Debo Powers

Debo Powers is an American politician and former educator. She is a Democratic member of the Montana House of Representatives serving District 3.¹ She previously represented the District from 2019 to 2021. District 3 is roughly in northern Flathead County north of Columbia Falls to the Canadian border.

Powers was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Florida State University.

Powers was a public school teacher. She was then a school principal from 1998 to 2011.²³

In October 2019, Powers was appointed to represent District 3 in the Montana House of Representatives, after former Representative Zac Perry resigned to attend graduate school.⁴² Powers assumed office on November 5, 2019.⁵

Powers ran for election to a full term in 2020. She was unopposed in the Democratic primary, but lost to Republican Braxton Mitchell in the general election by 20 points.⁶ She did not participate in the 2022 election.

In 2024, she won the District 3 election defeating Republican challenger Cathy Mitchell by a 3.6% margin.⁷ She was sworn in January 2025 to serve in the 69th Legislature.⁸

Powers lives in Polebridge, Montana.⁴

Powers was sworn in to the 69th Montana Legislature on January 6, 2025. During the session, Powers voted against HB 121, the Protect Women's Spaces Act, which required sex-segregated facilities in schools and public buildings.⁹ She also voted against HB 408, which would have required obscene content filters on devices sold to minors,¹⁰ and against HB 471, which required schools to notify parents when gender identity topics are included in curriculum.¹¹

Of five bills Powers sponsored during the session, four died in committee. ¹²

Powers is running for re-election in 2026. The Democratic primary is June 2, 2026. Republican candidates Cathy Mitchell and Derek Peachey are competing in the Republican primary on the same date.¹³ The general election is November 3, 2026.