Biography
Richard Gessling is the Democratic candidate for the Montana House of Representatives, District 55, in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, he described himself as a retired dentist who served on the Red Lodge City Council for 10 years and as mayor in 2005–2006.[2]
In a Ballotpedia survey, Richard Gessling said he spent 39 years in private dental practice, beginning and ending his career with jobs on Indian reservations, and moved to Red Lodge, Montana, in 1988.[2] He said he served 10 years on the Red Lodge City Council, including as mayor in 2005–2006, has been a Lions Club member for 37 years, and has served on nonprofit boards including the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce, the Carbon County Historical Society and the Beartooth Billings Clinic Foundation.[2]
Gessling's listed campaign messages include increased school funding so teachers can earn a livable wage, state funding for early childhood education, concern about the coming Medicaid work requirements, and opposition to efforts to sell or trade state and federal public lands.[2]
- 1.Richard Gessling - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Richard Gessling - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Montana House District 55
Richard Gessling is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Montana House District 55 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.