Wendy McKamey
Member of the Montana Senate
from the 12th district
Assumed office
January 2, 2023
Preceded byCarlie Boland
Member of the Montana House of Representatives
In office
January 2, 2017 – January 2, 2023
Preceded byRandy Pinocci
Constituency19th district
In office
January 5, 2015 – January 2, 2017
Preceded byCarlie Boland
Succeeded byBradley Maxon Hamlett
Constituency23rd district
Personal details
Born (1946-12-15) December 15, 1946
Ogden, Utah
Political partyRepublican
SpouseLes McKamey
Children7
ResidenceGreat Falls, Montana
Alma materBrigham Young University (BS)
OccupationRancher, musician

Wendy McKamey (born December 15, 1946[1]) is an American politician from Montana. She has served as a Republican member of the Montana Senate since 2023, and previously sat in the Montana House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023.[2][3][4][5]

Political career

McKamey was first elected in 2014, in a race decided by just 16 votes, to represent District 23 in the Montana House of Representatives. In 2016, she was elected to represent District 19; she was re-elected to that position in 2018, and is running again in 2020.[6]

In 2020, McKamey sat on the following committees: State Administration (Vice Chair), Agriculture, and Education.[7]

In 2021, McKamey proposed legislation to restrict voting rights in Montana. The legislation prohibited ballot collection, which at the time was common in communities where election infrastructure was limited, such as the Native American community in Montana, which is a Democratic-leaning constituency. The legislation was passed by the Republican-controlled State Legislature. The legislation came amid a nationwide push by Republicans to restrict voting rights after Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and refused to concede while he and other Republicans made false claims of fraud. McKamey defended the voting restrictions, saying "There are going to be habits that are going to have to change because we need to keep our security at the utmost"; there was no evidence of significant voter fraud in Montana.[8]

In 2022, McKamey was elected to the Montana Senate, defeating Democrat Jacob Bachmeier.[9][10]

Electoral record

2012 general election: Montana House of Representatives, District 10[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brad Hamlett 4,078 51.1%
Republican Wendy McKamey 3,907 48.9%
2014 general election: Montana House of Representatives, District 23[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wendy McKamey 1,275 50.3%
Democratic Earl Salley 1,259 49.7%
2016 Republican primary: Montana House of Representatives, District 19[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wendy McKamey 1,230 61.62%
Republican Randy Pinocci 766 38.38%
2016 general election: Montana House of Representatives, District 19[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wendy McKamey 3,328 72.81%
Democratic Elaine Olsen 1,243 27.19%
2018 Republican primary: Montana House of Representatives, District 19[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wendy McKamey 1,149 68.4%
Republican Steve Moltzan 532 31.6%
2018 general election: Montana House of Representatives, District 19[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Wendy McKamey 3,212 72.0%
Democratic Lynelle Melton 1,250 28.0%

References

  1. ↑ "House District 19: McKamey vs. Olsen". Greatfallstribune.com. October 14, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Copper Book: Lawmakers of Montana, Legislative Session of 2021". Montana State Legislature. Montana Legislative Services Division. p. 51. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Wendy McKamey". Leg.mt.gov. Archived from the original on June 2, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  4. ↑ "HD19 candidate profile: Wendy McKamey". Greatfallstribune.com. May 22, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Wendy McKamey's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Wendy McKamey". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Montana State Legislature". Rep. Wendy McKamey. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  8. ↑ Astor, Maggie (July 6, 2021). "How G.O.P. Laws in Montana Could Complicate Voting for Native Americans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Montana Election Results 2022". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ "SEN. WENDY MCKAMEY (R) - SD12". Montana Senate. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
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