Elections in Montana
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 18,871 | 42.44% | 17,690 | 39.79% | 7,900 | 17.77% |
| 1896 | 10,509 | 19.71% | 42,628 | 79.93% | 193 | 0.36% |
| 1900 | 25,409 | 39.79% | 37,311 | 58.43% | 1,136 | 1.78% |
| 1904 | 34,932 | 54.21% | 21,773 | 33.79% | 7,739 | 12.01% |
| 1908 | 32,333 | 46.98% | 29,326 | 42.61% | 7,163 | 10.41% |
| 1912 | 18,512 | 23.19% | 27,941 | 35.00% | 33,373 | 41.81% |
| 1916 | 66,750 | 37.57% | 101,063 | 56.88% | 9,866 | 5.55% |
| 1920 | 109,430 | 61.13% | 57,372 | 32.05% | 12,204 | 6.82% |
| 1924 | 74,138 | 42.50% | 33,805 | 19.38% | 66,480 | 38.11% |
| 1928 | 113,300 | 58.37% | 78,578 | 40.48% | 2,230 | 1.15% |
| 1932 | 78,078 | 36.07% | 127,286 | 58.80% | 11,115 | 5.13% |
| 1936 | 63,598 | 27.59% | 159,690 | 69.28% | 7,224 | 3.13% |
| 1940 | 99,579 | 40.17% | 145,698 | 58.78% | 2,596 | 1.05% |
| 1944 | 93,163 | 44.93% | 112,556 | 54.28% | 1,636 | 0.79% |
| 1948 | 96,770 | 43.15% | 119,071 | 53.09% | 8,437 | 3.76% |
| 1952 | 157,394 | 59.39% | 106,213 | 40.07% | 1,430 | 0.54% |
| 1956 | 154,933 | 57.13% | 116,238 | 42.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 141,841 | 51.10% | 134,891 | 48.60% | 847 | 0.31% |
| 1964 | 113,032 | 40.57% | 164,246 | 58.95% | 1,350 | 0.48% |
| 1968 | 138,835 | 50.60% | 114,117 | 41.59% | 21,452 | 7.82% |
| 1972 | 183,976 | 57.93% | 120,197 | 37.85% | 13,430 | 4.23% |
| 1976 | 173,703 | 52.84% | 149,259 | 45.40% | 5,772 | 1.76% |
| 1980 | 206,814 | 56.82% | 118,032 | 32.43% | 39,106 | 10.74% |
| 1984 | 232,450 | 60.47% | 146,742 | 38.18% | 5,185 | 1.35% |
| 1988 | 190,412 | 52.07% | 168,936 | 46.20% | 6,326 | 1.73% |
| 1992 | 144,207 | 35.12% | 154,507 | 37.63% | 111,897 | 27.25% |
| 1996 | 179,652 | 44.11% | 167,922 | 41.23% | 59,687 | 14.66% |
| 2000 | 240,178 | 58.44% | 137,126 | 33.36% | 33,693 | 8.20% |
| 2004 | 266,063 | 59.07% | 173,710 | 38.56% | 10,672 | 2.37% |
| 2008 | 243,882 | 49.49% | 232,159 | 47.11% | 16,709 | 3.39% |
| 2012 | 267,928 | 55.30% | 201,839 | 41.66% | 14,717 | 3.04% |
| 2016 | 279,240 | 55.65% | 177,709 | 35.41% | 44,873 | 8.94% |
| 2020 | 343,602 | 56.74% | 244,786 | 40.42% | 17,182 | 2.84% |
| 2024 | 352,079 | 58.27% | 231,906 | 38.38% | 20,196 | 3.34% |
| Elections in Montana |
|---|
Montana became a territory May 28, 1864 and the first delegation created nine counties: Beaverhead, Big Horn (renamed Custer in 1877), Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, Jefferson, Edgerton (renamed Lewis and Clark in 1867), Madison, and Missoula. Montana became a state on November 8, 1889.
Montana has a history of voters splitting their tickets and filling elected offices with individuals from both parties. Through the mid-20th century, the state had a tradition of "sending the liberals to Washington and the conservatives to Helena". Between 1988 and 2006, the pattern flipped, with voters more likely to elect conservatives to federal offices. There have also been long-term shifts in party control. From 1968 through 1988, the state was dominated by the Democratic Party, with Democratic governors for a 20-year period, and a Democratic majority of both the national congressional delegation and during many sessions of the state legislature. This pattern shifted, beginning with the 1988 election when Montana elected a Republican governor for the first time since 1964 and sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1948. This shift continued with the reapportionment of the state's legislative districts that took effect in 1994, when the Republican Party took control of both chambers of the state legislature, consolidating a Republican party dominance that lasted until the 2004 reapportionment produced more swing districts and a brief period of Democratic legislative majorities in the mid-2000s.
Montana has voted for the Republican nominee in all but two presidential elections since 1952.[2] The state last supported a Democrat for president in 1992, when Bill Clinton won a plurality victory. However, since 1889 the state has voted for Democratic governors 60 percent of the time, and Republican governors 40 percent of the time. In the 2008 presidential election, Montana was considered a swing state and was ultimately won by Republican John McCain by a narrow margin of two percent.
In a 2020 study, Montana was ranked as the 21st easiest state for citizens to vote in.[3]
1890s
Included representatives from additional territorial counties: Meagher (1866), Dawson (1869), Silver Bow (1881), Yellowstone (1883), Fergus (1885), Park (1887), and Cascade (1887)
1892 elections
1896 elections
First election to include Flathead, Valley, Teton, Ravalli, Granite, Carbon, and Sweet Grass counties.
1900s
1900 elections
First election to include Broadwater County
1904 elections
First election to include Powell and Rosebud counties.
1908 elections
First election to include Sanders County
1910s
1912 elections
First election to include Lincoln, Musselshell, Hill and Blaine counties.
1916 elections
First election to include Big Horn, Stillwater, Sheridan, Fallon, Toole, Richland, Mineral, Wibaux, Phillips, and Prairie counties.
1918 elections
1920s
1920 elections
First election to include Liberty, Golden Valley, and Daniels counties.
1922 elections
1924 elections
First election to include Judith Basin and Lake counties.
1928 elections
First election to include Petroleum County.
1930s
1932 elections
1934 elections
- United States Senate election in Montana, 1934
- United States Senate special election in Montana, 1934
1936 elections
1940s
1940 elections
1942 elections
1944 elections
1946 elections
1948 elections
1950s
1952 elections
1954 elections
1956 elections
1958 elections
1960s
1960 elections
- 1960 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1960 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1960 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 1960 Montana gubernatorial election
1962
1964 elections
- 1964 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1964 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1964 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
1966 elections
- 1966 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1966 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
1968 elections
- 1968 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1968 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 1968 Montana gubernatorial election
1969 elections
1970s
1970 elections
- 1970 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1970 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
1972 elections
- 1972 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1972 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1972 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 1972 Montana gubernatorial election
1974 elections
- 1974 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 1974 Montana Senate election
- 1974 Montana House of Representatives election
1976 elections
- 1976 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1976 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1976 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 1976 Montana gubernatorial election
- 1976 Montana Senate election
- 1976 Montana House of Representatives election
1978 elections
- 1978 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1978 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 1978 Montana Senate election
- 1978 Montana House of Representatives election
1980s
1980 elections
- 1980 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1980 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 1980 Montana gubernatorial election
- 1980 Montana Senate election
- 1980 Montana House of Representatives election
1982 elections
- 1982 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1982 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
1984 elections
- 1984 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1984 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1984 Montana gubernatorial election
- 1984 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
1986
1988 elections
- 1988 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1988 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1988 Montana gubernatorial election
1990s
1990 elections
- 1990 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1990 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
1992 elections
1994 elections
- 1994 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1994 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
1996 elections
- 1996 United States presidential election in Montana
- 1996 United States Senate election in Montana
- 1996 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 1996 Montana gubernatorial election
1998 elections
2000s
2000 elections
- 2000 United States presidential election in Montana
- 2000 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2000 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2000 Montana gubernatorial election
- 2000 Montana House of Representatives election
2002 elections
- 2002 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2002 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2002 Montana House of Representatives election
2004 elections
- United States presidential election in Montana, 2004
- 2004 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- Montana gubernatorial election, 2004
- 2004 Montana House of Representatives election
2006 elections
- United States Senate election in Montana, 2006
- United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2006
- 2006 Montana House of Representatives election
2008 elections
- United States presidential election in Montana, 2008
- United States Senate election in Montana, 2008
- United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2008
- Montana Democratic primary, 2008
- Montana Republican caucuses, 2008
- Montana gubernatorial election, 2008
- 2008 Montana House of Representatives election
2010s
2010 elections
- 2010 Montana elections
- 2010 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2010 Montana House of Representatives election
2012 elections
- 2012 United States presidential election in Montana
- 2012 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2012 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- Montana Republican caucuses, 2012
- 2012 Montana gubernatorial election
- 2012 Montana House of Representatives election
2014 elections
- 2014 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2014 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2014 Montana judicial elections
- 2014 Montana Senate election
- 2014 Montana House of Representatives election
2016 elections
- 2016 Montana elections
- 2016 United States presidential election in Montana
- 2016 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2016 Montana gubernatorial election
- 2016 Montana Senate election
- 2016 Montana House of Representatives election
2017 elections
2018 elections
- 2018 Montana elections
- 2018 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2018 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2018 Montana Senate election
- 2018 Montana House of Representatives election
2020s
2020 elections
- 2020 Montana elections
- 2020 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
- 2020 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2020 Montana gubernatorial election
- 2020 United States presidential election in Montana
- 2020 Montana Senate election
- 2020 Montana House of Representatives election
2022 elections
- 2022 Montana elections
- 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 2022 Montana Senate election
- 2022 Montana House of Representatives election
2024 elections
- 2024 Montana elections
- 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 2024 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2024 Montana gubernatorial election
- 2024 United States presidential election in Montana
- 2024 Montana Senate election
- 2024 Montana House of Representatives election
2026 elections
- 2026 Montana elections
- 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
- 2026 United States Senate election in Montana
- 2026 Montana Senate election
- 2026 Montana House of Representatives election
See also
- Political party strength in Montana
- United States presidential elections in Montana
- Women's suffrage in Montana
References
- ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Montana". US Election Atlas. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
- ^ Montana 2012 Election 2013.
- ^ J. Pomante II, Michael; Li, Quan (December 15, 2020). "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 19 (4): 503–509. doi:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. S2CID 225139517. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
Works cited
- "Montana 2012 Election". 270towin. 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
External links
- Counties History
- Montana at Ballotpedia
- Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Montana", Voting & Elections Toolkits
- "Montana: Election Tools, Deadlines, Dates, Rules, and Links", Vote.org, Oakland, CA
- "League of Women Voters of Montana". (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
- "State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures,
State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020