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Montana Public Service Commission election, 2016
2018 →
← 2014
|
 |
June 7, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
Tony O'Donnell (R) Roger Koopman (R) Bob Lake (R) |
Kirk Bushman (R) Roger Koopman (R) Bob Lake (R) |
Governor • Lt. Governor Secretary of State • Attorney General Down Ballot Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Auditor • Superintendent • Montana Public Service Commission, districts 2, 3 & 4 |
March 14, 2016 |
May 31, 2016 |
June 6, 2016 |
June 7, 2016 |
November 8, 2016 |
TBD |
January 2, 2017 |
Montana held an election for three seats on the Public Service Commission on November 8, 2016. Districts 3 and 4 incumbents Roger Koopman (R) and Bob Lake (R) both won re-election. Republican Tony O'Donnell unseated incumbent Kirk Bushman (R) in the primary elections and went on to win the general election in District 2.
| HIGHLIGHTS | |
Overview
The Montana Public Service Commission is a five-member board responsible for regulation of energy, telecommunications, water/sewer, transportation, and pipeline utilities in the state. Each position represents a different district in the state. Going into the 2016 elections, all five seats were held by Republicans. Three seats were up for election in 2016: Districts 2, 3, and 4.
All three Republican incumbents filed to run for re-election; the District 2 incumbent was defeated in the Republican primary elections. Democrats filed to challenge incumbents in two of the races. One of those races also featured an independent candidate. The race for District 2's seat only had a Republican on the general election ballot. This meant that Republicans were guaranteed to keep their majority on the commission, but the party could have lost its unanimous control in the 2016 elections. However, Koopman and Lake both won re-election and Republicans maintained unanimous control of the commission.
Candidates
District 2
Tony O'Donnell (R)
Financial advisor
| Click show to view candidates who were defeated in the primary election for District 2. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
District 3
Pat Noonan (D)
State representative since 2009
Roger Koopman (R)
Incumbent public service commissioner since 2013
Caron Cooper (Ind.)
Engineer, economist
District 4
Gail Gutsche (D)
Public service commissioner, 2009-2012
Bob Lake (R)
Incumbent public service commissioner since 2013
| Click show to view candidates who were defeated in the primary election for District 4. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
Results
District 2
General election
Tony O'Donnell ran unopposed in the Montana public service commission, District 2 election.
| Montana Public Service Commission District 2, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Tony O'Donnell (unopposed) |
100.00% | 76,142 | |
| Total Votes | 76,142 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Primary elections
No Democrats filed to run in this district.
Tony O'Donnell defeated incumbent Kirk Bushman in the Montana Republican primary for public service commissioner, district 2.
| Montana Republican primary for public service commissioner, district 2, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Tony O'Donnell |
51.12% | 15,132 |
| Kirk Bushman Incumbent | 48.88% | 14,470 |
| Total Votes (124 of 124 precincts reporting) | 29,602 | |
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||
District 3
General election
Roger Koopman defeated Pat Noonan and Caron Cooper in the Montana public service commission, District 3 election.
| Montana Public Service Commission District 3, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Roger Koopman |
49.22% | 54,981 | |
| Democratic | Pat Noonan | 37.11% | 41,458 | |
| Independent | Caron Cooper | 13.67% | 15,269 | |
| Total Votes | 111,708 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Primary elections
Pat Noonan ran unopposed in the Montana Democratic primary for public service commissioner, district 3.
| Montana Democratic primary for public service commissioner, district 3, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Pat Noonan (unopposed) |
100.00% | 25,830 |
| Total Votes (154 of 154 precincts reporting) | 25,830 | |
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||
Incumbent Roger Koopman ran unopposed in the Montana Republican primary for public service commissioner, district 3.
| Montana Republican primary for public service commissioner, district 3, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Roger Koopman Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 27,427 |
| Total Votes (154 of 154 precincts reporting) | 27,427 | |
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||
District 4
General election
Incumbent Bob Lake defeated Gail Gutsche in the Montana public service commission, District 4 election.
| Montana Public Service Commission District 4, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Bob Lake Incumbent |
54.41% | 54,705 | |
| Democratic | Gail Gutsche | 45.59% | 45,842 | |
| Total Votes | 100,547 | |||
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Primary elections
Gail Gutsche defeated Mark Sweeney and Lee Tavenner in the Montana Democratic primary for public service commissioner, district 4.
| Montana Democratic primary for public service commissioner, district 4, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Gail Gutsche |
58.20% | 14,804 |
| Mark Sweeney | 31.16% | 7,926 |
| Lee Tavenner | 10.64% | 2,707 |
| Total Votes (122 of 122 precincts reporting) | 25,437 | |
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||
Incumbent Bob Lake ran unopposed in the Montana Republican primary for public service commissioner, district 4.
| Montana Republican primary for public service commissioner, district 4, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Bob Lake Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 23,512 |
| Total Votes (122 of 122 precincts reporting) | 23,512 | |
| Source: Montana Secretary of State | ||
Context of the 2016 election
Primary elections
A primary election is an election in which voters select the candidate they believe should represent a political party in a general election. Primaries usually take place several months before a general election. Montana utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[1][2][3]
Montana's primary elections took place on June 7, 2016.
Incumbents
Kirk Bushman (R), District 2
Kirk Bushman was elected to represent District 2 on the Public Service Commission in 2012. A native of Billings, Montana, Bushman is a mechanical engineer and former Yellowstone Republican chairman who previously ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate.
District 2 covers southeast Montana.[4]
Roger Koopman (R), District 3
Roger Koopman was elected to represent District 3 of the Public Service Commission in 2012, defeating incumbent Democrat John Vincent by a margin of less than two percent. Koopman previously served in the House of Representatives from 2005 to 2008. Prior to his career in state government, Koopman founded and ran a private employment agency.
District 3 covers southwest Montana.[4]
Bob Lake (R), District 4
Bob Lake was first elected to the commission in 2012, defeating Democratic incumbent Gail Gutsche in the general election by less than three percent. Gutsche ran for the Democratic nomination to challenge Lake for old seat in the general election.
Lake previously served in the Montana State Senate from 2011 to 2013, and was a member of the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011. Prior to his career in state government, Lake owned and founded a feed supply and regional distribution company.
District 4 covers the western-most counties of Montana.[4]
Party control in Montana
Going into the 2016 election, Montana had a divided government since 2005, which was preceded by a nine-year Republican trifecta. Republicans controlled the state legislature, while a Democrat held the governorship. In recent years, Republican candidates had consistently managed to win statewide offices. Most recently, in 2014, Steve Daines (R) defeated Kim Gillan (D) by a 10-point margin in the open U.S. Senate election, and Ryan Zinke (R) defeated John Lewis (D) by a 15-point margin in the open race for Montana's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.[5]
The state had gone to Republican presidential contenders for the last ten presidential elections with the exception of 1992, when Montana's electoral votes went to Bill Clinton.[6] However, Montana tends to elect both Democratic and Republican candidates to the U.S. Congress. Control of the state's executive offices was nearly equally distributed among the two parties.
All five seats on the Public Service Commission are held by Republicans.
Campaigns
Campaign media
District 2
Note: If a candidate is not listed below, Ballotpedia staff were unable to locate any campaign media for that candidate. Do you know of any? Tell us!
Republicans
| Kirk Bushman (R) |  
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| Tony O'Donnell (R) | 
|
District 3
Note: If a candidate is not listed below, Ballotpedia staff were unable to locate any campaign media for that candidate. Do you know of any? Tell us!
Democrats
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Republicans
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Independents
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District 4
Note: If a candidate is not listed below, Ballotpedia staff were unable to locate any campaign media for that candidate. Do you know of any? Tell us!
Democrats
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Republicans
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Campaign finance
District 2
General election
| Tony O'Donnell General Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 1/01/2016 - 10/22/2016 | 5/02/2016 | $0 | $4,613.45 | $(1,942.35) | $2,671.10 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $4,613.45 | $(1,942.35) | ||||||||
| Kirk Bushman General Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 4/29/2016 - 5/21/2016 | 10/26/2016 | $400.00 | $4.00 | $(0) | $404.00 | ||||
| 5/22/2016 - 5/28/2016 | 5/28/2016 | $404.00 | $0 | $(0) | $404.00 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $4 | $(0) | ||||||||
Primary election
| Tony O'Donnell Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 1/01/2016 - 10/22/2016 | 10/26/2016 | $0.00 | $46,010.10 | $(45,022.06) | $988.04 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $46,010.1 | $(45,022.06) | ||||||||
| Kirk Bushman Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 4/29/2016 - 5/21/2016 | 5/26/2016 | $3,558.40 | $6,190.00 | $(7,076.13) | $2,672.27 | ||||
| 5/22/2016 - 5/28/2016 | 5/28/2016 | $2,672.27 | $380.00 | $(2,290.00) | $762.27 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $6,570 | $(9,366.13) | ||||||||
District 3
General election
| Pat Noonan General Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 5/04/2016 - 5/26/2016 | 5/26/2016 | $8,863.59 | $0 | $(450.00) | $8,413.59 | ||||
| 5/27/2016-6/22/2016 | 6/27/2016 | $8,413.59 | $510.00 | $(620.89) | $8,302.70 | ||||
| 6/23/2016-10/1/2016 | 10/14/2016 | $8,302.70 | $8,139.39 | $(12,883.08) | $3,559.01 | ||||
| 10/2/2016-10/22/2016 | 10/26/2016 | $3,559.01 | $3,587.38 | $(6,557.20) | $589.19 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $12,236.77 | $(20,511.17) | ||||||||
| Roger Koopman General Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 5/03/2016 - 5/22/2016 | 5/22/2016 | $0 | $0 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 5/23/2016-6/22/2016 | 6/22/2016 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $0.00 | ||||
| 6/23/2016-9/29/2016 | 9/28/2016 | $0.00 | $16,570.00 | $(6,733.13) | $9,836.87 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $16,570 | $(6,733.13) | ||||||||
| Caron Cooper General Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 4/28/2015 - 5/22/2016 | 5/02/2016 | $0 | $17,314.73 | $(17,172.37) | $142.36 | ||||
| 5/23/2016-6/22/2016 | 10/6/2016 | $0.00 | $21,294.76 | $(20,030.08) | $1,264.68 | ||||
| 6/23/2016-9/29/2016 | 10/11/2016 | $1,264.68 | $10,027.24 | $(11,039.26) | $252.66 | ||||
| 9/30/2016-10/27/2016 | 10/26/2016 | $252.66 | $3,140.00 | $(2,120.88) | $1,271.78 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $51,776.73 | $(50,362.59) | ||||||||
Primary election
| Pat Noonan Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 5/04/2016 - 5/26/2016 | 5/26/2016 | $0 | $0 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 5/27/2016-6/22/2016 | 6/27/2016 | $0 | $0 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 6/23/2016-10/1/2016 | 10/14/2016 | $0 | $0 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 10/2/2016-10/22/2016 | 10/26/2016 | $0 | $0.00 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $0 | $(0) | ||||||||
| Roger Koopman Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 5/03/2016 - 5/22/2016 | 5/22/2016 | $4,691.00 | $170.00 | $(0) | $4,861.00 | ||||
| 5/23/2016-6/22/2016 | 6/22/2016 | $4,861.00 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $4,861.00 | ||||
| 6/23/2016-9/29/2016 | 9/28/2016 | $4,861.00 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $4,861.00 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $170 | $(0) | ||||||||
| Caron Cooper Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 4/28/2015 - 5/22/2016 | 5/02/2016 | $0 | $0 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 5/23/2016-6/22/2016 | 10/6/2016 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $0.00 | ||||
| 6/23/2016-9/29/2016 | 10/11/2016 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $0.00 | ||||
| 9/30/2016-10/27/2016 | 10/26/2016 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $0.00 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $0 | $(0) | ||||||||
District 4
General election
| Gail Gutsche General Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 4/29/2016 - 5/21/2016 | 5/25/2016 | $0 | $0 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 5/22/2016-6/24/2016 | 6/26/2016 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $0.00 | ||||
| 6/25/2016-9/29/2016 | 10/3/2016 | $0.00 | $13,145.00 | $(7,870.90) | $5,274.10 | ||||
| 9/30/2016-10/22/2016 | 10/27/2016 | $5,274.10 | $11,195.00 | $(13,819.84) | $2,649.26 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $24,340 | $(21,690.74) | ||||||||
| Bob Lake General Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 1/01/2016 - 4/28/2016 | 4/29/2016 | $0 | $3,125.00 | $(757.10) | $2,367.90 | ||||
| 4/29/2016 - 5/26/2016 | 5/26/2016 | $2,367.90 | $370.00 | $(0) | $2,737.90 | ||||
| 5/27/2016-6/23/2016 | 6/23/2016 | $2,737.90 | $175.00 | $(0.00) | $2,912.90 | ||||
| 6/24/2016-9/29/2016 | 10/3/2016 | $2,912.90 | $5,380.00 | $(1,895.47) | $6,397.43 | ||||
| 9/30/2016-10/22/2016 | 10/24/2016 | $6,397.43 | $565.00 | $(6,614.27) | $348.16 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $9,615 | $(9,266.84) | ||||||||
Primary election
| Gail Gutsche Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 4/29/2016 - 5/21/2016 | 5/25/2016 | $5,454.75 | $3,650.00 | $(5,022.20) | $4,082.55 | ||||
| 5/22/2016-6/24/2016 | 6/26/2016 | $4,082.55 | $1,470.00 | $(3,316.24) | $2,236.31 | ||||
| 6/25/2016-9/29/2016 | 10/3/2016 | $1,736.31 | $0.00 | $(270.00) | $1,466.31 | ||||
| 9/30/2016-10/22/2016 | 10/27/2016 | $1,466.31 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $1,466.31 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $5,120 | $(8,608.44) | ||||||||
| Bob Lake Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 1/01/2016 - 4/28/2016 | 4/29/2016 | $0 | $0 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 4/29/2016 - 5/26/2016 | 5/26/2016 | $0 | $0 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 5/27/2016-6/23/2016 | 6/23/2016 | $0.90 | $0.00 | $(0.00) | $0 | ||||
| 6/24/2016-9/29/2016 | 10/3/2016 | $0 | $0.00 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| 9/30/2016-10/22/2016 | 10/24/2016 | $0 | $0.00 | $(0) | $0 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $0 | $(0) | ||||||||
| Mark Sweeney Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 4/29/2015 - 5/23/2016 | 5/25/2016 | $0 | $21,845.16 | $(21,109.55) | $735.61 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $21,845.16 | $(21,109.55) | ||||||||
| Lee Tavenner Primary Election Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| 4/01/2016 - 5/01/2016 | 5/01/2016 | $2,614.64 | $3,000.00 | $(2,950.29) | $2,664.35 | ||||
| 5/02/2016 - 5/25/2016 | 5/25/2016 | $2,664.35 | $40.00 | $(1,023.62) | $1,680.73 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $3,040 | $(3,973.91) | ||||||||
About the offices
The Montana Public Service Commission is a five-member board responsible for regulation of energy, telecommunications, water/sewer, transportation and pipeline utilities in the state. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms and are limited to serving two terms (or eight years) in any 16-year period. They must be registered to vote in the district from which they are elected.[7]
| Quick facts about Public Service Commissioners |
|---|
|
Incumbents
At the time of the election, the commissioners were:
- District 1: Travis Kavulla (Vice Chair)(R)
- District 2: Kirk Bushman (R)
- District 3: Roger Koopman (R)
- District 4: Bob Lake (R)
- District 5: Brad Johnson (Chair) (R)
Qualifications
Title 69, chapter 1, part 103 of the Montana Code states that commissioners must be qualified electors of the district from which they are elected.[7]
Authority
Title 69, chapter 1, part 102 of the Montana Code addresses the creation of the Public Service Commission.[8]
Under 69-1-102:
|
A public service commission is hereby created, whose duty it is to supervise and regulate the operations of public utilities, common carriers, railroads, and other regulated industries listed in this title. Such supervision and regulation shall be in conformity with this title. |
Past elections
The commissioners are elected to four-year terms from five districts throughout the state. The commissioners select a chair and vice chair.[9]
Commissioners take office on the first Monday of January following the election. Commissioners may not serve more than eight years in a 16-year period.[10]
2014
| Public Service Commissioner of Montana, District 5, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Brad Johnson |
61% | 44,818 | |
| Democratic | Galen Hollenbaugh | 39% | 28,625 | |
| Total Votes | 73,443 | |||
| Election results via Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Note: Travis Kavulla won re-election to the District 1 seat without opposition.
2012
District 2
Incumbent Brad Molnar (R) could not seek re-election due to term limits. Kirk Bushman (R) defeated Chuck Tooley (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.
| Montana Public Service Commission District 2 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Kirk Bushman |
52.7% | 47,385 | |
| Democratic | Chuck Tooley | 47.3% | 42,587 | |
| Total Votes | 89,972 | |||
| Election results via Montana Secretary of State | ||||
District 3
Incumbent John Vincent (D) lost his bid for re-election to Roger Koopman (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012 .
| Montana Public Service Commission District 3 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Roger Koopman |
50.9% | 52,330 | |
| Democratic | John Vincent Incumbent | 49.1% | 50,513 | |
| Total Votes | 102,843 | |||
| Election results via Montana Secretary of State | ||||
District 4
Incumbent Gail Gutsche (D) lost her bid for re-election to Bob Lake (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.
| Montana Public Service Commission District 4 General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Bob Lake |
51.4% | 49,140 | |
| Democratic | Gail Gutsche Incumbent | 48.6% | 46,462 | |
| Total Votes | 95,602 | |||
| Election results via Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Montana Public Service Commissioner election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
State profile
| Demographic data for Montana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Montana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,032,073 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 145,546 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 89.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 0.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 0.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 6.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.3% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 92.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 29.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $47,169 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 17% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Montana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Montana
Montana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in Montana, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.[11]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Montana had two Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 1.10 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Montana coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Montana
- United States congressional delegations from Montana
- Public policy in Montana
- Endorsers in Montana
- Montana fact checks
- More...
See also
|
Montana government: |
Previous elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ Fair Vote, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Montana Public Service Commission, "Commissioners," accessed March 19, 2016
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2014 Election center," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ 270 to win, "Montana," accessed May 30, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Montana Code Annotated 2011, "69-1-103. Composition of commission.," accessed December 10, 2011
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2011, "69-1-102. Creation of public service commission.," accessed December 10, 2011
- ↑ Montana Public Service Commission, "PSC Commissioners," accessed October 30, 2011
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2011, "69-1-105. Term of office -- term limits.," accessed December 10, 2011
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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