2020 Montana State Auditor election
November 3, 2020
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County results Downing: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Morigeau: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2020 Montana State Auditor election took place on November 3, 2020, to elect the next state auditor of Montana. Incumbent Republican auditor Matt Rosendale did not seek re-election, instead opting to run for U.S. House.[1] Republican businessman Troy Downing defeated Democratic state Representative Shane Morigeau to succeed Rosendale.[2] Primary elections took place on June 2.[3]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Troy Downing, businessman and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018[4]
Eliminated in primary
Declined
- Matt Rosendale, incumbent state auditor (ran for U.S. House)[1]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Troy Downing | 97,498 | 49.99% | |
| Republican | Scott Tuxbury | 58,227 | 29.85% | |
| Republican | Nelly Nicol | 39,312 | 20.16% | |
| Write-in | 10 | 0.01% | ||
| Total votes | 195,047 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Shane Morigeau, state representative[9]
Eliminated in primary
- Mike Winsor, attorney[6]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Shane Morigeau | 78,608 | 61.31% | |
| Democratic | Mike Winsor | 49,601 | 38.69% | |
| Write-in | 5 | 0.00% | ||
| Total votes | 128,214 | 100.00% | ||
| Elections in Montana |
|---|
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Troy Downing | 326,742 | 55.32% | ||
| Democratic | Shane Morigeau | 232,634 | 39.39% | ||
| Libertarian | Roger Roots | 31,267 | 5.29% | ||
| Total votes | 590,643 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
| County[10] | Troy Downing Republican |
Shane Morigeau Democratic |
Roger Roots Libertarian |
Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| Beaverhead | 3,736 | 67.38% | 1,510 | 27.23% | 299 | 5.39% | 2,226 | 40.14% | 5,545 |
| Big Horn | 2,063 | 43.36% | 2,522 | 53.01% | 173 | 3.64% | -459 | -9.65% | 4,758 |
| Blaine | 1,362 | 44.29% | 1,592 | 51.77% | 121 | 3.93% | -230 | -7.48% | 3,075 |
| Broadwater | 3,035 | 75.91% | 783 | 19.58% | 180 | 4.50% | 2,252 | 56.33% | 3,998 |
| Carbon | 4,392 | 63.07% | 2,253 | 32.35% | 319 | 4.58% | 2,139 | 30.72% | 6,964 |
| Carter | 746 | 88.92% | 66 | 7.87% | 27 | 3.22% | 680 | 81.05% | 839 |
| Cascade | 22,262 | 57.44% | 14,514 | 37.45% | 1,979 | 5.11% | 7,748 | 19.99% | 38,755 |
| Chouteau | 1,838 | 63.36% | 927 | 31.95% | 136 | 4.69% | 911 | 31.40% | 2,901 |
| Custer | 4,003 | 69.41% | 1,456 | 25.25% | 308 | 5.34% | 2,547 | 44.17% | 5,767 |
| Daniels | 761 | 78.53% | 181 | 18.68% | 27 | 2.79% | 580 | 59.86% | 969 |
| Dawson | 3,516 | 74.63% | 972 | 20.63% | 223 | 4.73% | 2,544 | 54.00% | 4,711 |
| Deer Lodge | 1,923 | 40.14% | 2,579 | 53.83% | 289 | 6.03% | -656 | -13.69% | 4,791 |
| Fallon | 1,273 | 85.21% | 164 | 10.98% | 57 | 3.82% | 1,109 | 74.23% | 1,494 |
| Fergus | 4,691 | 73.77% | 1,393 | 21.91% | 275 | 4.32% | 3,298 | 51.86% | 6,359 |
| Flathead | 37,052 | 63.13% | 18,845 | 32.11% | 2,793 | 4.76% | 18,207 | 31.02% | 58,690 |
| Gallatin | 29,665 | 43.24% | 33,881 | 49.39% | 5,052 | 7.36% | -4,216 | -6.15% | 68,598 |
| Garfield | 710 | 89.76% | 48 | 6.07% | 33 | 4.17% | 662 | 83.69% | 791 |
| Glacier | 1,711 | 30.38% | 3,705 | 65.78% | 216 | 3.84% | -1,994 | -35.40% | 5,632 |
| Golden Valley | 410 | 82.66% | 71 | 14.31% | 15 | 3.02% | 339 | 68.35% | 496 |
| Granite | 1,331 | 64.86% | 611 | 29.78% | 110 | 5.36% | 720 | 35.09% | 2,052 |
| Hill | 3,684 | 52.06% | 2,952 | 41.72% | 440 | 6.22% | 732 | 10.34% | 7,076 |
| Jefferson | 5,036 | 62.82% | 2,580 | 32.19% | 400 | 4.99% | 2,456 | 30.64% | 8,016 |
| Judith Basin | 1,013 | 77.74% | 240 | 18.42% | 50 | 3.84% | 773 | 59.32% | 1,303 |
| Lake | 8,459 | 51.59% | 7,263 | 44.29% | 675 | 4.12% | 1,196 | 7.29% | 16,397 |
| Lewis and Clark | 20,104 | 48.42% | 19,249 | 46.37% | 2,163 | 5.21% | 855 | 2.06% | 41,516 |
| Liberty | 778 | 74.24% | 234 | 22.33% | 36 | 3.44% | 544 | 51.91% | 1,048 |
| Lincoln | 8,308 | 72.03% | 2,701 | 23.42% | 525 | 4.55% | 5,607 | 48.61% | 11,534 |
| Madison | 3,933 | 65.91% | 1,662 | 27.85% | 372 | 6.23% | 2,271 | 38.06% | 5,967 |
| McCone | 908 | 83.07% | 149 | 13.63% | 36 | 3.29% | 759 | 69.44% | 1,093 |
| Meagher | 813 | 74.86% | 219 | 20.17% | 54 | 4.97% | 594 | 54.70% | 1,086 |
| Mineral | 1,710 | 68.13% | 659 | 26.25% | 141 | 5.62% | 1,051 | 41.87% | 2,510 |
| Missoula | 25,013 | 35.71% | 41,325 | 59.01% | 3,697 | 5.28% | -16,312 | -23.29% | 70,035 |
| Musselshell | 2,292 | 81.19% | 409 | 14.49% | 122 | 4.32% | 1,883 | 66.70% | 2,823 |
| Park | 5,740 | 50.59% | 4,960 | 43.72% | 645 | 5.69% | 780 | 6.88% | 11,345 |
| Petroleum | 290 | 84.55% | 36 | 10.50% | 17 | 4.96% | 254 | 74.05% | 343 |
| Phillips | 1,886 | 80.81% | 381 | 16.32% | 67 | 2.87% | 1,505 | 64.48% | 2,334 |
| Pondera | 1,962 | 66.71% | 860 | 29.24% | 119 | 4.05% | 1,102 | 37.47% | 2,941 |
| Powder River | 929 | 84.61% | 127 | 11.57% | 42 | 3.83% | 802 | 73.04% | 1,098 |
| Powell | 2,207 | 70.49% | 771 | 24.62% | 153 | 4.89% | 1,436 | 45.86% | 3,131 |
| Prairie | 560 | 78.76% | 118 | 16.60% | 33 | 4.64% | 442 | 62.17% | 711 |
| Ravalli | 18,510 | 66.14% | 8,307 | 29.68% | 1,171 | 4.18% | 10,203 | 36.45% | 27,988 |
| Richland | 4,447 | 79.34% | 877 | 15.65% | 281 | 5.01% | 3,570 | 63.69% | 5,605 |
| Roosevelt | 1,825 | 46.62% | 1,875 | 47.89% | 215 | 5.49% | -50 | -1.28% | 3,915 |
| Rosebud | 2,340 | 62.92% | 1,191 | 32.02% | 188 | 5.06% | 1,149 | 30.90% | 3,719 |
| Sanders | 5,290 | 70.55% | 1,870 | 24.94% | 338 | 4.51% | 3,420 | 45.61% | 7,498 |
| Sheridan | 1,291 | 67.20% | 524 | 27.28% | 106 | 5.52% | 767 | 39.93% | 1,921 |
| Silver Bow | 6,864 | 37.50% | 10,388 | 56.75% | 1,052 | 5.75% | -3,524 | -19.25% | 18,304 |
| Stillwater | 4,284 | 75.81% | 1,129 | 19.98% | 238 | 4.21% | 3,155 | 55.83% | 5,651 |
| Sweet Grass | 1,757 | 72.42% | 518 | 21.35% | 151 | 6.22% | 1,239 | 51.07% | 2,426 |
| Teton | 2,500 | 69.21% | 963 | 26.66% | 149 | 4.13% | 1,537 | 42.55% | 3,612 |
| Toole | 1,529 | 73.90% | 424 | 20.49% | 116 | 5.61% | 1,105 | 53.41% | 2,069 |
| Treasure | 367 | 81.37% | 75 | 16.63% | 9 | 2.00% | 292 | 64.75% | 451 |
| Valley | 2,937 | 70.89% | 991 | 23.92% | 215 | 5.19% | 1,946 | 46.97% | 4,143 |
| Wheatland | 786 | 75.14% | 208 | 19.89% | 52 | 4.97% | 578 | 55.26% | 1,046 |
| Wibaux | 471 | 83.22% | 76 | 13.43% | 19 | 3.36% | 395 | 69.79% | 566 |
| Yellowstone | 49,439 | 60.12% | 28,250 | 34.35% | 4,548 | 5.53% | 21,189 | 25.77% | 82,237 |
| Totals | 326,742 | 55.32% | 232,634 | 39.39% | 31,267 | 5.29% | 94,108 | 15.93% | 590,643 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Hill (largest city: Havre)
- Lewis and Clark (largest city: Helena)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
References
- ^ a b Pathé, Simone (June 17, 2019). "On heels of Senate loss, Matt Rosendale running for Congress — again". Roll Call. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ https://montanafreepress.org/2020/11/04/troy-downing-wins-election-as-state-auditor/
- ^ "2020 State Primary Election Dates". www.ncsl.org. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Drake, Phil (June 26, 2019). "Downing running for state auditor in 2020". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Drake, Phil (October 3, 2019). "Nicol enters 2020 race for Montana state auditor". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ a b "Here are the local, state and federal candidates on Helena-area ballots". Helena Independent Record. March 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Stapleton, Corey (June 2, 2020). "2020 STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTION CANVASS" (PDF). Secretary of State of Montana. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 14, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ a b Stapleton, Corey (June 2, 2020). "2020 STATEWIDE PRIMARY ELECTION CANVASS ABSTRACT OF WRITE-IN VOTES" (PDF). Secretary of State of Montana. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Michels, Holly K. (June 30, 2019). "Missoula Democrat Shane Morigeau running for state auditor post". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ a b Stapleton, Corey (November 3, 2020). "2020 STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION CANVASS" (PDF). Secretary of State of Montana. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2026.