Montana Democrat Jonathan Windy Boy Restarts Eastern District House Campaign After Brief Withdrawal
Why It Matters
Montana’s eastern U.S. House race — already one of the more closely watched Democratic primary contests in the state — has grown more complicated following state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy’s decision to resume his campaign just three weeks after stepping aside amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The move adds fresh uncertainty to a Democratic primary already facing long odds in a district that leans heavily Republican.
What Happened
Windy Boy, a Democratic state senator from Montana, announced Wednesday that his campaign for the state’s Eastern Congressional District seat is back on. He shared a link to his campaign website, which displayed a message declaring his bid “unsuspended” and stating he is “moving forward.”
The revival comes roughly three weeks after the Montana Democratic Party announced Windy Boy had notified party Chair Shannon O’Brien that he was withdrawing from the race. That announcement followed allegations — surfaced publicly by his primary opponent, Brian Miller — that Windy Boy had sent sexually explicit material to underage girls in 2002.
In a press release dated May 6, Windy Boy denied wrongdoing and characterized the allegations as a politically motivated attack. “This is an old smear campaign that has turned into a political hit,” he said in the release. He further argued that the underlying matter “was previously investigated, referred to law enforcement, and that the matter was vacated over 20 years ago,” and maintained he is entitled to due process protections he said have been denied.
Windy Boy also directed criticism at Democratic leadership, accusing the party of facilitating what he called a political prosecution at the instigation of Miller’s campaign.
By the Numbers
- 3 weeks elapsed between Windy Boy’s initial withdrawal and his announcement that he is resuming the race.
- 2002 — the year the alleged misconduct is said to have occurred, more than two decades ago.
- 2 interim committees and 1 commission: the legislative assignments from which Windy Boy was removed just days before his campaign restart, at the joint request of Republican and Democratic Senate leaders.
- 3 Democratic candidates have been active in the Eastern District primary at various stages of the cycle.
Fallout Within the Campaign and Legislature
The decision to re-enter the race is not without immediate costs. Lance FourStar, who had served as a campaign consultant for Windy Boy earlier this year, confirmed Wednesday he will not return to the campaign. “It’s not my baggage to carry,” FourStar said publicly. FourStar, who is himself running for a state House seat within Windy Boy’s own Senate district, added that he does not support Windy Boy’s congressional bid, citing his work as an advocate for victims within the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples movement.
Two days before the campaign restart, legislative leaders from both parties moved to strip Windy Boy of his interim committee and commission assignments. The action came through a joint statement from Senate President Matt Regier, a Republican from Kalispell, and Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, a Democrat from Belgrade — a rare show of bipartisan agreement. Windy Boy responded in his statement by calling on the Legislature to “cease and desist any and all formal actions” against him.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Windy Boy’s name remained on the official candidate list maintained by the Montana Secretary of State, indicating his filing had not been formally withdrawn.
Zoom Out
The Eastern District race was already viewed as a steep climb for any Democrat. The two Democrats competing for the nomination have faced skepticism from within their own party about the district’s viability, given its strong Republican tilt in recent election cycles. Windy Boy’s return to the primary deepens the uncertainty heading into what promises to be a turbulent stretch of campaigning before voting begins.
What’s Next
With the primary election approaching in the coming weeks, Windy Boy faces the challenge of rebuilding a campaign organization after losing at least one key consultant. Miller, his primary opponent, can be expected to continue pressing the allegations. The Montana Democratic Party, having already announced Windy Boy’s withdrawal once, has not publicly indicated how it intends to respond to his re-entry into the race.