Summary
Current Position: Lt. Governor since 2013
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2020 Governor
A Leader You Can Trust To Protect the Last Best Place
Montanans know our state isn’t just a special place – we’re proud to be The Last Best Place. And we can never allow Montana to become the special interests’ place instead. I’m running for Governor to put our Montana health care, jobs and public lands first.
if you want a Governor who gets results, Mike Cooney is the clear choice. Working with Steve Bullock, lifelong Montanan Mike Cooney has led on balancing the budget and expanding access for affordable healthcare. Mike Cooney is the only leader who can bring Republicans and Democrats together to get results.
Source: Campaign page
OnAir Post: Mike Cooney
About
Source: Campaign page
Mike Cooney is running for Governor to make Montanans lives better. As a young legislator, as Secretary of State, and as Lt. Governor, Mike has fought to increase wages and job opportunities, bring down the cost of healthcare, invest in public education, and protect access to public lands, clean air and clean water. These are the values he has held his entire career and will bring with him to the Governor’s Office.
Mike grew up in Butte and worked at the family business, the Cooney Food Brokerage.
Mike graduated from Butte High School and enrolled at the University of Montana, graduating with a degree in Political Science. Mike Cooney served in the Montana State House of Representatives. At the time Mike was one of the youngest legislators in Montana history. Mike worked for United States Senator from Montana, Max Baucus. As a young organizer in Montana, Mike ran the Helena and Butte field offices and went on to work as an Executive Assistant to Baucus in Washington, D.C.
Mike Cooney served three terms as Secretary of State for Montana, focused on protecting voting rights and making it easier to do business in the state. Cooney also served as a member of the Land Board, opening up public access for Montanans.
Mike Cooney served as Executive Director of Montana Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies helping to secure access to quality healthcare for Montana kids. Mike Cooney served as Division Administrator of the Business Standards Division and the Workforce Services Division before going on to serve as the Deputy Commissioner at the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. Mike Cooney served as Interim Director of the Montana Historical Society.
Mike Cooney was appointed by Governor Steve Bullock to be Lieutenant Governor. Mike Cooney and Steve Bullock won re-election on November 8, 2016, beating Republican Greg Gianforte. As Lt. Governor, Mike Cooney has traveled the state listening to Montanans about issues that matter to them, like good-paying jobs, public education, access to healthcare, public lands, and equal pay.
Web
Campaign Site, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook
Politics
Source: none
Issues
Governance
Leading the state out of the COVID-19 crisis
Even before COVID-19 had come to Montana, Mike was working with Governor Bullock to prepare for the impending pandemic. As a result of their foresight and preparedness, Montana is far better off than many other states in the country. This is the kind of experience that distinguished Mike: he’s dealt with this crisis hands-on and knows what it will take to help Montana come back stronger and more resilient.
As Governor, Mike will continue to work with Republicans and Democrats to ensure Montana’s economy doesn’t just come back, it emerges stronger and more resilient than ever before – all the while listening to science and public health experts to make sure Montanans remain healthy and informed. As we continue to steer Montana through this once-in-a-lifetime crisis, we need to keep our eye on the ball. Just because COVID-19 hit doesn’t mean other challenges have gone away.
Standing up to discrimination and fighting for equality
Mike has always been a vocal supporter of equal protection under the law for all Montanans. Throughout his tenure in public office, he’s opposed any anti-LGBTQ legislation that would discriminate against or deny protection based on sexual identity, gender identity or gender expression. Even though some local jurisdictions across the state now have non-discrimination ordinances in place, the State of Montana still does not. As Governor, Mike will work with the legislature and the courts to ensure that Montanans of all identities, orientations and backgrounds are protected under the full extent of the law.
Working with local governments to mitigate the rising costs of housing
Housing affordability is an issue that crosses county and political lines. Addressing this issue will require local and state governments to work together. It is essential that we protect Montana families, students, farmers, ranchers – Republicans and Democrats – from being priced out of their homes by wealthy out-of-staters moving into multi-million dollar homes.
Mike has spent years working with local governments to solve local issues and his approach would be no different with the issue of affordable housing. Tools include Housing Trust Funds, State Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and Tax Increment Financing Districts are some of the ways we can make sure communities have the resources they need to address local housing issues, and that we’re protecting our Montana values and way of life.
Economy
Jumpstarting our economy to Keep Montanans Working
During his time as Lt. Governor, Mike worked with Governor Steve Bullock to build a foundation for a strong economy. Before COVID-19 hit our state, the Montana economy was strong and growing stronger. As COVID-19 reached Montana, Mike continued to bring together businesses, workers, medical experts, and people from both parties to develop a plan to safely restart our economy and get people back to work faster than neighboring states. As Governor, Mike will make sure Montana businesses have the tools and resources they need to bounce back stronger and more resilient than ever and create more good-paying jobs.
The Keep Montana Working Plan will:
- Establish the Hire Montanans First Act
- Establish the Buy Made in Montana Act
- Issue an Executive Order on outsourcing
- Establish the Office of Rural Prosperity
- Expand apprenticeship tax credit
- Expand broadband access, especially in rural Montana
- Propose legislation to create renewable energy Worker Training Grants
- Establish the Office of Economic and Workforce Development
- Empower Montana women in the workforce by continuing the fight for equal pay, offer paid family leave, increasing childcare incentives and investing in public pre-K
Supporting Montana’s number one industry
Agriculture remains Montana’s number one industry, but Montana’s ag industry is hurting right now. It’s critical that we continue to fight for Montana farmers, ranchers and the agriculture industry in Montana. Mike understands production agriculture and the unique challenges family farmers face, particularly given the Trump Administration’s disastrous trade policies, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increasing impacts of a changing climate. As Governor, he’ll work tirelessly to ensure a bright future for our state’s number one economy.
The Growing Montana Plan will:
- Support good-paying manufacturing jobs
- Reinstate Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef and pork products
- Support local meat processing and expand the Made in Montana/Grown in Montana labels to meat products
- Support hemp as a crop
- Support “Right to Repair” legislation for ranchers and farmers
Education
Investing in public education and the next generation of Montanans
Mike is the proud product of Butte public schools and sent his three kids to Montana public schools. Casey Schreiner is a former public school teacher. They don’t need a lesson on the importance of public education and the responsibility of leaders to invest in our future. Mike and Casey are committed to finding innovative ways to support educators and increase funding. Mike has a proven record of fighting for Montana’s students when he fought alongside Governor Bullock for access to quality preschool, college tuition freezes, the 6-mill levy, and other initiatives that directly impact students and families all across Montana. Mike also knows there’s more to be done to bring down the costs of Montana’s higher education system and to expand access to learning opportunities. Now more than ever, Montana must protect and invest in our public education system.
The Brighter Montana Future Plan will:
- Protect the health & safety of students by investing in remote learning resources, offering a lunch debt waiver, and increasing funding for Special Education
- Reduce college debt and build the state’s workforce
- Invest in Montana’s future leaders through the establishment of a public pre-K, a college tuition freeze, and a Student Borrower Bill of Rights
- Support good-paying jobs
Environment
Protecting the Last Best Place
Montanans enjoy some of the best access laws and programs in the United States and Mike knows first-hard how much Montana’s outdoor recreation contributes to the state’s economy. As Montanans, access to our public lands is crucial to our way of life. Mike has dedicated his career to protecting and expanding access to Montana’s public lands. As Governor, Mike will work to ensure that the current work underway to increase access remains, and is strengthened.
The Protect the Last Best Place Plan will:
- Expand public access and veto any legislation that limits access
- Strengthen Habitat Montana
- Establish the Public Access Lands Act
- Strengthen and support Block Management
- Unlock public lands and increase landowner participation
- Expand and maintain Fishing Access Sites and give full funding to Land and Water Conservation Fund
- Protect Stream Access Laws
- Establish the Office of Outdoor Recreation
Mitigating the effects of a changing global climate
Montanans know our climate is changing because we see it in front of our own eyes. Glaciers are melting, crop seasons are getting shorter and more unpredictable, fire seasons are getting longer and more expensive. Across the state folks including farmers, ranchers, outdoorsmen and women, and students agree we must take action to protect Montana for future generations — for our kids and our grandkids — without leaving workers behind. It is essential that we rely on the science behind climate change while making informed decisions that reflect Montana values.
In July of 2019, the Bullock administration joined governors across the country in signing an executive order to join the U.S. Climate Alliance in response to President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Mike proudly stood by the Governor’s side when this was signed and will continue to focus on progressive legislation at the state level addressing climate change as Governor.
Montana has always been an energy leader, and we can continue to be a leader in transitioning to a clean energy economy, supporting good new jobs for Montanans who have helped power the country for decades. As Governor, Mike will be committed to providing renewable energy incentives to encourage the transition to cleaner energy sources. He supports the continuation of the Climate Change Solutions Councils and would invest resources into achieving statewide Greenhouse Gas Neutrality.
Health Care
Working across the aisle to Keep Montanans Healthy
As we continue to navigate through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, access to quality, affordable health care is one of the most important issues facing Montana families. Mike has fought to increase access to quality and affordable healthcare his entire career: from securing coverage for Montana kids as Executive Director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies to working across the political spectrum to pass Medicaid expansion in Montana, providing healthcare to thousands of Montanas. As Governor, Mike will continue his efforts to work across the aisle to lower the overall price of healthcare.
The Keep Montana Healthy Plan will:
- Protect the health and safety of Montanans through the COVID-19 pandemic
- Preserve and protect Montana’s Medicaid expansion
- Protect Montanans with pre-existing conditions
- Bring down the cost of prescription drugs
- Cap the price of insulin copays
- End price gouging by Big Pharma companies
- Increase access to behavioral and rural health care
- Increase direct-care worker wages
- Address Native American health disparities
Veterans
Caring for those who fought for us
Montana’s veterans are an integral part of Montana’s communities and we honor their service and it is our duty to fulfill the promises that we have made to them. As Governor, Mike will be committed to making sure to stand up for Montana’s military families, and make sure they get the care and respect they deserve.
The Supporting America’s Heroes Plan will:
- Increase investment into suicide prevention
- Convene a Veteran Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Council
- Expand access to rural broadband and telemedicine
- Preserve and protect Medicaid Expansion
- Strengthen authorization and acceptance of VA education benefits for curriculum and programs
- Provide for equal and fair treatment of National Guard members
- Increase the apprenticeship tax credit for veterans and military technical training and certification
- Streamline Occupational Licensing reciprocity for military family members
- Support elementary and secondary school transition to include children of the National Guard and Reserve
- Support military families members entering the workforce
- Support veteran outreach to ensure services are being delivered
- Establish a program for donors to give hunting licenses to disabled veterans
Indian Country
Respecting tribal sovereignty while strengthening government-to-government relations
Mike has spent years working directly with tribal leaders on Montana’s reservations on issues from education, to COVID-19, to healthcare, to addressing the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. Since serving in the state legislature and as Secretary of State, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor & Industry, and now Lt. Governor, Mike has a proven track record of working with Montana tribes to increase economic opportunity.
It is imperative that we respect tribal sovereignty while strengthening our government-to-government relationships with Montana’s tribal nations. As Governor, Mike will work directly with tribal leaders to increase access to healthcare, to grow business and job opportunities, to expand investment in tribal colleges, improve voting access, and to preserve the rich history and traditions of Native Americans. With Mike as Governor, the sovereign tribal nations of Montana will have a seat at the table.
