Mike Cooney

Michael R. Cooney (born September 3, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 36th lieutenant governor of Montana from 2016 to 2021. He previously served in the Montana House of Representatives (1977–1981), as the Secretary of State of Montana (1989–2001), in the Montana Senate (2003–2011), as the president of the Montana Senate (2007–2009) and ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Montana in 2000. Cooney was the Democratic nominee for governor of Montana in the 2020 election, losing to Republican U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte.

Among other positions, Cooney has served as executive director of Montana Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies (2001–2006), division administrator of the Workforce Services Division at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (2006–2015), director of the Montana Historical Society (2010–2011), and deputy commissioner of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (2015–2016). As of 2024, he was the most recent Democrat elected as Lieutenant Governor of Montana