Background and career
Dennis Ray Rehberg (born October 5, 1955) is an American rancher, cattle and cashmere farmer, and retired Republican politician. He served as the lieutenant governor of Montana from 1991 to 1997 and as the U.S. representative for Montana's at-large congressional district from 2001 to 2013. Rehberg was the Republican nominee for the United States Senate in 1996 and 2012, losing to Democratic incumbents Max Baucus 50% to 45% and Jon Tester 49% to 45%, respectively. He subsequently became a co-chairman at Mercury, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm. In 2024, Rehberg ran for Congress in Montana's 2nd congressional district, but was defeated in the Republican primary.
Rehberg was born in Billings, Montana, the son of Patricia Rae (née Cooley) and Jack Dennis Rehberg. His ancestry includes German, Irish, and Scottish. He attended Billings West High School and Montana State University before transferring to Washington State University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in public administration. From 1996 to 2001, Rehberg managed the Rehberg Ranch near Billings. He oversaw a herd of 500 cattle and 600 cashmere goats. After being elected to Congress, Rehberg gave up ranching, citing the difficulty of managing a herd whilst travelling between Montana and Washington D.C.
In 1977 he began working as an intern in the Montana State Senate, and two years later he joined the Washington, D.C. staff of Montana U.S. Congressman Ron Marlenee as a legislative assistant. In 1982, Rehberg returned to farming, until running for the State House in 1984.
Rehberg was elected then to the Montana State House of Representatives from 1985 to 1991, where he served three terms for the 88th district. He defeated eight term incumbent Harrison Fagg in the Republican primary. In the legislature, he considered himself to be a fiscal conservative, and he advocated balancing the state budget without any tax increases. He was the only freshman member to serve on the House Appropriations Committee. He declined to run for a fourth term to his state legislative seat in 1990. He was succeeded by Royal C. Johnson in the State House.
In July 1991, Rehberg was appointed lieutenant governor by Governor Stan Stephens. He was subsequently elected to a full term in 1992. As lieutenant governor, Rehberg sought to bring government back to the local level by traveling to all 56 counties every year. He chaired the Drought Advisory Committee and the Task Force credited with reforming Worker's Compensation, the Montana Rural Development Council, and several health care initiatives. Rehberg stepped down from his post to run for U.S. Senate. He was succeeded as lieutenant governor by fellow Republican Judy Martz.
He ran for a seat in the United States Senate against incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Max Baucus, but lost, 50% to 45%.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
