COMMISSIONER JAMES BROWN

On November 5th, 2024, James Brown was elected as the Treasure State’s 18th State Auditor, prevailing by a 22-point margin. Brown serves as Montana’s Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, overseeing a state criminal justice agency tasked with protecting Montana’s insurance and securities consumers.

Before his election as Auditor, Brown served four years as President of the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC). In this position, Brown successfully improved performance at the agency and restored its reputation as an effective regulator of several of Montana’s largest industries, including power suppliers, railroads, and waste haulers.

Brown grew up in Dillon, Montana. He is a proud graduate of the University of Montana – class of ’94.  Brown obtained his J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law and a Masters in tax law from the University of Washington – Seattle. Brown’s work experience also includes clerking for then-Chief Justice of the Washington State Supreme Court Gerry Alexander and working as a policy aide in the United States Congress for six years.

Brown is a fourth-generation Montanan whose family homesteaded in Beaverhead County in the 1880s. Prior to his career in public service, Brown owned and operated his law firm, the James Brown Law Office, for more than a decade. He has represented and defended the interests of Montana families both as a private practice attorney and as an elected official.

Per his constitutional duties as a member of the Montana Board of Land Commissioners, Brown also champions public education funding and proper stewardship of state trust land. During his service on the Land Board, Brown has demonstrated his commitment to working collaboratively with all parties to maintain access to Montana’s public lands, to enhance funding for public education, and to responsibly manage state trust properties as a trustee.

Brown has zero tolerance for those who violate the law or attempt to financially abuse seniors and other vulnerable groups. As the head of a state law enforcement agency, Brown is committed to finding, investigating, and prosecuting criminal actors that mistreat or defraud Montanans.

Having owned his own business and signed both the front and back of a paycheck, Brown is working to create a regulatory environment that is fair to entities willing to provide much-needed insurance coverage to Montana citizens. Brown has also implemented a strategic performance plan for his agency, ensuring Montanans know their tax money is being used efficiently and effectively. Since taking office, Brown has:

• Denied more than $24 million in unjustified insurance rate increases, benefiting tens of thousands of Montana insurance consumers;
• Recovered roughly $50 million in wrongful billing from an ACA (Obamacare) scam targeting Native communities; and
• Secured over $80 million in funding for Montana’s public education system.

More than anything, Brown is proud to call the Treasure State home and serve his fellow Montanans.