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Montana election preview, 2024
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Last updated: Oct. 1, 2024
Thousands of general elections are taking place across the United States on Nov. 5, 2024. Those elections include offices at the federal, state, and local levels. This is one of 50 pages in which Ballotpedia previews the elections happening in each state as part of the Daily Brew’s 50 states in 25 days series.
This page provides an overview of all elections happening in Montana within our coverage scope on Nov. 5, 2024. Those elections include offices for two U.S. Representatives, one U.S. Senator, nine state executives, and 125 state legislators. On this page, you will also find information regarding:
- How to vote in Montana
- The elected offices that Montana voters can expect to see on their ballots
- The races in Montana that Ballotpedia is covering as battlegrounds
- The ballot measures that voters in Montana will decide on
- Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool
- The partisan balance of Montana's congressional delegation and state government
- Past presidential election results in Montana
- The competitiveness of legislative elections in Montana
- The candidates who are on the ballot in Montana
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Montana
What's on the ballot?
2024 elections
- See also: Montana elections, 2024
At the federal level, Montana voters will elect one U.S. Senator and two U.S. Representatives. One U.S. House district is open because the incumbent did not run for re-election.
Nine state executive offices are up for election: Governor and lieutenant governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Auditor, and Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Public Service Commissioner (three seats). All nine offices are contested.
One hundred twenty-five seats in the Legislature are up for election, including all 100 seats in the House and 25 seats in the Senate. There are 35 open seats in the House and 17 open seats in the Senate.
Two seats on the state supreme court are up for election. Montana is one of 13 states that use nonpartisan elections at the state supreme court level. Both seats are open because the incumbents did not run for re-election.
Below is a list of Montana elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2024. Click the links to learn more about each type:
| Montana elections, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Elections? | More information |
| U.S. Senate | ✓ | Click here |
| U.S. House | ✓ | Click here |
| Congress special election | — | — |
| Governor | ✓ | Click here |
| Other state executive | ✓ | Click here |
| State Senate | ✓ | Click here |
| State House | ✓ | Click here |
| Special state legislative | — | — |
| State Supreme Court | ✓ | Click here |
| Intermediate appellate courts | — | — |
| School boards | — | — |
| Municipal government | — | — |
| Recalls | — | — |
| Ballot measures | ✓ | Click here |
| Local ballot measures | — | — |
Legend: ✓ election(s) / — no elections
Subject to Ballotpedia's scope
Your ballot
- See also: Sample Ballot Lookup
Noteworthy elections
As of September 26, Ballotpedia has identified three elections as battleground races. Those are the races that we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive or compelling.
- Montana Supreme Court elections, 2024: Two seats on Montana's Supreme Court are up for nonpartisan election. Incumbent Chief Justice Mike McGrath and incumbent Dirk M. Sandefur are not running for re-election. Jerry Lynch and Cory Swanson are running for chief justice. Katherine M. Bidegaray and Dan Wilson are running for associate justice.
- Montana's 1st Congressional District election, 2024: Incumbent Ryan Zinke (R), Monica Tranel (D), and Dennis Hayes (L) are running. In 2022, Zinke's margin of victory was 3.1 percentage points. As of Sept. 24, 2024, four major election forecasters differed in their ratings for the general election, with two rating it Likely Democratic and two rating it Lean Democratic.
- United States Senate election in Montana, 2024: Incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D), Tim Sheehy (R), Robert Barb (G), and Sid Daoud (L) are running. In 2018, Tester's margin of victory was 3.5 percentage points. As of Sept. 24, 2024, four major election forecasters rated the general election Lean or Tilt Republican.
Ballot measures
- See also: Montana 2024 ballot measures
There are three statewide ballot measure on the ballot in Montana.
| Type | Title | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CI-126 | Establish top-four primaries for federal and state offices in Montana |
|
287,837 (49%) |
300,664 (51%) |
|
| CI-127 | Require an electoral system in which candidates for certain offices must win a majority of the vote, rather than a plurality, to win the election |
|
228,908 (40%) |
348,805 (60%) |
|
| CI-128 | Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability |
|
345,070 (58%) |
252,300 (42%) |
One hundred and one statewide ballot measures were on the ballot in Montana from 1985 to 2022. Voters approved 59 measures and defeated 42.
State analysis
Partisan balance
Montana has one Democratic senator and one Republican senator. Democrats have a majority in the U.S. Senate. Incumbent Jon Tester (D) is running for re-election. There are 47 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and four independents in the U.S. Senate. Three independents caucus with the Democratic Party, and one other counts towards the Democratic majority for committee purposes.
Two Republicans, Ryan Zinke (R) and Matt Rosendale (R), represent Montana in the U.S. House. Zinke is running for re-election, Rosendale is not. In the U.S. House, Republicans have a 220-212 majority with three vacancies.
As of October 2024, Republicans have a 34-16 majority in the state Senate and a 68-32 majority in the state House. The last time Democrats had a majority in the state Senate was 2008, and the last time they had a majority in the House was 1992.
Because the governor is a Republican, Montana is one of 23 states with a Republican trifecta. It has had this status since 2021 when Greg Gianforte (R) assumed office. Montana's attorney general and secretary of state are also Republicans. This makes Montana one of 25 states with a Republican triplex.
Past presidential election results in Montana
- See also: Presidential election in Montana, 2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2020 presidential election, 68.4% of Montanans lived in one of the state's 47 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 17.5% lived in one of five Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Montana was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Montana following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Montana county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 47 | 68.4% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 5 | 17.5% | |||||
| Trending Democratic | 1 | 11.0% | |||||
| Trending Republican | 2 | 2.5% | |||||
| Battleground Democratic | 1 | 0.6% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 7 | 29.1% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 49 | 70.9% | |||||
State legislative competitiveness
According to Ballotpedia's annual state legislative competitiveness report, Montana had a Competitiveness Index of 52.8, ranking it third of the 44 states that held elections.
- 52 of the 125 seats up for election were open (42%).
- 24 of the 75 incumbents who ran for re-election faced contested primaries (32%).
- 106 of the 125 seats up for election were contested by both major parties (85%).
2010-2024
Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents.
| State Legislative Competitiveness Index in Montana, 2010-2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Open seats | Incs. in contested primaries | Major party competition | Competitiveness Index | Rank | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | 40.5% | 14.7% | 72.2% | 42.5 | 7 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 34.9% | 20.7% | 79.4% | 45.0 | 7 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | 36.0% | 22.5% | 84.0% | 47.5 | 2 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | 37.6% | 17.5% | 77.6% | 44.2 | 8 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | 28.8% | 11.2% | 68.0% | 36.0 | 22 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 32.8% | 27.4% | 64.0% | 41.4 | 6 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 31.2% | 15.1% | 68.8% | 38.4 | 16 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 41.6% | 32.0% | 84.8% | 52.8 | 3 / 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
In 2024
Hover over column headings to learn more about their contents. Click on headings for more state-specific information.
| State Legislative Competitiveness Index in Montana, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Open seats | Incs. in contested primaries | Major party competition | Competitiveness Index | ||||||||||||||||||||
| House | 35.0% | 31.3% | 85.0% | 50.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Senate | 68.0% | 37.5% | 84.0% | 63.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 41.6% | 32.0% | 84.8% | 52.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
List of candidates
| candidate | office | party | status |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
Green | Lost General | ||
Libertarian | Lost General | ||
Green | Withdrew General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
Libertarian | Lost General | ||
Libertarian | Lost (unofficially withdrew) Primary | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost (Write-in) General | ||
Independent | Lost (Write-in) General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
| candidate | office | party | status |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Libertarian | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
Libertarian | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 Christi Jacobsen Incumbent | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Libertarian | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Independent | Lost (Write-in) General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
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Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
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 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Independent | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Withdrew General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost (Write-in) General | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Libertarian | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost (Write-in) General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
| Democratic | Lost (Write-in) General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Independent | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Won General | ||
 Marty Malone Incumbent | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
 | Republican | Lost General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Libertarian | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Lost General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost Primary | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Won General | |
Democratic | Lost General | ||
Republican | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 Lyn Hellegaard Incumbent | Republican | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Republican | Disqualified General | |
 Connie Keogh Incumbent | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Republican | Withdrew General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Won General | ||
Republican | Lost General | ||
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
Libertarian | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
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 | Democratic | Won General | |
Republican | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Won General | |
 | Republican | Lost General | |
Democratic | Lost Primary | ||
 | Nonpartisan | Won General | |
 | Nonpartisan | Lost General | |
 | Nonpartisan | Lost Primary | |
Nonpartisan | Won General | ||
 | Nonpartisan | Lost Primary | |
 | Nonpartisan | Lost General | |
 | Republican | Won General | |
Republican | Lost Primary | ||
Democratic | Lost General | ||
 | Democratic | Lost Primary | |
 | Libertarian | Lost General |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
See also
Footnotes
