Mike Cooney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Cooney
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 36th Lieutenant Governor of Montana | |
| In office January 4, 2016 – January 4, 2021 |
|
| Governor | Steve Bullock |
| Preceded by | Angela McLean |
| Succeeded by | Kristen Juras |
| President of the Montana Senate | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Jon Tester |
| Succeeded by | Robert Story |
| Member of the Montana Senate from the 40th district |
|
| In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Angela McLean |
| Succeeded by | Mary Caferro |
| Member of the Montana Senate from the 26th district |
|
| In office January 13, 2003 – January 3, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Mignon Waterman |
| Succeeded by | Lynda Moss |
| 17th Secretary of State of Montana | |
| In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2001 |
|
| Governor | Stan Stephens Marc Racicot Judy Martz |
| Preceded by | Verner Bertelsen |
| Succeeded by | Bob Brown |
| Member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 83rd district |
|
| In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981 |
|
| Preceded by | Al Luebeck |
| Succeeded by | Dave Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 3, 1954 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | DeeAnn Gribble |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Frank Henry Cooney (grandfather) |
| Education | University of Montana (BS) |
Michael R. Cooney (born September 3, 1954) is an American politician. He served as the 36th Lieutenant Governor of Montana from 2016 to 2021. Before this, he held many important roles in Montana's government.
Cooney was a member of the Montana House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981. He also served as the Secretary of State of Montana from 1989 to 2001. Later, he was in the Montana Senate from 2003 to 2011. During that time, he was the President of the Montana Senate from 2007 to 2009. In 2020, he ran for Governor of Montana but did not win.
Besides his political roles, Cooney worked for groups like Montana Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies. He also held positions at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. As of 2024, he was the most recent Democrat to be elected Lieutenant Governor of Montana.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mike Cooney was born in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in Butte, Montana. His grandfather, Frank Henry Cooney, was also a governor of Montana from 1933 to 1935.
When he was young, Cooney played drums in local bands. He also worked at his family's business, Cooney Food Brokerage. He finished Butte High School in 1972. He first planned to become a TV news presenter and studied journalism at the University of Montana.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
Before college, Cooney worked at a TV station in Butte in 1972. There, he met Max Baucus, who was running for the Montana House of Representatives. Cooney was very impressed by Baucus. In 1974, Cooney paused his studies to work for Baucus's campaign for Congress.
Cooney traveled to towns before Baucus to help prepare for his visits. He really enjoyed this work. He decided then that he wanted to work in politics.
Serving in the State House
After Baucus won, Cooney went back to the University of Montana. He changed his major to Political Science. In 1975, he worked for an insurance group during the Montana Legislature session. He liked how laws were made.
In 1976, a seat opened in the Montana House for the 83rd District. Cooney decided to run. He campaigned by going door-to-door, which was new at the time. He won the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election. Cooney was 21 when he ran and 22 when he was sworn in. This made him one of the youngest state lawmakers in Montana.
In 1977, Cooney helped pass a law. It said Montana would process its own nuclear waste but not from other states. He is very proud of this achievement. He was re-elected in 1978.
In 1979, Cooney earned his Bachelor of Science degree. He also married DeeAnn Gribble. He decided not to run for re-election in 1980. The Montana Legislature was part-time. Cooney wanted a full-time job. He continued to work for Senator Baucus. The Cooneys moved to Washington, D.C., and later back to Montana.
Becoming Secretary of State
Cooney worked for Senator Baucus until 1988. Then, he was encouraged to run for Secretary of State of Montana. This office handles elections, business filings, and keeps state records. Cooney won the election, which was seen as a surprise. He beat his Republican opponent, Pete Story.
Cooney took over from Jim Waltermire, who had passed away. Cooney wanted the office to be fair to everyone. He also wanted it to be run like a business. He helped the office be funded by fees, not taxes. He also updated the computer systems. He worked to increase voter turnout. He helped restore the historic Montana State Capitol building.
Cooney was re-elected in 1992 and 1996. He served three terms as Secretary of State.
Running for Governor in 2000
Cooney could not run for Secretary of State again due to term limits. So, he decided to run for Governor of Montana in 2000. He announced Diana Wyatt as his running mate.
Cooney's campaign focused on three main goals. He wanted to help Montana's economy grow. He also wanted to improve education with more funding. His third goal was to protect Montana's environment. He finished third in the Democratic primary election. He left office in January 2001.
Serving in the State Senate
Cooney returned to politics in 2002. He ran for the Montana State Senate. He won the election for the 26th District. In 2006, he was re-elected for the 40th District.
In 2007, Cooney was chosen to be the President of the Senate. He served in this role until 2009. As President, he strongly supported updating anti-discrimination laws. He wanted to make it illegal to fire someone for being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Cooney finished his term in 2010.
Work at the Department of Labor
In 2006, Cooney started working at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. He was the Division Administrator for Workforce Services. In 2010, he also became the interim Director of the Montana Historical Society. He led the organization until 2011. In 2015, he was promoted to Deputy Commissioner. He held this job until he became Lieutenant Governor.
Becoming Lieutenant Governor
In December 2015, Governor Steve Bullock appointed Cooney as Lieutenant Governor. Cooney had known and worked with Bullock for over 20 years. Bullock said Cooney was an "accomplished leader." Cooney's grandfather had also served as lieutenant governor.
Cooney was sworn into office on January 4, 2016. He ran with Governor Bullock in the 2016 election. They won against Republican Greg Gianforte.
2020 Gubernatorial Election
On July 3, 2019, Cooney announced he would run for Governor again. Governor Bullock could not run again due to term limits. Cooney won the Democratic primary election on June 2, 2020. However, he lost the general election to Republican Greg Gianforte on November 3, 2020.
Images for kids
-
Mike Cooney in 2017
-
Cooney in 2015
