Corey Stapleton

Corey Stapleton
Secretary of State of Montana Elect
Taking office January 2017
Governor	Steve Bullock
Succeeding	Linda McCulloch
Member of the Montana Senate from the 27th district
In office January 2001 – January 2009
Preceded by	Bruce Crippen
Succeeded by	Gary Branae
Personal details
Born	(1967-09-17) September 17, 1967 Seattle, Washington, United States
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Terry Stapleton
Alma mater	United States Naval Academy (BS)
Website	Campaign website

Corey Stapleton (born September 17, 1967) is a Republican and former Montana State Senator^[1] of eight years duration.

Early life, education, and military service

Corey was born in Seattle, Washington. He was adopted as an infant and lived in Idaho Falls, Idaho until age 2 and then moved to Great Falls, Montana in 1969. His parents are Toby and Avis Stapleton. His father is a retired architect and colonel in the Army reserve from Lewistown, Montana. Mother was a teacher of home economics, from Livingston, Montana.

Graduating from Annapolis

Corey enlisted into the United States Navy’s nuclear power program through the Deferred Entry Program at the end of his junior year of high school, and went to boot camp in Orlando, Florida, the following year after graduation in 1986.

In Orlando, Corey quickly ascended into the top leadership position of his boot camp company, earning Honor Recruit and gaining the attention of military superiors. Within months he was nominated by the Secretary of the Navy to attend the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode Island. Serving as battalion adjutant and earning the Most Inspirational Wrestler Award he earned an appointment to the United States Naval Academy^[2] in Annapolis, Maryland.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. He served as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and the Aegis cruiser USS Hué City (CG-66), earning numerous awards, qualifications, and commendations before voluntarily resigning his naval commission and returning to Montana in 1997. Leaving the navy, Corey began his current-day occupation in Billings, Montana, as a financial advisor^[3] primarily working with families and their retirement needs.^[4]

Montana Senate

Senate hearing

Elections

In 2000 he won a three-way Republican primary and then general election to become the first Generation X-er elected to the Montana State Senate. In 2004, he won re-election to a second term, defeating Democrat Chris Daem 57%-43%.^[5]

Tenure

Within a couple years he was elected Majority Whip^[6] and he would serve continuously in leadership positions until term-limited out of office in 2008. He served as Senate Minority Leader^[7] in the contentious 2007 legislative session, which ended without a budget compromise between the Democratic-controlled senate and Republican-controlled House.

He sponsored several pieces of legislation including Otter Creek Coal development (SB409 2003)^[8] the attempted creation of a Montana medical school (SB273 2005)^[9] the Montana National Guard Relief Act (SB75)^[10] and the demand for reorganization and replacement of the Montana Department of Revenue’s failed computer system POINTS (SB271 2003)^[11] His SB271 passed, which terminated the costly new computer software system that never fully functioned during the Martz administration.^[12]

He was a member of the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Legislative Leaders Council and traveled to Taiwan, Japan, and Turkey representing Montana. In 2006 he was the architect of Republican legislative candidates’ “Handshake with Montana”^[13] similar to the 1994 Republican Party “Contract with America”^[14] and put Montana Republicans back into control of the House and split control of the Montana State Senate.^[15][16]

Committee assignments

• Finance and Claims^[17]
• Legislative Audit^[18]

Campaigns for higher office

2012 gubernatorial election

In 2012, he decided to run for Governor of Montana. His running mate was former State Senator Bob Keenan.^[19] He lost however, to former U.S. Congressman Rick Hill, who won the seven-candidate Republican primary with a plurality of 34% of the vote. Stapleton ranked second with 18% of the vote, sixteen points behind Hill. He won only two counties in the state: Yellowstone (33%) and Treasure (29%).^[20][21]

2014 U.S. Senate election

In early 2013, he decided to run for the U.S. Senate and challenge longtime Democratic incumbent Max Baucus. He strongly criticized his liberal record and started a petition to repeal Obamacare.^[22] In April 2013, Baucus decided to retire.^[23]

2014 U.S. House of Representatives election

After it became clear that freshman Representative Steve Daines would seek the Senate seat, Stapleton withdrew from the Senate race to instead run for Daines' seat in the House. Stapleton lost the Republican primary to Ryan Zinke.

Personal life

Corey and Terry were married June 6, 1992 in Great Falls. They have four children. He enjoys playing soccer, basketball, golf, and running marathons/triathlons. He has served on various community boards including Montana Manufacturing Extension board,^[24] Rotary, American Legion, and the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind foundation^[25] His family attends Faith Chapel church in Billings

References

External links

Media related to Corey Stapleton at Wikimedia Commons