Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Montana 2010 legislative election results
Senate
 |
|
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan• Minnesota • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming |
| Other 2010 Election information |
Montana State Senate Election Results
This page contains macro-level election results and analysis for the Montana State Senate. For results in individual contests see our Montana State Senate elections, 2010 page. The following is a breakdown of the state senate before and after the election:
| Montana State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 1, 2010 | After the 2010 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 22 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | 28 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | - | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
What You'll See on This Page
This page displays the following lists of candidates
- Incumbents who ran on November 2
- Incumbents who were defeated
- Challengers who defeated an incumbent
- Newly elected senators
- List of all winners
- Unopposed candidates
- Third party candidates
State Senate Overview:
- There were 9 incumbents who ran in the November 2 general election. Only 1 incumbents lost, and thus 8 incumbents were re-elected to the Montana State Senate.
- No Democratic incumbents lost in the general election, while 1 Republican incumbent lost.
- There will be 18 new senators sworn-in. Of those 18, 6 are Democrats and 12 are Republicans
- Of the 26 seats up for election, 9 were won by Democrats and 17 by Republicans.
- 5 candidates were unopposed, 1 Democrat and 4 Republicans.
- Only 1 candidates ran as an independent or third party candidate in the general election.
Incumbency Analysis
Of the 1,167 state senate seats up for election in 2010, incumbents ran for 894 (76.6%) of them. Of these 894, 94 lost their re-election bids, 89 Democrats and 5 Republicans. In Montana, 17 incumbent senators did not run for re-election on the November 2 ballot, while 9 incumbents (34.6%) ran for re-election. Of these 9 incumbents, 1 Republican was defeated and no Democrats were defeated.
Incumbents who ran on November 2
The following is a list of all of the incumbents who ran on the November 2 general election ballot:
Incumbents defeated
The following is a list of incumbents defeated on November 2:
| Candidate | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Roy Brown |
Challengers who beat an incumbent
The following is a list of challengers who defeated an incumbent on November 2:
| Candidate | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Kendall Van Dyk |
New State Senators and General Election Winners
388 new senators were elected across the country. This includes challengers who defeated incumbents as well as candidates who won open seats. Of these 388, 278 were Republicans and 110 were Democrats. In Montana, 18 new senators will be sworn-in. Of those 18, 6 are Democrats and 12 are Republicans. In the 17 open seat contests, Republicans won 12 and Democrats 5. In total, Montana elected 26 senators, 17 Republicans and 9 Democrats.
Newly elected senators
The following are the newly-elected members of the Montana State Senate:
Democratic
Republican
Open Seat Winners
The following is a list of candidates who won election in seats where no incumbent was running:
Democratic
Republican
Candidates who won election
The following is a list of all candidates elected to the Montana State Senate:
Democratic
Republican
Competitiveness
Across the nation, 1,167 state senate seats were up for election in 2010. 1,143 of those seats were partisan seats (24 seats were up for election in Nebraska's nonpartisan unicameral legislature). In 320 (28.0%) of these state senate contests, there was a major party candidate with no major party opposition. In Montana, 5 candidates (19.2% of all seats) faced no major party opposition. Of these 5, 1 was a Democrat and 4 were Republicans.
Unopposed candidates in general election
The following candidates did not face major party competition:
Democratic
Republican
Ballot Access
Across the nation, 140 independent or third party candidates ran for state senate. In Montana, 1 (2.1%) of the 48 senate candidates ran as an independent or third party candidate. None won election in the November 2 general election.
Third party candidates
The following is a list of third party and independent candidates who ran in 2010:
House
|
|
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan• Minnesota • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming |
| Other 2010 Election information |
Montana State House Election Results
This page contains macro-level election results and analysis for the Montana House of Representatives. For results in individual contests, see our Montana House of Representatives elections, 2010. The following is a breakdown of the state house before and after the election:
| Montana House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 1, 2010 | After the 2010 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 50 | 32 | |
| Republican Party | 50 | 68 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
What You'll See on This Page
This page displays the following lists of candidates
- Incumbents who ran on November 2
- Incumbents who were defeated
- Challengers who defeated an incumbent
- Newly elected senators
- List of all winners
- Unopposed candidates
- Third party candidates
State House Overview:
- There were 64 incumbents who ran in the November 2 general election. Only 9 incumbents lost, and thus 55 incumbents were re-elected to the Montana House of Representatives.
- No Republican incumbents lost in the general election, while 9 incumbent Democratic incumbent lost.
- There will be 44 new representatives sworn-in. Of those 44, 9 are Democrats and 35 are Republicans
- Of the 99 seats up for election, 69 were won by Democrats and 30 by Republicans.
- 28 candidates were unopposed, 9 Democrats and 19 Republicans.
- Only 2 candidates ran as an independent or third party candidate in the general election.
Incumbency Analysis
Of the 4,958 state house seats up for election, incumbents ran in the general election for 4,091 (79.5%) of them. Of these 4,091 incumbents, 413 lost their re-election bids, 403 Democrats and 10 Republicans. In Montana, 64 (64.64%) incumbents ran for re-election. Of these 64, 9 incumbent representatives were defeated. All 9 incumbents were Democrats.
Incumbents who ran on November 2
The following is a list of all of the incumbents who ran on the November 2 general election ballot:
- Betsy Hands
- Sue Malek
- Diane Sands
- Michele Reinhart
- Dick Barrett
- Timothy Furey (Montana)
- Gary MacLaren
- Harry Klock
- Mike Miller (Montana)
- Galen Hollenbaugh
- Edith McClafferty
- Jon Sesso
- Cynthia Hiner
- Mike Menahan
- Jeffrey Welborn
- Chuck Hunter (Montana)
- Pat Noonan
- Gordon Vance
- Ted Washburn
- Michael More
- Robert Wagner, Montana Representative
- Mike Phillips
- Franke Wilmer
- Jennifer Pomnichowski
- Robert Ebinger, Jr.
- David Howard (Montana legislator)
- Paul Beck
- Krayton Kerns
- Cary Smith
- Donald Roberts (Montana)
- Gerald Bennett
- Keith Regier
- William Beck, Sr.
- Scott Reichner
- Mark Blasdel
- Janna Taylor
- Pat Ingraham
- Gordon Hendrick
- John Fleming (Montana)
- Frosty Calf Boss Ribs
- Mike Milburn
- Jesse O'Hara
- Carlie Boland
- Brian Hoven
- Robert Mehlhoff
- Roy Hollandsworth
- Tony Belcourt
- Julie French (Montana)
- Wendy Warburton
- Wayne Stahl
- Walter McNutt
- Lee Randall
- Dennis Getz
- J. David Roundstone
- Bill McChesney
- Carolyn Pease-Lopez
- Duane Ankney
- Tom Berry
- Kenneth Peterson (Montana)
- Wanda Grinde
- Margaret MacDonald
- Elsie Arntzen
- Tom McGillvray
- Robyn Driscoll
Incumbents defeated
The following is a list of incumbents defeated on November 2:
| Candidate | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Pomnichowski | ||
| Robert Ebinger, Jr. | ||
| Paul Beck | ||
| John Fleming (Montana) | ||
| Frosty Calf Boss Ribs | ||
| Julie French (Montana) | ||
| Dennis Getz | ||
| J. David Roundstone | ||
| Wanda Grinde |
Challengers who beat an incumbent
The following is a list of challengers who defeated an incumbent on November 2:
| Candidate | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Burnett | ||
| Dan Skattum | ||
| John Esp | ||
| Joanne Blyton | ||
| Daniel Salomon | ||
| Joe Read | ||
| Austin Knudsen | ||
| Sterling Small | ||
| Douglas Kary |
New Representatives and General Election Winners
1,345 new representatives were elected across the country. This includes challengers who defeated incumbents as well as candidates who won open seats. Of these 1,345, 988 were Republicans and 357 were Democrats. In Montana, 44 new representatives will be sworn-in. Of those 44, 9 are Democrats and 35 are Republicans. In the 34 open seat contests, Republicans won 25 and Democrats 9. In total, Montana elected 99 representatives, 69 Republicans and 30 Democrats.
Newly elected representatives
The following are the newly-elected members of the Montana House of Representatives:
Democratic
Republican
- Champ Edmunds
- Edward Greef
- Ron Ehli
- Patrick Connell
- Liz Bangerter
- Alan Hale
- Steve Gibson
- Max Yates
- Kelly Flynn
- Tom Burnett
- Dan Skattum
- John Esp
- Joanne Blyton
- Dan Kennedy (Montana)
- Mike Cuffe
- Jerry O'Neil
- Derek Skees
- Randy Brodehl
- Steve Lavin
- Daniel Salomon
- Joe Read
- Lila Evans
- Christy Clark (Montana)
- Steve Fitzpatrick
- Cleve Loney
- Rob Cook
- Ryan Osmundson
- Kris Hansen
- Austin Knudsen
- Sterling Small
- Jonathan McNiven
- Douglas Kary
- Bill Harris (Montana)
- James Knox (Arizona)
Open Seat Winners
The following is a list of candidates who won election in seats where no incumbent was running:
Democratic
Republican
- Mike Cuffe
- Jerry O'Neil
- Derek Skees
- Randy Brodehl
- Steve Lavin
- Lila Evans
- Christy Clark (Montana)
- Steve Fitzpatrick
- Cleve Loney
- Rob Cook
- Ryan Osmundson
- Kris Hansen
- Jonathan McNiven
- Dan Kennedy (Montana)
- Kelly Flynn
- Max Yates
- Alan Hale
- Steve Gibson
- Liz Bangerter
- Patrick Connell
- Ron Ehli
- Edward Greef
- Champ Edmunds
- Bill Harris (Montana)
- James Knox (Arizona)
Candidates who won election
The following is a list of all candidates elected to the Montana House of Representatives:
Democratic
- Betsy Hands
- Sue Malek
- Diane Sands
- Michele Reinhart
- Carolyn Squires
- Ellie Boldman
- Dick Barrett
- Bryce Bennett
- Timothy Furey (Montana)
- Galen Hollenbaugh
- Edith McClafferty
- Jon Sesso
- Cynthia Hiner
- Mike Menahan
- Chuck Hunter (Montana)
- Pat Noonan
- Kathleen Williams
- Mike Phillips
- Franke Wilmer
- Jean Price
- Trudi Schmidt
- Carlie Boland
- Robert Mehlhoff
- Frank Smith (Montana)
- Tony Belcourt
- Bill McChesney
- Carolyn Pease-Lopez
- Margaret MacDonald
- Mary McNally
- Robyn Driscoll
- Virginia Court
Republican
- Champ Edmunds
- Edward Greef
- Gary MacLaren
- Ron Ehli
- Patrick Connell
- Harry Klock
- Mike Miller (Montana)
- Liz Bangerter
- Alan Hale
- Steve Gibson
- Jeffrey Welborn
- Max Yates
- Gordon Vance
- Ted Washburn
- Michael More
- Robert Wagner, Montana Representative
- Kelly Flynn
- Tom Burnett
- Dan Skattum
- David Howard (Montana legislator)
- John Esp
- Joanne Blyton
- Krayton Kerns
- Dan Kennedy (Montana)
- Cary Smith
- Donald Roberts (Montana)
- Gerald Bennett
- Mike Cuffe
- Jerry O'Neil
- Derek Skees
- Keith Regier
- William Beck, Sr.
- Randy Brodehl
- Steve Lavin
- Scott Reichner
- Mark Blasdel
- Janna Taylor
- Pat Ingraham
- Daniel Salomon
- Gordon Hendrick
- Joe Read
- Lila Evans
- Christy Clark (Montana)
- Mike Milburn
- Steve Fitzpatrick
- Jesse O'Hara
- Brian Hoven
- Cleve Loney
- Rob Cook
- Roy Hollandsworth
- Ryan Osmundson
- Kris Hansen
- Wendy Warburton
- Wayne Stahl
- Austin Knudsen
- Walter McNutt
- Lee Randall
- Sterling Small
- Duane Ankney
- Jonathan McNiven
- Tom Berry
- Kenneth Peterson (Montana)
- Douglas Kary
- Elsie Arntzen
- Tom McGillvray
- Bill Harris (Montana)
- James Knox (Arizona)
Competitiveness
Across the nation, 4,958 state house seats were up for election in 2010. In 1,680 (33.9%) of these state house contests, there was a major party candidate with no major party opposition. In Montana, 28 candidates (28.28% of all seats) faced no major party opposition. Of these 28, 9 were Democrats and 19 were Republicans.
Unopposed candidates in general election
The following candidates did not face major party competition:
Democratic
Republican
- Dan Kennedy (Montana)
- David Howard (Montana legislator)
- Donald Roberts (Montana)
- Gary MacLaren
- Harry Klock
- Janna Taylor
- Patrick Connell
- Jeffrey Welborn
- Jesse O'Hara
- John Esp
- Wayne Stahl
- Kenneth Peterson (Montana)
- Mike Milburn
- Mike Miller (Montana)
- Robert Wagner, Montana Representative
- Roy Hollandsworth
- Tom Berry
- Walter McNutt
- Bill Harris (Montana)
Ballot Access
In Montana, 11 (6.1%) of the 180 house candidates ran as independent or third party candidates.
Third party candidates
The following is a list of third party and independent candidates who ran in 2010:
National Partisan Trends
|
|
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan• Minnesota • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming |
| Other 2010 Election information |
National Partisan Trends
The following tables detail the partisan breakdown of national election results. These results provide context for Republican gains in Montana.
Incumbents who were defeated in the general election
Across the nation, only 15 Republican incumbents were defeated while 492 Democratic incumbents were defeated. In total, 507 (10.4%) of the 4,872 incumbents running in the general election were defeated. The following is a breakdown of incumbent defeats in the 2010 general election:
The following is the breakdown of incumbents who lost.
| Incumbents defeated in 2010 legislative elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Senate | House | Total |
| Democratic | 89 | 403 | 492 |
| Republican | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| TOTALS | 94 | 413 | 507 |
Total new legislators elected
In total, 1,733 (28.3%) new legislators were elected in 2010. Of these 1,733, 1,266 (73.1%) are Republicans and 467 (26.9%) are Democrats.
The following is the breakdown of new legislators.
| New Legislators after the 2010 legislative elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Senate | House | Total |
| Democratic | 110 | 357 | 467 |
| Republican | 278 | 988 | 1,266 |
| TOTALS | 388 | 1,345 | 1,733 |
Winners of Open Seats
Open seats contests made up 1,178 (19.2%) of the 6,125 seats on November 2. Of these 1,178 open seats, Republicans won 729 (61.9%) while Democrats won 449 (38.1%). Going into the election, the number of open seats formerly held by each party was quite similar. Estimates prior to the election suggest that approximately 52% of the open seats were previously held by Republicans and 48% were held by Democrats.
The following is the breakdown of open seat winners.
| Open Seat Winners in 2010 legislative elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Senate | House | Total |
| Democratic | 108 | 341 | 449 |
| Republican | 191 | 538 | 729 |
| TOTALS | 299 | 879 | 1,178 |
Impact on legislative majorities
- See also: Partisan balance of state legislatures
Heading into the November 2 elections, the Democratic Party held a commanding lead in state houses in the 88 legislative chambers that held elections in 2010. 52 of the 88 chambers, or nearly 60% of them, had a Democratic majority, while only 33 of them had a Republican majority. (Two chambers had an exactly equal number of Democrats and Republicans and one is officially nonpartisan.) The following is a partisan breakdown of state legislatures prior to the November 2 election:
| Partisan breakdown before the November 2010 Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber | 
|
|
|
|
| State senates | 23 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| State houses | 29 | 15 | 1 | - |
| Totals: | 52 | 33 | 2 | 1 |
As a result of the election, Republicans picked up 20 legislative chambers while Democrats lost 20. Republicans won 53 total chambers on November 2, while Democrats won only 32. The following is a partisan breakdown of state legislatures after the November 2 election:
| Partisan breakdown after the November 2010 Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber |
|
|
|
|
| State senates | 16 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
| State houses | 16 | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals: | 32 | 53 | 2 | 1 |
Another way to examine the data is to gauge how many chambers had gains for the Democratic Party versus the Republican Party. Using this variable, the wide-sweeping Republican victory is further amplified. Democrats bolstered their majorities in only 7 of 88 (7.96%) state chambers. These legislatures are as follows:
| State legislative chambers where Democrats gained seats on November 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Chamber | Number of seats gained by Democrats |
| California | Assembly | + 2 |
| Delaware | House | + 2 |
| Hawaii | Senate | + 1 |
| Maryland | Senate | + 2 |
| Massachusetts | Senate | + 1 |
| Missouri | Senate | + 1 |
| West Virginia | Senate | + 1 |
In 7 chambers, the GOP kept their current number of seats. In one chamber, the California State Assembly, both major parties gained seats by filling 2 vacancies and defeating an incumbent independent. Overall, the Republican Party picked up legislative seats in 75 (85.2%) of the 88 legislative chambers that held elections on November 2.
Impact on State Politics
Along with the GOP capture of the U.S. House of Representatives, state Republicans gained trifectas (control of the governorship, house, and senate) in 12 states. The following is a breakdown of trifectas across the nation, before and after the 2010 election:
| Trifectas before and after the 2010 Election | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Before election | U.S. House seats | After election | U.S. House seats | Gain/loss states | Gain/loss congressional seats |
| 16 | 131 | 11 | 115 | -5 | -16 | |
| 8 | 66 | 20 | 198 | +12 | +132 | |
Before the election, 131 U.S House seats were in states with Democratic trifectas, while 66 districts were in states with Republican trifectas. After the election, Republicans trifectas control redistricting for 198 U.S. House seats while Democrats control only 115. Additionally, California, the strongest Democratic trifecta with 53 U.S. House representatives, passed propositions that take redistricting power away from state government.
