Republicans elect Rep. Katie Zolnikov Montana’s first female Speaker of the House

Montana is set to make history after House Republicans elected the first female speaker in state history at the Capitol Wednesday morning. Billings Republican Rep. Katie Zolnikov beat current Speaker of the House Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage, in a secret ballot voted by nearly all of the caucus’ 56 Republican representatives. Speaker is the highest-ranking role in the House, and is responsible for committee assignments, setting the agenda for floor debates and assigning bills to committees. Top leadership positions such as Speaker of the House and Senate president still must go to a vote of the full chamber when the 2027 session convenes in early January. That process is often a formality, and caucus votes aren’t typically overturned. Rep. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, said he was “very surprised” Zolnikov won, as many Republicans thought the vote would fall in Ler’s favor.

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