Montana Democrats Nominate John Walsh's Replacement

By Kyle Trygstad

Posted August 16, 2014 at 4:31pm

The Montana Democratic Party nominated state Rep. Amanda Curtis on Saturday to replace retiring Sen. John Walsh on the ballot in November.

Curtis, a 34-year-old, first-term state legislator and high school math teacher from Butte , enters the contest a heavy underdog against Republican Rep. Steve Daines — as was Walsh. The race is rated Favored Republican by the Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.

Walsh, appointed to the Senate in February but plagued by a plagiarism scandal, announced on Aug. 7 he would not seek a full term. Since the primary had already passed, state Democrats held a convention Saturday morning at the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena to select a new nominee. “Amanda Curtis is a force to be reckoned with,” state party Chairman Jim Larson said in a statement. “In her time in the state legislature, Curtis proved her strength as a voice for hardworking, everyday Montanans. Amanda has a proven record as a communicator and fighter. As a teacher, Curtis has a unique insight into what matters most to Montana families.”

In a statement responding to Curtis’ nomination, Montana GOP Chairman Will Deschamps said the state deserves “a voice in Washington that will stand for Montana — not Obama.”