Katharin Kelker

{{Short description|American politician}}

{{BLP sources|date=July 2020}}

{{infobox officeholder

| name = Katharin Kelker

| office = Member of the Montana Senate from the 24th district

| term_start = January 2, 2023

| term_end = November 13, 2024

| predecessor = Mary McNally

| successor = Emma Kerr-Carpenter

| office1 = Member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 47th district

| term_start1 = January 5, 2015

| term_end1 = January 2, 2023

| predecessor1 = Mary McNally

| successor1 = Denise Baum

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|5|7}}

| birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio

| party = Democratic

| residence = Billings, Montana

| alma_mater = Hiram College, Montana State University

| spouse = Paul

| children = 4

|}}

Katharin "Kathy" Kelker (born May 7, 1943) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Montana Senate.{{cite web |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Montana_State_Senate_elections,_2022 |title=Montana State Senate elections, 2022 |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=March 25, 2022}} She previously served in the Montana House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023 before being termed out.{{cite web |title=Copper Book: Lawmakers of Montana, Legislative Session of 2021 |url=https://leg.mt.gov/session/copper-book/ |website=Montana State Legislature |publisher=Montana Legislative Services Division |access-date=3 July 2021|page=47}} She resigned from the Montana Senate in November 2024.{{cite web |url=https://dailymontanan.com/2024/12/03/yellowstone-county-commissioners-pick-kerr-carpenter-to-replace-kelker-in-the-montana-senate/ |title=Yellowstone County Commissioners pick Kerr-Carpenter to replace Kelker in the Montana Senate |website=Daily Montanan |access-date=December 11, 2024}}

2014 election

In the 2014 election, Mary McNally ran unopposed in the primary until she withdrew to become the replacement nominee for Montana Senate district 24. Kelker took her place and defeated Republican opponent Joshua Sizemore.{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Katharin_Kelker|title=Katharin Kelker|publisher=Ballotpedia|access-date=July 12, 2020}}

class="wikitable"
colspan="4" |2014 Montana House of Representatives 47th District election
Party

|Candidate

|Votes

|%

Democratic

|Katharin Kelker

|1,701

|56.2

Republican

|Joshua Sizemore

|1,328

|43.8

2016 election

Kelker ran unopposed in the primary and defeated Republican Jason Thomas.

class="wikitable"
colspan="4" |2016 Montana House of Representatives 47th District election
Party

|Candidate

|Votes

|%

Democratic

|Katharin Kelker

|2,272

|58.51

Republican

|Jason Thomas

|1,611

|41.49

2018 election

Kelker ran unopposed in the primary and defeated Republican Colton Zaugg.

class="wikitable"
colspan="4" |2018 Montana House of Representatives 47th District election
Party

|Candidate

|Votes

|%

Democratic

|Katharin Kelker

|2,352

|59.7

Republican

|Colton Zaugg

|1,586

|40.3

2020 election

Kelker ran unopposed in the primary and defeated Republican TJ Smith.

class="wikitable"
colspan="4" |2020 Montana House of Representatives 47th District election
Party

|Candidate

|Votes

|%

Democratic

|Katharin Kelker

|2,485

|55.5

Republican

|TJ Smith

|1,992

|44.5

2022 election

After being term limited in the House of Representatives, Kelker ran for the 24th Senate District. Kelker ran unopposed in the primary and defeated Republican Elijah Tidswell.

class="wikitable"
colspan="4" |2022 Montana Senate 24th District election
Party

|Candidate

|Votes

|%

Democratic

|Katharin Kelker

|3,804

|55.9

Republican

|Elijah Tidswell

|3,003

|41.1

References