Montana New Members 2025

Sen.-elect Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.)

Date of Birth / Nov. 18, 1985 
Residence / Big Sky, Mont.
Occupation / Businessman, veteran
Education / U.S. Naval Academy
Family / Married to Carmen with four children 

The race to represent Montana in the Senate was unexpectedly heated into the fall. In the end, Sen.-elect Tim Sheehy beat three-term incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D).  

Sheehy, 39, is a decorated former Navy SEAL who was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, South America and the Pacific, according to his campaign site. He is a graduate of the Naval Academy and attended further training at the U.S. Army Ranger School. 

In 2014, he founded Bridger Aerospace, with a team made up of veterans. Bridger Aerospace went publish on the NASDAQ in 2023.  

Sheehy is married to Carmen, a former Marine, and they live with their four children on a cattle ranch. 

Sheehy has been a staunch supporter of former President Trump and made that central to his campaign as a political novice. He did not give many individual interviews, but during his only debate against Tester he made his dedication to holding the Senate GOP line central to his goals in office. 

— Liz Crisp 

Rep.-elect Troy Downing (R-Mont.-2)

Date of Birth: / March 4, 1967 
Residence / Helena, Mont. 
Occupation / Montana state auditor 
Education / New York University 
Family / Married to Heather with four children 

Born in Indio, Calif., Troy Downing founded a calendar startup that merged with Yahoo in 1998, after which he moved to Montana.

Downing enlisted in the U.S. Air Force following the 9/11 attacks, serving two tours of duty in Afghanistan.

He was a candidate in the 2018 Republican Senate primary in Montana, losing to then-state Auditor Matt Rosendale, who would go on to lose to Sen. Jon Tester (D). In 2020, he was elected state auditor, with his term ending concurrently with the beginning of his House term.

He won a nine-way Republican primary with 36 percent of the vote, beating the second-place finisher, former Rep. Denny Rehberg, by 19 points.

Downing is the second person to represent the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which was created in 2022 following the 2020 census. Downing supports several Montana-based veteran organizations and is a member of the Montana Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Montana American Legion. 

— Zack Budryk