Lewis & Clark County District Court Greatly Reduces Scope of Restraining Order Against 2026 MTGOP Bylaws

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 16th, 2026

HELENA, Mont. – On Tuesday, the Lewis & Clark County District Court modified the temporary restraining order sought by a small group of dissident Republicans seeking to nullify the 2026 MTGOP bylaws passed by a 97% vote at the Platform Convention in June.

Though the order brought forth by the plaintiffs sought to nullify the 2026 bylaws in their entirety, once the Party had the opportunity to present its case in court at the Monday preliminary hearing, the judge determined that their request was far too broad. The temporary restraining order was lifted from all sections of the 2026 bylaws with the exception of those parts regarding official membership requirements and provisions for accountability. 

“The plaintiffs wanted to nullify the bylaws, passed by a 97% majority vote, in full. After our first opportunity on Monday to respond to their claims, the judge greatly narrowed the scope of the restraining order,” Montana Republican Party Chairman Art Wittich said. 

“Now that we have two weeks to present our full case in writing, we expect our rights as an association, guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution, to be upheld. There is a difference between self-identifying as a Republican and voluntarily participating as a full member of our Party, a political association with its own rules, responsibilities, and authority.”