Troy Downing was elected Montana State Auditor in November 2020. As the State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Downing oversees the criminal justice agency protecting Montana’s consumers by ensuring fairness, transparency, and access for two of the state’s largest industries—securities and insurance. As Commissioner, Downing is committed to consumer education and advocacy, holding bad actors accountable, lowering insurance costs, and reducing unnecessary regulations for Montana businesses. Due to its favorable regulatory environment overseen by Downing, Montana is one of the largest captive domiciles in the United States.

As State Auditor, Downing also serves on the Montana Board of Land Commissioners overseeing management and stewardship of state trust lands for the primary benefit of funding Montana’s public education system.

Downing began his career in education as a research scientist and educator at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. In the 1990s, he founded a technology startup company that he successfully merged with Yahoo! Inc. Downing then went on to help other startup companies succeed through seed funding and mentorship. After his career in the tech industry, Downing founded a nationwide commercial insurance company and a nationwide real estate firm that creates, sells, and manages real estate investment securities.

Downing’s strong sense of public service led him to enlist after 9/11 in the U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard, serving eight years in a Combat Search and Rescue squadron and serving two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Today, he continues his service to veterans as an advisory board member to and volunteer for the Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation, a Montana-based organization that uses fly fishing and Montana’s natural beauty as a simple, but powerfully effective, healing therapy for post-9/11 combat veterans and their families. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and as a Montana distillery co-owner, he produced and distributed millions of hand sanitizer bottles across the nation.

Downing and his wife, Heather, have four children and currently live in Helena, MT.