LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Montana Sen. Barry Usher has been elected vice president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a bipartisan organization serving the nation’s 7,386 state lawmakers and more than 30,000 legislative staff.
Usher will serve one year as vice president, ascend to president-elect the following year, and become NCSL’s president at the 2026 Legislative Summit in Chicago. NCSL’s presidency alternates between parties every year. Utah Senate President Pro Tempore Wayne Harper (R) is NCSL’s newly elected president, and Illinois Rep. Marcus C. Evans, Jr. is the president-elect.
“At NCSL, bipartisanship and collaboration take precedence over everything else. As the next vice president, I will strive to not only encourage collaboration across party lines but also advocate for my fellow legislators on both sides of the aisle,” Usher said.
Usher served in the Montana House of Representatives from 2017 to 2022 and was elected to the Montana Senate in 2022. Currently, he is a majority whip and vice chair of the Judiciary Committee under Senate President Jason Ellsworth. He is an active member with NCSL, serving as a co-chair of the Law and Public Safety Standing Committee, and a member of NCSL’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Privacy.
Usher began his public service upon joining the U.S. Coast Guard, which then inspired him to set out a career in law enforcement. After an early retirement, Usher became an entrepreneur and now owns several businesses in various industries.
Since entering elected office in 2017, Usher has worked on legislation related to criminal justice reform, public safety and law enforcement.
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.