U.S. House · Montana's 2nd District

Eastern Montana, including Billings and Great Falls.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 18 claims re-checked against their sources · 1 corrected · 0 removed

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

  • Context claimed Cook PVI R+15 and Trump won 63.2%-33.6% in 2024, but the cited Ballotpedia Troy Downing page contains neither figure (a different Ballotpedia district page shows an outdated R+16 from the 2020/2016 cycle). Replaced with the verified, source-supported fact that Downing ran unopposed in the 2026 Republican primary.

On the ballot · 4 candidates

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUETroy Downing
R
Brian Miller
D
Patrick McCracken
LIB
Michael Eisenhauer
IND
Expand immigration enforcement and deportationsSupports[4][5][6][7]votes———
Raise taxes on high earners or corporationsOpposes[5][6][7]votes———
Expand public health coverageOpposes[5][6][7][8]votes———
Faster transition away from fossil fuelsOpposes[5][6][7]votes———
Public funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)Supports[2]———
Broad tariffs on imported goodsSupports[9]votes———

The candidates, in full

Troy Downing

RINCUMBENTU.S. Representative (since 2025)

Troy Downing is the Republican incumbent seeking re-election in Montana's 2nd Congressional District. He is a former Montana state auditor and insurance commissioner who serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Small Business Committee.[1]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Key votes in Congress

  • NoWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · H. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · 2026-06-03 roll call ↗The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans.
  • NoResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · H.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · 2026-02-11 roll call ↗The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy.
  • YesConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government funding · H.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · 2026-02-03 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
  • NoBreaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · H.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · 2026-01-08 roll call ↗The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans.
  • NoWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela · H. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region.
  • YesNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · 2025-12-10 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year.
  • YesEpstein Files Transparency Act · H.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · 2025-11-18 roll call ↗The bill directs the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing redactions to protect victim identities, ongoing investigations, and law enforcement techniques. It passed with near-unanimous support.
  • YesContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending vote · H.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · 2025-11-12 roll call ↗The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. It also reversed shutdown-related federal layoffs and funded SNAP benefits retroactively.
  • YesCLARITY Act — digital asset market structure · H.R. 3633 · Passed 294–134 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The CLARITY Act creates a regulatory framework dividing oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It sets registration and disclosure requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital-asset intermediaries.
  • YesGENIUS Act — stablecoin regulation · S. 1582 · Passed 308–122 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and to comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation enacted into federal law.
  • YesOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 218–214 · 2025-07-03 roll call ↗H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and raises the cap on state and local tax deductions. It increases border security and defense spending while cutting projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adding new work requirements; President Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025.
  • YesRescissions Act of 2025 · H.R. 4 · Passed 214–212 · 2025-06-12 roll call ↗The Rescissions Act canceled about $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, mostly for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was the first rescissions package Congress had approved in decades.
  • YesOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 215–214 · 2025-05-22 roll call ↗H.R. 1 extends and modifies the 2017 individual and business tax cuts, creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay, and increases spending on border security and defense. It also reduces projected spending on Medicaid and food-assistance programs and adds new work requirements for some recipients.
  • YesSAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · H.R. 22 · Passed 220–208 · 2025-04-10 roll call ↗The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. It also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens identified on voter rolls.
  • YesFull-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 · H.R. 1968 · Passed 217–213 · 2025-03-11 roll call ↗The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown ahead of a March 14 deadline. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations.
  • YesLaken Riley Act — final passage · S. 5 · Passed 263–156 · 2025-01-22 roll call ↗The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions.

On the record — official actions

  • actionSits on the House Financial Services Committee and the Small Business Committee (Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development; and Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations subcommittees) in the 119th Congress.[1]
  • billIntroduced the Federal Insurance Office Elimination Act to eliminate the Federal Insurance Office.[2]
  • billIntroduced the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act, which would require the SEC's Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation to identify capital-access challenges facing rural small businesses.[2]

Positions on the issues

  • OpposesRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[5][6][7]

    What they say: Supports making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's lower tax rates permanent and has cosponsored repeal of the federal estate tax.[2]

  • OpposesFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[5][6][7]

    What they say: Says fossil fuels are an abundant, cost-efficient energy source and supports coal, oil and gas production over restrictions aimed at reducing emissions.[2]

  • SupportsPublic funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)

    Supports reducing federal involvement in education and says parents are best suited to make educational choices for their children.[2]

  • SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.[4][5][6][7]

  • OpposesExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted no on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08).[5][6][7][8]

  • SupportsBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11).[9]

In their words — priorities

  • Supports making the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent and has introduced legislation aimed at expanding rural small businesses' access to capital.[2]
  • Supports an "all-of-the-above" energy approach that emphasizes coal, oil and gas production in Montana, including legislation to keep the Bull Mountains coal mine open and to support Signal Peak's mining operations.[2]

Background

  • Raised in Indio, California; studied computer science at New York University.[1]
  • Co-founded WebCal, an internet-based calendar system later incorporated into Yahoo in 1998, and was CEO of AC Self Storage Solutions; also operated a commercial real estate development firm and created a commercial insurance company.[1]
  • Was previously a member of the Montana Land Board as a former statewide official.[2]

Campaign money

Raised $2.1M · spent $1.6M · $650K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Brian Miller

D

Won the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary with 55.5% of the vote over Sam Lux and Jonathan Windy Boy (who unofficially withdrew).

Brian Miller is the Democratic nominee for Montana's 2nd Congressional District.[3]

Little public record found for this candidate.

Campaign money

Raised $19K · spent $15K · $3,166 cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Patrick McCracken

LIB

Advanced unopposed after the Libertarian primary was canceled.

Patrick McCracken is the Libertarian Party nominee for Montana's 2nd Congressional District.[1]

Little public record found for this candidate.

Michael Eisenhauer

IND

Michael Eisenhauer is an independent candidate for Montana's 2nd Congressional District.[1]

Little public record found for this candidate.

Campaign money

Raised $296K · spent $164K · $140K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Research notes & limits

Basic-tier research. Downing's positions and record are drawn from his official House website; his FEC campaign-finance totals and key floor votes are added separately by script.

Sources · 9

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.Troy Downing · Ballotpedia Reference
  2. 2.Issues · Office of Rep. Troy Downing Official record
  3. 3.Brian Miller (Montana) · Ballotpedia Reference
  4. 4.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  5. 5.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  6. 6.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  7. 7.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  8. 8.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  9. 9.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record