Troy Downing | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMontana's2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Matt Rosendale |
| 17thAuditor of Montana | |
| In office January 4, 2021 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Governor | Greg Gianforte |
| Preceded by | Matt Rosendale |
| Succeeded by | James Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Troy Bryan Downing (1967-03-04)March 4, 1967 (age 58) Indio, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Heather Downing |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | New York University (attended) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Unit | 129th Rescue Squadron |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
Troy Bryan Downing[1] (born March 4, 1967)[2] is an American politician and businessman serving as a member of theU.S. House of Representatives forMontana's 2nd congressional district since 2025.[3] A member of theRepublican Party, he previously held the office ofMontana state auditor from 2021 to 2025.
Downing ran for the United States Senate in2018, but placed third in the Republican primary, behind then-state auditorMatt Rosendale and Yellowstone County District JudgeRussell Fagg. In2020, Downing ran for State Auditor of Montana to succeed Rosendale, who wasrunning for the House of Representatives. He won the Republican nomination, defeating 2 other candidates, and defeatedDemocratShane Morigeau in the general election. In2024, instead of running for a second term, Downing instead ran for theHouse of Representatives, also to succeed Rosendale, who retired after 2 terms. He won the Republican nomination and defeated formerstate house speakerJohn Driscoll.
Downing was born inIndio, California.[4] He studied applied mathematics and computer science atNew York University.[5][6]
Downing was a research scientist and educator at theCourant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University.[3] After leaving college, Downing founded WebCal, a web calendar company that was later acquired byYahoo!.[7] Downing later founded a nationwide commercial insurance company and a real estate firm.[3] He enlisted in theUnited States Air Force after theSeptember 11 attacks and was assigned to a combat search and rescue squadron.[3] During his service, Downing worked as a flight engineer and was deployed toAfghanistan twice.[8][9] He is the founder and former CEO of AC Self Storage Solutions, a self-storage and real estate investment firm based inCarlsbad, California.[10]
Downing is the co-owner of Wildrye Distilling inBozeman, Montana, which manufactured thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer during the height of theCOVID-19 pandemic in Montana.[11]
Downing was a candidate in the2018 United States Senate election in Montana, placing third in the Republican primary.[12]
During the2020 Montana elections, Troy Downing defeated Scott Tuxbury and Nelly Nicol in the Republican primary forMontana state auditor.[13] On June 2, 2020, Downing became the Republican nominee, winning 55 of 56 counties and receiving 50% of the vote in the three-way primary.[13]
In the general election, Downing defeatedstate SenatorShane Morigeau.[13] He was sworn in as state auditor on January 4, 2021.[14]
In the June 4, 2024 primary, Downing won the eight-way contest to secure the Republican nomination for easternMontana's 2nd congressional district. He won the general election on November 5, 2024, defeating Democratic nomineeJohn Driscoll.[15]
Rep. Downing was sworn in to the119th United States Congress on January 3, 2025.
Downing is a volunteer for the Warriors and Quiet Waters (WQW) Foundation.[3]
Downing built a vacation home inBig Sky, Montana, in 2000 and moved there full-time in 2009.[17]
In 2017, Downing was charged with hunting license violations.[18][19] He ultimately pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges, being ordered to pay a $2,110 fine and any court fees.[20] Downing and his wife, Heather, have four children.[3]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Matt Rosendale | Republican nominee forAuditor of Montana 2020 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Auditor of Montana 2021–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMontana's 2nd congressional district 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 382nd | Succeeded by |
| Territorial (1865–1889) |
|  | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oneat-large seat (1889–1913) |
| ||||
| Two at-large seats (1913–1919) |
| ||||
| Districts (1919–1993) |
| ||||
| One at-large seat (1993–2023) |
| ||||
| Districts (2023–present) |
| ||||