Montana House of Representatives elections, 2018

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
2020
2016
2018 Montana
House elections
Flag of Montana.png
GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryJune 5, 2018
Past election results
20162014201220102008
2006200420022000
2018 elections
Choose a chamber below:


Republicans held control of the Montana House of Representatives, winning 58 seats to Democrats' 42. All 100 House seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans held a 59-41 majority.

Following the 2018 election, Montana continued to be under divided government with Republicans keeping control of both the state House and Senate. The governor's office, held by Steve Bullock (D), was not up for election.

The Montana House of Representatives was one of 87 state legislative chambers with elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.

Montana state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Post-election analysis

See also: State legislative elections, 2018

The Republican Party maintained control of both chambers of the Montana State Legislature in the 2018 election. In the state Senate, 25 out of 50 seats were up for election. The Republican Montana State Senate majority was reduced from 32-18 to 30-20. One Republican incumbent was defeated in the primary and one Republican incumbent was defeated in the general election.

The Montana House of Representatives held elections for all 100 seats. The Republican majority in the House of Representatives was reduced from 59-41 to 58-42. Two Republican incumbents were defeated in the general election.

National background

On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.

  • Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.

Want more information?

Candidates

General election

Montana House of Representatives General Election 2018

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

Donald Coats

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Gunderson (i)  Candidate Connection

District 2

Green check mark transparent.pngNeil Duram

District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngZac Perry (i)

Jerry O'Neil

Shawn Leslie Guymon (Libertarian Party)

District 4

Kwen Shirley

Green check mark transparent.pngMatt Regier (i)

District 5

Green check mark transparent.pngDave Fern (i)

Cindy Dyson (Libertarian Party)

District 6

Mary Custer

Green check mark transparent.pngCarl Glimm (i)

District 7

James Cossitt  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngFrank Garner (i)

District 8

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Fuller

Sid Daoud (Libertarian Party)

District 9

Robert Petersen

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Dunn

District 10

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Noland (i)

Bill Jones (Libertarian Party)

District 11

JoBeth Blair

Green check mark transparent.pngDerek Skees (i)

District 12

Susan Evans

Green check mark transparent.pngGreg Hertz (i)

District 13

Chris Gross

Green check mark transparent.pngBob Brown (i)

District 14

Diane Magone

Green check mark transparent.pngDenley Loge (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Ryan Cahalin  (Independent)

District 15

Green check mark transparent.pngMarvin Weatherwax Jr.

Did not make the ballot:
Adrien Owen Wagner  (Green Party)

District 16

Green check mark transparent.pngTyson Running Wolf

K. Webb Galbreath

District 17

Richard Kerr

Did not make the ballot:
Leonard Bates 

Green check mark transparent.pngRoss Fitzgerald (i)

District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngLlew Jones

District 19

Lynelle Melton

Green check mark transparent.pngWendy McKamey (i)

District 20

Keaton Sunchild  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngFred Anderson (i)

District 21

Leesha Ford

Green check mark transparent.pngEdward Buttrey

District 22

Laura Dever

Green check mark transparent.pngLola Sheldon-Galloway (i)

District 23

Green check mark transparent.pngBrad Hamlett (i)

William Smith

District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngBarbara Bessette

Mike McNamara

District 25

Green check mark transparent.pngJasmine Krotkov

Jeremy Trebas (i)  Candidate Connection

District 26

Green check mark transparent.pngCasey Schreiner (i)

Michael Cooper

District 27

Dan Nelsen

Green check mark transparent.pngJoshua Kassmier

District 28

Green check mark transparent.pngJacob Bachmeier (i)

Conor Burns (Libertarian Party)
Robert Sivertsen (Independent)

District 29

Rachel Stansberry  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDan Bartel (i)  Candidate Connection

District 30

Green check mark transparent.pngWylie Galt (i)

Kathryn G.H. Nicholes (Libertarian Party)  Candidate Connection

District 31

Green check mark transparent.pngBridget Smith (i)

District 32

Green check mark transparent.pngJonathan Windy Boy (i)

Bruce Meyers

District 33

Green check mark transparent.pngCasey Knudsen (i)

District 34

Green check mark transparent.pngRhonda Knudsen

District 35

Green check mark transparent.pngJoel G. Krautter

District 36

Green check mark transparent.pngAlan Doane (i)

District 37

Green check mark transparent.pngFrederick Moore

District 38

Bert Pezzarossi

Green check mark transparent.pngKenneth Holmlund (i)

District 39

Green check mark transparent.pngGeraldine Custer (i)

District 40

Lisa Barton  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngBarry Usher (i)

District 41

Green check mark transparent.pngRae Peppers (i)

District 42

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Stewart-Peregoy (i)

District 43

Blair Koch

Green check mark transparent.pngPeggy Webb (i)

District 44

Ming Cabrera

Green check mark transparent.pngDale Mortensen (i)

District 45

Danny Choriki

Green check mark transparent.pngDaniel Zolnikov (i)  Candidate Connection

District 46

Anne Giuliano

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Mercer

District 47

Green check mark transparent.pngKatharin Kelker (i)

Colton Zaugg

District 48

Green check mark transparent.pngJessica Karjala (i)

Denise Johnson

District 49

Green check mark transparent.pngEmma Kerr-Carpenter (i)

Colin Nygaard

Did not make the ballot:
Stephanie Krueger 

District 50

Green check mark transparent.pngJade Bahr

Quentin Eggart

Nathan McKenty (Libertarian Party)

District 51

Darryl Wilson

Green check mark transparent.pngFrank Fleming (i)

District 52

Amelia Marquez  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngRodney Garcia

District 53

Clementine Lindley

Did not make the ballot:
Megan Petersen 

Green check mark transparent.pngDennis Lenz (i)

District 54

Ben McKee

Green check mark transparent.pngTerry Moore

District 55

Kathleen O'Donnell

Green check mark transparent.pngVince Ricci (i)

District 56

Janna Lind

Green check mark transparent.pngSue Vinton (i)

District 57

Green check mark transparent.pngForrest Mandeville (i)

District 58

Anna Drew  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngSeth Berglee (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Deborah Brewer  (Independent)

District 59

Quenby Iandiorio

Did not make the ballot:
Linda Burch 

Green check mark transparent.pngAlan Redfield (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Zachary Macy  (Independent)

District 60

Green check mark transparent.pngLaurie Bishop (i)

Dan Skattum

District 61

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Hamilton (i)

A. Alexander Fetto (Libertarian Party)

District 62

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Woods (i)

Did not make the ballot:
Jen Petersen  (Libertarian Party)

District 63

Green check mark transparent.pngZach Brown (i)

Joey Chester  Candidate Connection

District 64

Denise Albrecht

Green check mark transparent.pngKerry White (i)

District 65

Green check mark transparent.pngChristopher Pope

Jane Gillette

Did not make the ballot:
Jon Knokey (i)

District 66

Green check mark transparent.pngDenise Hayman (i)

District 67

Kristine Menicucci

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Burnett (i)

District 68

Seth Mangini  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngBruce Grubbs (i)

District 69

Green check mark transparent.pngWalt Sales (i)

Joshua-Luke O'Connor (Libertarian Party)

District 70

Green check mark transparent.pngJulie Darling

Chris Richards (Libertarian Party)

District 71

Jay Frederick

Green check mark transparent.pngRay Shaw (i)

Michael White (Libertarian Party)

District 72

Bill Dwyer

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Welch (i)

District 73

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Keane (i)

District 74

Green check mark transparent.pngDerek Harvey

District 75

J. Bryher Herak

Green check mark transparent.pngGreg DeVries

District 76

Green check mark transparent.pngRyan Lynch (i)

District 77

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Sweeney

Heather Blom

Dick Motta (Libertarian Party)

District 78

Green check mark transparent.pngGordon Pierson (i)

District 79

Green check mark transparent.pngRobert Farris-Olsen

Did not make the ballot:
Jenny Eck (i)

District 80

Catherine Scott

Green check mark transparent.pngBecky Beard (i)

District 81

Green check mark transparent.pngMary Caferro

District 82

Green check mark transparent.pngMoffie Funk (i)

District 83

Green check mark transparent.pngKim Abbott (i)

District 84

Green check mark transparent.pngMary Ann Dunwell (i)

District 85

Laura Jackson

Green check mark transparent.pngTheresa Manzella (i)

Did not make the ballot:
John Gibney  (Green Party)

District 86

Jason Nickisch

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Bedey

District 87

Green check mark transparent.pngNancy Ballance (i)

District 88

Margaret Gorski  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngSharon Greef

District 89

Green check mark transparent.pngKatie Sullivan

David Moore

District 90

Green check mark transparent.pngMarilyn Marler

Nick Knowles

District 91

Green check mark transparent.pngConnie Keogh

Aldo Sardot

District 92

Lee Bridges

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Hopkins (i)

District 93

Eldena Bear Don't Walk

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Read

District 94

Green check mark transparent.pngKimberly Dudik (i)

Dean Rehbein

District 95

Green check mark transparent.pngShane Morigeau (i)

Donald Kenck

District 96

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Winter

Adam Hertz (i)

District 97

Patrick Maloney  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngBrad Tschida (i)

District 98

Green check mark transparent.pngWillis Curdy (i)

Jim Sadler

Jessuah Bardgett (Libertarian Party)

District 99

Green check mark transparent.pngMarilyn Ryan (i)

Raney Tschida

District 100

Green check mark transparent.pngAndrea Olsen (i)


Primary election

See also: Montana state legislative Republican primaries, 2018 and Montana state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
Montana House of Representatives primary candidates
District Democratic Party

Democrat

Republican Party

Republican

Other
1 Donald Coats Approveda Steve Gunderson (I) Approveda
2 No candidate Neil Duram Approveda
3 Zac Perry (I) Approveda Jerry O'Neil Approveda
4 Kwen Shirley Approveda Matt Regier (I) Approveda
5 Dave Fern (I) Approveda No candidate
6 Mary Custer Approveda Carl Glimm (I) Approveda
7 James Cossitt Approveda Frank Garner: 865 (I) Approveda
Robert Welzel: 353
8 No candidate John Fuller Approveda
9 Robert Petersen Approveda David Dunn: 850 Approveda
Warren Illi: 690
10 No candidate Mark Noland (I) Approveda
11 JoBeth Blair Approveda Derek Skees (I) Approveda
12 Susan Evans Approveda Greg Hertz (I) Approveda
13 Chris Gross: 576 Approveda
Gerald Cuvillier: 126
Bob Brown (I) Approveda
14 Diane Magone Approveda Denley Loge: 1,308 (I) Approveda
James Mortenson: 611
15 Marvin Weatherwax Jr. Approveda No candidate
16 Tyson Runningwolf Approveda K. Webb Galbreath Approveda
17 Leonard Bates Approveda Ross Fitzgerald: 1,618 (I) Approveda
Andrew Watson: 516
18 No candidate Llew Jones Approveda
19 Lynelle Melton Approveda Wendy McKamey: 1,144 (I) Approveda
Steven Moltzan: 531
20 Keaton Sunchild Approveda Fred Anderson (I) Approveda
21 Leesha Ford Approveda Edward Buttrey: 842 Approveda
Rickey Linafelter: 167
John Abarr: 106
22 Laura Dever Approveda Lola Sheldon-Galloway (I) Approveda
23 Brad Hamlett (I) Approveda William Smith Approveda
24 Barbara Bessette Approveda Mike McNamara Approveda
25 Jasmine Krotkov: 491 Approveda
Staci Bechard: 389
Garrett Lankford: 243
Jeremy Trebas (I) Approveda
26 Casey Schreiner (I) Approveda Michael Cooper Approveda
27 Dan Nelsen Approveda Joshua Kassmier: 1,281 Approveda
Darrold Hutchinson: 1,080
28 Jacob Bachmeier (I) Approveda No candidate
29 Rachel Stansberry Approveda Dan Bartel (I) Approveda
30 No candidate Wylie Galt (I) Approveda
31 Bridget Smith (I) Approveda No candidate
32 Jonathan Windy Boy (I) Approveda Bruce Meyers Approveda
33 No candidate Casey Knudsen (I) Approveda
34 No candidate Rhonda Knudsen Approveda
35 No candidate Joel Krautter: 1,137 Approveda
Tanya Rost: 975
36 No candidate Alan Doane (I) Approveda
37 No candidate Frederick "Eric" Moore Approveda
38 Bert Pezzarossi Approveda Kenneth Holmlund (I) Approveda
39 No candidate Geraldine Custer (I) Approveda
40 Lisa Barton Approveda Barry Usher (I) Approveda
41 Rae Peppers (I) Approveda No candidate
42 Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (I) Approveda No candidate
43 Blair Koch Approveda Peggy Webb (I) Approveda
44 Ming Cabrera Approveda Dale Mortensen (I) Approveda
45 Danny Choriki Approveda Daniel Zolnikov (I) Approveda
46 Anne Giuliano Approveda Bill Mercer: 1,956 Approveda
Josiah Loven: 257
47 Katharin Kelker (I) Approveda Colton Zaugg Approveda
48 Jessica Karjala (I) Approveda Denise Johnson Approveda
49 Emma Kerr-Carpenter: 720 Approveda
Terry Bouck: 338
Stephanie Krueger Approveda
50 Jade Bahr: 615 Approveda
Joshua Bradshaw: 287
Quentin Eggart Approveda
51 Darryl Wilson Approveda Frank Fleming (I) Approveda
52 Amelia Marquez: 546 Approveda
Dusty Deering: 294
Rodney Garcia: 512 Approveda
Deborah Rowe: 468
53 Megan Petersen Approveda Dennis Lenz (I) Approveda
54 Ben McKee Approveda Terry Moore Approveda
55 Kathleen O'Donnell Approveda Vince Ricci (I) Approveda
56 Janna Lind: 545 Approveda
Dan Gold: 151
Sue Vinton (I) Approveda
57 No candidate Forrest Mandeville (I) Approveda
58 Anna Drew Approveda Seth Berglee (I) Approveda
59 Linda Burch Approveda Alan Redfield (I) Approveda
60 Laurie Bishop (I) Approveda Dan Skattum Approveda
61 Jim Hamilton (I) Approveda No candidate
62 Tom Woods (I) Approveda No candidate
63 Zach Brown (I) Approveda Joey Chester Approveda
64 Denise Albrecht Approveda Kerry White (I) Approveda
65 Christopher Pope Approveda Jon Knokey (I) Approveda
66 Denise Hayman (I) Approveda No candidate
67 Kristine Menicucci Approveda Tom Burnett (I) Approveda
68 Seth Mangini Approveda Bruce Grubbs: 748 (I) Approveda
Ron Murray: 572
69 No candidate Walt Sales (I) Approveda
70 No candidate Julie Dooling: 832 Approveda
Jim Manion: 520
Jon Jackson: 486
Tim Ravndal: 456
71 Jay Frederick Approveda Ray Shaw (I) Approveda
72 Bill Dwyer Approveda Tom Welch (I) Approveda
73 Jim Keane (I) Approveda No candidate
74 Derek Harvey Approveda No candidate
75 J. Bryher Herak: 804 Approveda
Joseph Calnan: 483
Greg DeVries: 902 Approveda
Gregg Trude: 726
76 Ryan Lynch (I) Approveda No candidate
77 Mark Sweeney Approveda Heather Blom Approveda
78 Gordon Pierson (I) Approveda No candidate
79 Jenny Eck (I) Approveda No candidate
80 Catherine Scott Approveda Becky Beard (I) Approveda
81 Mary Caferro: 1,015 Approveda
Robert Farris-Olsen: 904
No candidate
82 Moffie Funk (I) Approveda No candidate
83 Kim Abbott (I) Approveda No candidate
84 Mary Ann Dunwell (I) Approveda No candidate
85 Laura Jackson: 504 Approveda
Mary Toews: 162
Theresa Manzella (I) Approveda
86 Jason Nickisch Approveda David Bedey: 1,219 Approveda
Jacob DeVries: 759
87 No candidate Nancy Ballance (I) Approveda
88 Margaret Gorski Approveda Sharon Greef: 776 Approveda
Jim Crews: 603
Kim Stoltz: 285
89 Katie Sullivan: 722 Approveda
Patrick Weasel Head: 400
Dirk Williams: 295
Jon Van Dyke: 40
David Moore Approveda
90 Marilyn Marler Approveda Nick Knowles Approveda
91 Connie Keogh: 1,503 Approveda
Nancy de Pastino: 1,057
Alex Gray: 237
Eric Love: 48
Aldo Sardot Approveda
92 Lee Bridges: 703 Approveda
Duane Schlabach: 609
Mike Hopkins (I): 413 Approveda
Larry Dunham: 183
DJ Derek Smith: 407
93 Eldena Bear Don't Walk: 424 Approveda
Steve York: 397
Joe Read Approveda
94 Kimberly Dudik: 1,102 (I) Approveda
Matt Bell: 287
Dean Rehbein Approveda
95 Shane Morigeau (I) Approveda Donald Kenck Approveda
96 Thomas Winter Approveda Adam Hertz (I) Approveda
97 Patrick Maloney: 603 Approveda
Dustin Hoon: 563
Brad Tschida (I) Approveda
98 Willis Curdy (I) Approveda Jim Sadler Approveda
99 Marilyn Ryan (I) Approveda Raney Tschida Approveda
100 Andrea Olsen (I) Approveda No candidate
Notes • An (I) denotes an incumbent.
• Candidate lists can change frequently throughout an election season. Ballotpedia staff update this list monthly. To suggest changes, click here to email our State Legislature Project.

Margins of victory

See also: Margin of victory analysis for the 2018 state legislative elections

A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 Montana House of Representatives races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.

The table below presents the following figures for each party:

  • Elections won
  • Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
  • Elections won without opposition
  • Average margin of victory[3]
Montana House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis
Party Elections won Elections won by less than 10% Unopposed elections Average margin of victory[3]
Democratic Party Democratic
42
6
16
22.5%
Republican Party Republican
58
7
10
32.6%
Grey.png Other
0
0
0
N/A
Total
100
13
26
27.6%



The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races).

Montana House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory by District
District Winning Party Losing Party Margin of Victory
Montana House of Representatives District 22
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
0.4%
Montana House of Representatives District 51
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
0.4%
Montana House of Representatives District 96
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
0.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 3
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
0.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 25
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
3.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 24
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
4.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 92
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
5.4%
Montana House of Representatives District 64
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
6.1%
Montana House of Representatives District 52
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
6.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 21
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
7.2%
Montana House of Representatives District 48
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
8.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 67
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
9.0%
Montana House of Representatives District 23
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
9.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 44
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
10.0%
Montana House of Representatives District 26
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
11.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 93
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
11.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 50
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
13.1%
Montana House of Representatives District 94
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
14.2%
Montana House of Representatives District 75
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
14.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 54
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
14.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 60
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
15.0%
Montana House of Representatives District 65
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
16.1%
Montana House of Representatives District 97
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
16.4%
Montana House of Representatives District 58
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
18.2%
Montana House of Representatives District 46
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
18.3%
Montana House of Representatives District 47
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
19.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 12
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
21.3%
Montana House of Representatives District 99
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
21.9%
Montana House of Representatives District 49
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
22.4%
Montana House of Representatives District 16
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
22.9%
Montana House of Representatives District 77
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
23.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 98
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
24.0%
Montana House of Representatives District 89
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
24.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 63
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
26.2%
Montana House of Representatives District 88
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
26.3%
Montana House of Representatives District 32
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
26.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 86
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
28.0%
Montana House of Representatives District 28
Electiondot.png Democratic
Grey.png Independent
28.3%
Montana House of Representatives District 71
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
29.1%
Montana House of Representatives District 43
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
29.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 7
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
30.9%
Montana House of Representatives District 6
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
32.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 59
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
33.1%
Montana House of Representatives District 45
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
33.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 68
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
34.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 56
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
35.0%
Montana House of Representatives District 38
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
35.3%
Montana House of Representatives District 90
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
35.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 20
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
37.0%
Montana House of Representatives District 8
Ends.png Republican
Specialsession.png Libertarian
37.3%
Montana House of Representatives District 5
Electiondot.png Democratic
Specialsession.png Libertarian
38.2%
Montana House of Representatives District 9
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
39.1%
Montana House of Representatives District 85
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
39.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 27
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
41.1%
Montana House of Representatives District 55
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
41.9%
Montana House of Representatives District 11
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
42.2%
Montana House of Representatives District 29
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
42.6%
Montana House of Representatives District 80
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
42.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 19
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
44.0%
Montana House of Representatives District 53
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
44.1%
Montana House of Representatives District 1
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
45.9%
Montana House of Representatives District 14
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
46.2%
Montana House of Representatives District 17
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
49.4%
Montana House of Representatives District 61
Electiondot.png Democratic
Specialsession.png Libertarian
49.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 13
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
50.9%
Montana House of Representatives District 4
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
51.6%
Montana House of Representatives District 72
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
54.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 95
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
54.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 40
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
58.8%
Montana House of Representatives District 10
Ends.png Republican
Specialsession.png Libertarian
59.4%
Montana House of Representatives District 69
Ends.png Republican
Specialsession.png Libertarian
60.7%
Montana House of Representatives District 70
Ends.png Republican
Specialsession.png Libertarian
63.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 30
Ends.png Republican
Specialsession.png Libertarian
64.5%
Montana House of Representatives District 91
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
68.2%
Montana House of Representatives District 100
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 18
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 2
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 31
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 33
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 34
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 36
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 37
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 39
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 41
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 42
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 57
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 66
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 73
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 74
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 76
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 78
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 82
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 83
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 84
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 87
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 15
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 62
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 79
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 81
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Montana House of Representatives District 35
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed


Seats flipped

See also: State legislative seats that changed party control, 2018

The below map displays each seat in the Montana House of Representatives which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.

State legislative seats flipped in 2018, Montana House of Representatives
District Incumbent 2018 winner Direction of flip
Montana House of Representatives District 21 Democratic Party Tom Jacobson Republican Party Edward Buttrey D to R
Montana House of Representatives District 25 Republican Party Jeremy Trebas Democratic Party Jasmine Krotkov R to D
Montana House of Representatives District 65 Republican Party Jon Knokey Democratic Party Christopher Pope R to D
Montana House of Representatives District 93 Democratic Party John Fleming Republican Party Joe Read D to R
Montana House of Representatives District 96 Republican Party Adam Hertz Democratic Party Tom Winter R to D

Incumbents retiring

Twenty-nine incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018.[4] Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Mike Cuffe Ends.png Republican House District 2
Steve Lavin Ends.png Republican House District 8
Randy Brodehl Ends.png Republican House District 9
George Kipp III Electiondot.png Democratic House District 15
Susan Webber Electiondot.png Democratic House District 16
Rob Cook Ends.png Republican House District 18
Tom Jacobson Electiondot.png Democratic House District 21
Jean Price Electiondot.png Democratic House District 24
James O'Hara Ends.png Republican House District 27
Austin Knudsen Ends.png Republican House District 34
Scott Staffanson Ends.png Republican House District 35
Bill Harris Ends.png Republican House District 37
Don Jones Ends.png Republican House District 46
Virginia Court Electiondot.png Democratic House District 50
Jimmy Patelis Ends.png Republican House District 52
Jeff Essmann Ends.png Republican House District 54
Jon Knokey Ends.png Republican House District 65
Kelly Flynn Ends.png Republican House District 70
Amanda Curtis Electiondot.png Democratic House District 74
Kirk Wagoner Ends.png Republican House District 75
Kathy Swanson Electiondot.png Democratic House District 77
Jenny Eck Electiondot.png Democratic House District 79
Janet Ellis Electiondot.png Democratic House District 81
Ron Ehli Ends.png Republican House District 86
Edward Greef Ends.png Republican House District 88
Dave Severson Electiondot.png Democratic House District 89
Ellie Boldman Electiondot.png Democratic House District 90
Bryce Bennett Electiondot.png Democratic House District 91
John Fleming Electiondot.png Democratic House District 93

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Montana

For qualified party candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 201 of the Montana Code

In order to qualify for placement on the primary ballot, a candidate for the nomination of a recognized political party must file a declaration of nomination and pay the required filing fees. The declaration must include an oath of candidacy, which the candidate is required to sign to affirm that, under the state constitution and applicable federal and state laws, he or she is qualified to hold the office being sought. This paperwork must be filed with the Montana Secretary of State if the office being sought is a congressional seat, a state or district office voted for in more than one county, or a state legislative seat.[5][6]

Filing fees are established in Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 202, of the Montana Code Annotated 2023. These fees are summarized in the table below.[7]

Filing fees
Office sought How the fee is determined
For offices earning an annual salary of $2,500 or less and members of the state legislature $15
For offices (except county-level) earning an annual salary of more than $2,500 1% of salary
For offices in which compensation is paid in fees $10

For independent, indigent, and non-qualified party candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 501 of the Montana Code Annotated 2013

In order to qualify for placement on the general election ballot, a candidate must file an "Independent, Minor Party, or Indigent Candidate Declaration, Oath of Candidacy, and Petition for Nomination." Independent and non-qualified party candidates are liable for the same filing fees as qualified party candidates (see table above). Indigent candidates (i.e., those who do not have the resources to pay the filing fees) are not required to pay the statutory filing fees and may have their names placed on the ballot via the petition process only.[8][9]

Nominating petitions must be signed by electors residing within the state and district or political subdivision in which the official is to be elected. Valid signatures must total at least 5 percent of the total votes cast at the last general election for the successful candidate for the office being sought.[10]

For write-in candidates

In order to have his or her votes counted, a write-in candidate must submit to the Montana Secretary of State a "Declaration of Intent and Oath of Candidacy" and pay the requisite filing fees (noted above).[11]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

To be eligible to serve in the Montana House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[12]

  • A resident of the state for at least one year next preceding the general election
  • A resident of the county for six months preceding the general election if it contains one or more districts or of the district if it contains all or parts of more than one county.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[13]
SalaryPer diem
$104.86/legislative day$171/day

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Montana legislators assume office the first Monday of January following the election. If January 1 is a Monday, legislators assume office on the first Wednesday.[14]

Montana political history

See also: Partisan composition of state houses and State government trifectas

Party control

2018

In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the Montana House of Representatives was reduced from 59-41 to 58-42.

Montana House of Representatives
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 41 42
     Republican Party 59 58
Total 100 100

2016

In the 2016 elections, Republicans maintained their majority in the Montana House of Representatives.

Montana House of Representatives
Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
     Democratic Party 41 41
     Republican Party 59 59
Total 100 100

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in Montana held a state government trifecta for 10 years between 1992 and 2017.

Montana Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R
Senate D D D R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D R R R R R R R R R R R R S S R R S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Impact of term limits

See also: Impact of term limits on state representative elections in 2018 and Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2018

The Montana House of Representatives has been a term-limited state house since Montana voters approved CI-64 in 1992. CI-64 created Section 8 of Article IV of the Montana Constitution, which says that state representatives cannot serve eight or more years in any 16-year period.

All 100 seats in the Montana House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. In the 2018 elections, 14 representatives were ineligible to run because of term limits. The following state representatives were term limited in 2018:

Democratic: (5)

Republicans (9):

Of the 87 state legislative chambers that held elections in 2018, 24 of them—12 senate chambers and 12 house chambers—included incumbents who were unable to run for re-election due to term limits.[15] In the 24 chambers affected by term limits in 2018, 1,463 seats were up for election.[16] The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate are impacted by term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.

A total of 271 state legislators—96 state senators and 175 state representatives—were ineligible to run in the 2018 elections because of term limits. This represented 4 percent of the 6,066 total seats up for election in November 2018.[17][18] Republicans had twice as many state legislators term-limited in 2018 than Democrats. A total of 86 Democrats were term-limited, while 177 Republicans were term-limited.

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

State legislative wave elections
Year President Party Election type State legislative seats change Elections analyzed[19]
1932 Hoover R Presidential -1,022 7,365
1922 Harding R First midterm -907 6,907
1966 Johnson D First midterm[20] -782 7,561
1938 Roosevelt D Second midterm -769 7,179
1958 Eisenhower R Second midterm -702 7,627
2010 Obama D First midterm -702 7,306
1974 Ford R Second midterm[21] -695 7,481
1920 Wilson D Presidential -654 6,835
1930 Hoover R Presidential -640 7,361
1954 Eisenhower R First midterm -494 7,513

Competitiveness

Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.

Results from 2016

Click here to read the full study »


Historical context

See also: Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections: 1972-2014

Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.

F5 Pop. % with uncontested state legislative races.png

Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.

Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.

Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Three of 56 Montana counties—5.4 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Blaine County, Montana 2.46% 15.32% 19.24%
Hill County, Montana 17.18% 3.50% 12.21%
Roosevelt County, Montana 6.49% 15.58% 26.27%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Montana with 56.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 35.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1892 and 2016, Montana voted Republican 65.6 percent of the time and Democratic 34.4 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Montana voted Republican all five times.[22]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Montana. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[23][24]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 34 out of 100 state House districts in Montana with an average margin of victory of 17.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 28 out of 100 state House districts in Montana with an average margin of victory of 17.2 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 66 out of 100 state House districts in Montana with an average margin of victory of 28.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 72 out of 100 state House districts in Montana with an average margin of victory of 34.7 points. Trump won 14 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. If one missed the Oct. 9 deadline, he or she could have still voted in the election by registering in person at the county election office. Late registration was available until the close of polls on Election Day.
  2. If one missed the Oct. 9 deadline, he or she could have still voted in the election by registering in person at the county election office. Late registration was available until the close of polls on Election Day.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Excludes unopposed elections
  4. Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  5. Montana Secretary of State, "Candidates information," accessed April 28, 2025
  6. Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 201," accessed April 28, 2025
  7. Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 202," accessed April 28, 2025
  8. Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Independent, Minor Party and Indigent Candidates," accessed January 7, 2014
  9. Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 501," accessed April 28, 2025
  10. Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 502," accessed April 28, 2025
  11. Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Write-in Candidates," accessed April 27, 2025
  12. Montana Legislative Services, "Constitution of Montana," accessed March 6, 2014 (Referenced Art. V, Sec. 4)
  13. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  14. Montana State Legislature, "Montana Code Annotated 2021, 5-2-102. Term of office," accessed November 4, 2021
  15. The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate were up for election in 2018 and have term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018.
  16. The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate are impacted by term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018. In the three chambers, a total of 129 seats were up for election in 2018. No legislators were unable to run in 2018 in those three chamber because of term limits.
  17. Ballotpedia confirmed through phone calls that at least seven California legislators were term-limited in 2018. The number of California legislators term-limited and the overall number of term-limited state legislators had a chance to change if Ballotpedia could confirm that more members were term-limited in 2018.
  18. Some of the 271 term-limited state legislators in 2018 may resign before their term ends. These legislators were still counted in the total number of term-limited legislators in 2018.
  19. The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
  20. Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
  21. Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
  22. 270towin.com, "Montana," accessed June 29, 2017
  23. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  24. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017


Current members of the Montana House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Brandon Ler
Majority Leader:Steve Fitzpatrick
Minority Leader:Katie Sullivan
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
Ed Byrne (R)
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
Paul Tuss (D)
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
Mike Fox (D)
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
District 47
District 48
District 49
District 50
District 51
District 52
District 53
District 54
District 55
District 56
District 57
District 58
District 59
District 60
District 61
District 62
District 63
District 64
District 65
District 66
District 67
District 68
District 69
District 70
District 71
District 72
District 73
District 74
Marc Lee (D)
District 75
District 76
District 77
District 78
District 79
District 80
District 81
District 82
District 83
District 84
District 85
District 86
District 87
District 88
District 89
District 90
District 91
District 92
District 93
District 94
District 95
District 96
District 97
District 98
District 99
District 100
SJ Howell (D)
Republican Party (58)
Democratic Party (42)