schultz in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 19 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendy McKamey (R) | 84.9 | 4,288 |
| George Schultz (L) | 15.1 | 762 | ||
| Total votes: 5,050 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 19
Incumbent Wendy McKamey advanced from the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 19 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendy McKamey | 100.0 | 2,163 |
| Total votes: 2,163 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. George Schultz advanced from the Libertarian primary for Montana House of Representatives District 19.
2018
General election
General election for Montana House of Representatives District 19
Incumbent Wendy McKamey defeated Lynelle Melton in the general election for Montana House of Representatives District 19 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendy McKamey (R) | 72.0 | 3,212 |
 | Lynelle Melton (D) | 28.0 | 1,250 | |
| Total votes: 4,462 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 19
Lynelle Melton advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana House of Representatives District 19 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lynelle Melton | 100.0 | 847 |
| Total votes: 847 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 19
Incumbent Wendy McKamey defeated Steven Moltzan in the Republican primary for Montana House of Representatives District 19 on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendy McKamey | 68.4 | 1,149 |
| Steven Moltzan | 31.6 | 532 | ||
| Total votes: 1,681 | |||
| = candidate completed 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 Wendy McKamey defeated Elaine Olsen in the Montana House of Representatives District 19 general election.[3][4]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 19 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Wendy McKamey Incumbent |
72.81% | 3,328 | |
| Democratic | Elaine Olsen | 27.19% | 1,243 | |
| Total Votes | 4,571 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Elaine Olsen ran unopposed in the Montana House of Representatives District 19 Democratic primary.[5][6]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 19 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Elaine Olsen (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Wendy McKamey defeated incumbent Randy Pinocci in the Montana House of Representatives District 19 Republican primary.[7][8]
| Montana House of Representatives, District 19 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Wendy McKamey Incumbent |
61.62% | 1,230 | |
| Republican | Randy Pinocci Incumbent | 38.38% | 766 | |
| Total Votes | 1,996 | |||
| 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. Earl Salley defeated Jack King in the Democratic primary. Wendy McKamey was unopposed in the Republican primary. McKamey defeated Salley in the general election. Incumbent Carlie Boland (D) ran for District 13 of the Montana State Senate.[9][10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Wendy McKamey |
50.3% | 1,275 | |
| Democratic | Earl Salley | 49.7% | 1,259 | |
| Total Votes | 2,534 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Earl Salley |
55% | 466 |
| Jack King | 45% | 381 |
| Total Votes | 847 | |
2012
- See also: Montana State Senate elections, 2012
McKamey ran in the 2012 election for Montana State Senate, District 10. McKamey ran unopposed in the June 5 primary election and was defeated by Brad Hamlett (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[12][13]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brad Hamlett Incumbent |
51.1% | 4,078 | |
| Republican | Wendy McKamey | 48.9% | 3,907 | |
| Total Votes | 7,985 | |||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2022
Wendy McKamey did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Wendy McKamey 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.
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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Noteworthy events
Montana Republican Party censure of nine state senators (2025)
In a statement released on April 4, 2025, the Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) executive committee censured nine Republican state senators: Jason Ellsworth, Butch Gillespie, Gregg Hunter, Joshua Kassmier, Gayle Lammers, Denley Loge, Wendy McKamey, Russel Tempel, and Shelley Vance.[14]
A press release published on the MTGOP website on March 13, 2025, stated, in part, "The Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) is strongly rebuking nine Republican state senators who have frequently aligned with Democrats, creating obstacles for the Republican majority in the Senate. Montana voters elected a strong Republican majority last November, expecting leadership that reflects their choices. On Jan. 6th, 2025, the first day of the 69th Legislative session, and continuing to this day, nine Republican Senators have partnered with the Democratic minority to overrule Republican leadership...The MTGOP calls on these senators to cease obstructing key Republican priorities and return to the faithful representation of their constituents and the Republican platform. If their actions continue to damage the integrity of the Republican majority, the party will consider additional steps to address the situation."[15] [16][14]
According to the MTGOP, the party's executive committee unanimously voted to censure the senators during a meeting held on March 27, 2025.[17] As part of the censure, the senators would no longer be acknowledged by the MTGOP as Republicans, and the party would not grant political funding to them in the future.[16]
In response, the censured senators, with the exception of Sen. Ellsworth, published an open letter to the citizens of Montana saying, "We were elected to serve you, not to follow orders from political insiders...Let’s be clear: this censure is nothing more than a distraction—meant to cover up the fact that party leaders have failed to deliver on the core priorities you sent us here to address...This censure changes nothing. We’ll keep showing up. We’ll keep delivering. And we’ll keep putting Montana first."[18]
During 69th legislative session, Republicans held a majority in the Montana State Senate with 32 of the 50 seats, and Democrats held the remaining 18.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Montana Republican Party, "Senate District 10, Wendy McKamey," accessed October 9, 2012
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Wendy McKamey," accessed March 28, 2022
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 NBC Montana, "Montana GOP censures 9 Senate Republicans for working with Dems", April 4, 2025
- ↑ Montana Republican Party, "Montana Republican Party Rebukes Nine Republican Senators for Aligning with Democrats," March 13, 2025
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Daily Montanan, "Montana Republican Party censures nine GOP senators; no longer considers them Republicans", April 4, 2025
- ↑ Montana Republican Party, "Montana Republican Party Rebukes Nine Republican Senators for Aligning with Democrats", March 13, 2025
- ↑ NBC Montana, "Censured Montana Republican senators respond", April 7, 2025
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Carlie Boland (D) |
Montana State Senate District 12 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Montana House of Representatives District 19 2017-2023 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Montana House of Representatives District 23 2015-2017 |
Succeeded by - |
