Wendy McKamey explained

Wendy McKamey
State Senate:Montana
District:12th
Term Start:January 2, 2023
Predecessor:Carlie Boland
Office1:Member of the Montana House of Representatives
Constituency1:19th district
Term Start1:January 2, 2017
Term End1:January 2, 2023
Predecessor1:Randy Pinocci
Constituency2:23rd district
Term Start2:January 5, 2015
Term End2:January 2, 2017
Predecessor2:Carlie Boland
Successor2:Bradley Maxon Hamlett
Birth Date:15 December 1946
Birth Place:Ogden, Utah
Residence:Great Falls, Montana
Spouse:Les McKamey
Children:7
Alma Mater:Brigham Young University (BS)
Occupation:Rancher, 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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: House District 19: McKamey vs. Olsen . Greatfallstribune.com . October 14, 2016 . April 26, 2020.
  2. Web site: Copper Book: Lawmakers of Montana, Legislative Session of 2021 . Montana State Legislature . Montana Legislative Services Division . March 19, 2021 . 51.
  3. Web site: Wendy McKamey . Leg.mt.gov . December 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180602054753/http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/65th/leg_info.asp?HouseID=0&SessionID=111&LAWSID=16511 . June 2, 2018 .
  4. Web site: HD19 candidate profile: Wendy McKamey . Greatfallstribune.com . May 22, 2018 . December 20, 2018.
  5. Web site: Wendy McKamey's Biography . Vote Smart . June 21, 2020.
  6. Web site: Wendy McKamey . Ballotpedia . June 21, 2020.
  7. Web site: Montana State Legislature . Rep. Wendy McKamey . June 21, 2020.
  8. News: Astor. Maggie. July 6, 2021. How G.O.P. Laws in Montana Could Complicate Voting for Native Americans. en-US. The New York Times. July 6, 2021. 0362-4331.
  9. News: Montana Election Results 2022. November 8, 2022. July 13, 2023. limited. The New York Times.
  10. Web site: SEN. WENDY MCKAMEY (R) - SD12. Montana Senate. July 13, 2023.