Montana's Transparent Election Initiative aims to prohibit corporations and unions from spending on state, federal, or local elections, potentially sidelining the Citizens United ruling. Backed by bipartisan figures including former Governor Marc Racicot and Pete Buttigieg, the volunteer-driven effort is collecting signatures for the November ballot. Organizers hope it will refocus politicians on voters rather than donors.
The Montana Transparent Election Initiative, part of the broader Montana Plan, would bar any incorporated entity operating in the state—including for-profit companies, nonprofits, and unions—from influencing elections through spending. Jeff Mangan, Montana's former commissioner of political practices, developed the measure with Tom Moore, a former Federal Election Commission attorney. Mangan expressed optimism that it will appear on the November ballot, noting strong public support in polls despite opposition from groups reliant on political spending. Supporters highlight Montana's history of combating political corruption, from 19th-century copper barons like William A. Clark to the state's 1912 ban on corporate money, which endured until overturned by the US Supreme Court in 2012 following Citizens United. Todd Frank, a Missoula business owner, voiced frustration: “I don’t think our elected officials do a good job of listening to their constituents, because they are listening to the people who give them millions and millions and millions of dollars.” Mangan added, “We can make money not the focus of these races anymore, and put the focus where it should be, the citizen, the voter, regardless of party.” Bipartisan endorsements underscore the push. Former Republican Governor Marc Racicot, who campaigned through town halls in the 1990s, said the deluge of corporate money has distanced politicians from voters. Robert Reich praised Montana as “a very unlikely state... leading the way.” Pete Buttigieg will speak in Butte on May 17, stating, “Americans don’t have to accept a system where absurd amounts of corporate and dark money drown out their votes.” The all-volunteer signature drive needs about 60,000 signatures statewide, avoiding paid firms to align with the initiative's anti-money ethos in sparsely populated Montana.
