Montana voters wont just be deciding who theyre sending to Congress this November; theyll also be choosing the makeup of the state Legislature, ahead of the 2027 session starting in January.Republicans have held majorities in bo th the House and Senate for the last 15 years, but the size of those majorities has varied significantly over that time. During the 2025 legislative session, Republicans held 58 seats in the House and 32 in the Senate, while Democrats held 42 in the House and 18 in the Senate.(Watch the video for more on the upcoming legislative elections.) Montana legislative elections to set stage for 2027 sessionSen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, has chaired the Montana Republican Legislative Campaign Committee for the last three election cycles. He says he doubts this years election will change the party breakdown in the Legislature very much.The reality is the partisan makeup of the Legislature was determined back in 2024 with the redistricting commission, said Hertz.During the last redistricting cycle, the Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission approved a legislative map favored by Democratic members, who argued the party makeup in the Legislature should more closely match the statewide share of the vote that each party receives. The new map took effect for all 100 House seats and half of the 50 Senate seats in the 2024 elections which saw Democrats gain 10 seats in the House and two in the Senate compared with 2022. Democrats argued the previous districts had unfairly advantaged Republicans. Hertz said the new map left many more legislative seats safe for one party or the other. He said the MRLCC had invested in around 25 districts in previous election cycles, but was focused on only around 8 to 12 this time. He said he sees just one or two Senate seats and two to four House seats that could go either way in November.Ciara Maxwell, director of the Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, says Democrats are optimistic they can hang on to the seats they already have and possibly pick up a couple more in each chamber. The party is hoping to tap into what they see as a frustrated voter base.They're not satisfied with the state of the state or the state of the country, truthfully, Maxwell said. So I think there's energy for a change.This year, all 100 members of the House will again be up for election on the new maps. In addition, the 25 Senate seats that werent open in 2024 will be open this time for the first time using the new district lines. Several of the most closely watched races will be in those new Senate districts: Senate District 42, covering part of Helena, East Helena and the Helena Valley, is currently being represented by Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, but is now more Republican-leaning than her previous district. Dunwell is running for reelection against Republican candidate Steve LaPraim. Senate District 29, based in Park County, is currently represented by Sen. John Esp, R-Big Timber, who was termed-out and couldnt run again. The district is now more favorable for Democrats, as it includes more of Bozeman instead of Sweet Grass County. Republican Jason Gunderson is running against current Rep. Scott Rosenzweig, D-Bozeman.Both Hertz and Maxwell say theyll also be watching House seats in Billings and Senate and House races in Great Falls.Maxwell says the Democratic campaign this year is focusing on pocketbook issues, particularly on concerns about affordability.The folks that our candidates are talking to, they want to put food on the table and afford to live in the place where they work and have built a community and built their family, said Maxwell.Hertz says Republicans messaging in this cycle has been about evenly split between economic and cultural issues.Democrat legislators have never voted for tax reductions, and they're also continuing to push their agenda when it comes to social issues on the people in Montana, Hertz said.When asked what is going to make the difference this election, both sides sounded similar notes.It's going to come down to which candidate worked the hardest and got out and knocked on doors and talked to the voters, Hertz said.Our candidates and volunteers are going to leave it all out on the field, not leaving any door unknocked, no votes uncounted, said Maxwell.At the moment, a very large change in legislative party makeup one that would dramatically affect the 2027 session appears unlikely. For Democrats to get a majority in either chamber, they would need to flip at least nine seats in the House or eight seats in the Senate. Republicans would need to flip a total of ten Democratic seats between the House and Senate to win back their two-thirds supermajority which they held in 2023 and which allows a party to propose constitutional amendments or override a governors veto if they remain united.Maxwell said even gaining a few more seats would make a difference for Democrats, noting that they have been able to achieve some of their goals in recent sessions because of splits among Republicans.I think if we pick up more seats, we'll be able to negotiate a lot more of our priorities in some places, said Maxwell. Its a lot easier to count to four or five or six Republicans to defect than it is when we were in a superminority.Hertz said, short of a supermajority, he doesnt believe a few seats changing hands will have a big impact on the session.I don't think it makes a huge difference on the process of what happens in the Legislature, he said. There'll still be individual coalitions working together to get legislation passed and those could be all-Republican coalitions, and they might be bipartisan coalitions. ...read more read less