Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen addressed a national Republican gathering in Dallas on Wednesday, speaking in his capacity as chair of the Republican Attorneys General Association at what amounts to the GOP’s first midterm convention in recent memory, ktvq.com reported. About 30 Montana delegates, alternates, and guests attended the two-day event.
An Unusual Gathering
National parties typically convene only in presidential election years to ratify platforms and formally nominate candidates. This week’s Dallas meeting carries none of that official business — no nominations, no platform votes — but party leaders framed it as a strategic effort to energize voters ahead of November’s midterm elections. Democrats held similar off-cycle conventions during the 1970s and 1980s, but Republicans have not done so in recent times.
Montana Republican Party Chair Art Wittich acknowledged the departure from tradition. “It is not the usual thing to do, but I think that people thought that this was an important time in the country’s history to do it,” he told ktvq.com. Wittich said a particular goal is reaching voters who only show up every four years during presidential cycles, and he denied the convention signals any anxiety about the party’s standing heading into November.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak both nights of the convention, and Vice President JD Vance is set to appear Thursday. Convention programming is focused on Trump administration priorities including tax policy, border security, and crime.
Knudsen’s Address
Knudsen spoke Wednesday afternoon, highlighting the role Republican attorneys general play in pushing back against what he characterized as judicial overreach. “Republican AGs are in the fight to make sure the policies of this country are decided by the American people and the representatives they elect, not activist liberal judges,” he said, as reported by ktvq.com. He also emphasized law enforcement and contrasted President Trump’s approach with that of former President Joe Biden, describing Trump as a partner for his office in Washington.
More than half of U.S. states are holding attorney general elections this year, giving the association Knudsen chairs an elevated profile at the convention.
Montana’s Other Principals Stayed Home
Governor Greg Gianforte, who chairs the national Republican Governors Association, did not attend due to prior commitments. On Wednesday he continued his annual 56-county tour, visiting Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Park, and Gallatin counties.
Montana’s Republican congressional nominees were also absent. Western district U.S. House candidate Aaron Flint had previously scheduled in-state events, while Eastern district U.S. Rep. Troy Downing held constituent meetings in his district. Senate candidate Kurt Alme, who holds a double-digit lead in polling and has been given roughly nine-in-ten odds of winning Montana’s open Senate seat, spent the day campaigning and meeting with voters to share what his campaign describes as a conservative message.
The Broader Stakes
Wittich said Republicans are working to preserve their majorities in both chambers of Congress and expressed confidence that Trump remains popular in Montana even as the president’s national approval ratings have softened. The party has been active in fundraising, candidate recruitment, and redistricting work in the run-up to November, he said.
