David Bedey, a member of the Republican Party, is a representative of District 86 in the Montana House of Representatives. Born and raised in Hamilton, he is a 4th generation Bitterrooter who returned home in 2008. He studied civil engineering and economics at Montana State University before accepting a commission as an officer in the U.S. Army. During his 30-year military career, Bedey served in combat units, including deployment during the Persian Gulf War, and as a professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He continued his formal education while on active duty, earning two master’s degrees in national security studies and a doctorate in physics. Upon retiring from the Army as a colonel, Bedey returned home and currently works as the chief financial officer of a small engineering firm.
Before being elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 2018, he served on the Hamilton School Board for nine years, chairing the board for seven of those years. During the 2021 legislative session, Bedey served on the House Appropriations Committee and chaired the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee for Education. Presently, he is chairing the Education Interim Budget Committee, which is responsible for monitoring execution of the state budget and ensuring that legislative intent is being met.
