Mark Allen Sweeney (May 27, 1959 – May 6, 2022) was an American politician and businessman who served as a member of the

Montana Senate The Montana Senate is the upper house of the Montana Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The body is composed of 50 senators elected for four years. Composition of the Senate :''67th Legislature – 2021–202 ...

for the 39th district from January 4, 2021, until his death.

Early life and education

Sweeney was born in

Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the ...

on May 27, 1959. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in natural resource management from the University of Montana Western.

Career

Sweeney served as a manager in the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from 1980 to 2012. He has also worked as the broker and owner of Montana Blue Ribbon Real Estate. Since 2010, he has operated a natural resources management consulting firm. Sweeney was an unsuccessful candidate for the Montana Public Service Commission in 2012 and won a seat in the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House :''67th Legislature – 2021� ...

in 2018. He was elected to the

in November 2020, after winning a three-way race with 44.4-percent of the vote, defeating Republican candidate Suzzann Nordwick, and former Montana House Representative Gordon Pierson who received 12.6-percent of the vote with an Independent write-in campaign. Sweeney assumed office on January 4, 2021. At the time of Sweeney's death, he was running for the Democratic nomination in

Montana's 2nd congressional district Montana's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the United States House of Representatives that was apportioned after the 2020 United States census. The first candidates ran in the 2022 elections for a seat in the 118th Uni ...

for the 2022 election.

Personal life

Sweeney lived in Philipsburg, Montana. He died at his home on May 6, 2022, aged 62.

References

1959 births 2022 deaths 21st-century American politicians Businesspeople from Montana Candidates in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections Democratic Party Montana state senators People from Granite County, Montana Politicians from Butte, Montana University of Montana Western alumni {{Montana-politician-stub