Senator Bruce "Butch" Gillespie is a Republican representing District 9 in the Montana State Senate since 2019.

Born in 1946 in Kevin, Montana, Gillespie grew up on a ranch west of Kevin, attending grade school there and high school in Sunburst. He is married to Doreen, with two children: daughter Kisten, a school psychologist in Madison, Wisconsin, and son Kent, a teacher in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A lifelong rancher, he managed a herd of purebred Brahman cattle during his Peace Corps service in Ecuador and later oversaw a 500-head Registered Charolais ranch in Arizona.

Notable achievements and positions include serving nine years on the Cut Bank School Board , vice presidency of the Marias River Livestock Association, membership in the Montana Stockgrowers Association and U.S. Cattlemen's Association, and roles on the Marias Fair 4-H Livestock Board and MSU Animal and Range Sciences Advisory Committee. In the Senate, he serves on committees including Natural Resources, Taxation, Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation.

Education and Political Experience

Gillespie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Agriculture Business and Range Management from Montana State University in Bozeman. He volunteered for two years in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, working with local farmers and ranchers on management practices.

Elected in 2018 to the open seat in District 9 after term limits ended Llew Jones's tenure, he won the Republican primary with 68.7% and the general election with 73.2%; he was reelected in 2022 and continues serving as of 2026. No prior professional political experience is noted beyond these roles.