New GOP Chair Chosen in Billings
The new chair of the Montana Republican Party is Debra Lamm, a retired attorney and former Republican state legislator from Livingston. At a party convention in Billings last weekend, Republican delegates chose Lamm as the new state chair over George Paul, a local party official from Great Falls, and Aaron Flint, a former conservative radio talk-show host who was chief of staff for former Congressman Ryan Zinke. KTVQ.com reports that Lamm was a state rep in 2015 and lost last year to Democrat Laurie Bishop of Livingston in House District 60.
Lamm has been a member of the state party executive board. She decided to run for the chair post when then-Chairman Jeff Essmann announced earlier this year he wouldn’t be running for re-election. Essmann is a Billings lawyer and state representative, running for mayor in Billings this year.