Kristen Juras (néeGustafson; born October 16, 1955) is an American businesswoman, attorney, law professor, and politician serving as the 37th lieutenant governor of Montana. A Republican, Juras was first elected in November 2020 and assumed office on January 4, 2021.
In March 2020, then-Congressman Greg Gianforte, selected Juras as his running mate in the 2020 Montana gubernatorial election.[7] They won their party's nomination in the Republican primary, and faced incumbent Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney and Montana Representative Casey Schreiner in the November general election.[8] Gianforte and Juras won the election,[9] and were sworn into office on January 4, 2021.[10]
In June 2022, Juras served as acting governor while Gianforte was out of the country, and declared a state of emergency regarding flooding near Red Lodge, Montana.[11]
Personal life
Juras and her husband John have three sons.[2] Her younger brother is country musician Wylie Gustafson.[12]
Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without a directly elected lieutenant governor or whose lieutenant governor office is vacant: