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Republican Party primaries in Montana, 2018

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Republican Party primaries, 2018

Montana Republican Party.png

Primary Date
June 5, 2018

Federal elections
Republican primary for U.S. Senate
Republican primaries for U.S. House

State elections
Republican primaries for Montana legislature

State party
Republican Party of Montana
State political party revenue

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on the party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Republican Party's legislative record during Donald Trump’s presidency figured into several Republican primaries. This record included the passage of major tax legislation in December 2017 and the confirmation of federal judges. It also included a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March 2018, which Trump opposed, and unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[3][4]

Trump, himself, also played a role in Republican primaries. His approval rating reached 90% in June among self-described Republicans, according to a Gallup survey.[5] Many Republican candidates campaigned on their support for Trump, and negative ads accusing opponents of criticizing the president were common.[6][7][8] A May report found Trump's name or image had appeared in 37% of all Republican campaign ads at that point in 2018.[9]

This page focuses on the Republican primaries that took place in Montana on June 5, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.

Battleground primaries

Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Montana (June 5, 2018 Republican primary)
To see a full list of candidates in the Republican primary, click "Show more" below.
Show more

U.S. House

See also: United States House election in Montana (June 5, 2018 Republican primary)
A Republican Party primary election took place on June 5, 2018, in Montana to determine which Republican would run in the state's November 6, 2018, general election. To see a full list of candidates in the Republican primary, click "Show more" below.
Show more

Republican Party Republicans

Withdrew

State elections

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

State party overview

See also: Republican Party of Montana
Montana Republican Party.png


State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Republican Party of Montana's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

Republican Party of Montana revenue, 2011 to 2016[11][12]
Year Federal account State account(s) Total
2011 $252,161.54 $326,418.59 $578,580.13
2012 $2,637,845.86 $1,508,794.17 $4,146,640.03
2013 $288,949.63 $17,070.72 $306,020.35
2014 $1,359,848.15 $96,171.20 $1,456,019.35
2015 $371,641.89 $45,417.15 $417,059.04
2016 $657,895.82 $416,284.87 $1,074,180.69

Montana compared to other states

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

Montana was one of eight states to hold a primary election on June 5, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to 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.[13][14]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Montana, polling place must be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., although in areas with fewer than 400 registered voters, polling places may open as late as 12:00 p.m.[15]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Montana, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a non-temporary resident of Montana for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election.[16] People serving a felony sentence in a penal institution and those who have been declared by a court to be of unsound mind are not eligible to vote.[17]

An individual can register to vote in person by completing a registration application at their county election office. They can register by mailing the application to their county election administrator or submitting it when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or state ID. Applicants may also register to vote at their county election offices, certain designated locations, or at their designated polling location on Election Day.[17][18]

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Montana does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Montana does not permit online voter registration.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Montana allows same-day voter registration. An eligible voter may register before noon on Election Day.[19]

Residency requirements

In order to register to vote in Montana, applicants must have lived in the state for at least 30 days prior to the election. Montana law says an individual does not gain residency if they relocate for, "temporary work, training, or an educational program, without the intention of making that county or the state the individual's permanent home at the conclusion of the temporary work, training, or educational program."[20]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Montana does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[21] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site My Voter Page, run by the Montana secretary of state’s office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Montana requires voters to present identification while voting.

Montana's voter identification requirements are outlined in Section 13-13-114 of Montana Code. The law states, "Before an elector is permitted to receive a ballot or vote, the elector shall present to an election judge one of the following forms of identification showing the elector's name that is current, valid, and readable:"[22]

  • (i) a Montana driver's license, Montana state identification card issued pursuant to 61-12-501, military identification card, tribal photo identification card, United States passport, or Montana concealed carry permit, or student photo identification card issued by the Montana university system or a school that is a member of the national association of intercollegiate athletics; or
  • (ii) (A) a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows the elector's name and current address; and (B) photo identification that shows the elector's name.[23]

Early voting

Montana permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Montana. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[24]

To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by county election officials by noon the day prior to the election. A returned absentee ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day in order to be counted.[24]


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.[25]

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.[26][27]

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

Federal primaries in Montana State primaries in Montana Montana state party apparatus Montana voter information
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Seal of Montana.png
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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. ‘’National Review’’, “Trump Is Not Blameless in the Spending-Bill Disaster,” March 28, 2018
  4. The New York Times, "A New Guide to the Republican Herd," August 26, 2012
  5. Gallup, "Trump Job Approval Slips Back to 41%," June 25, 2018
  6. Daily Commercial, "Trump hurdle looms large in Florida GOP governor primary," July 30, 2018
  7. Daily Commercial, "These 2018 Primaries Are Worth Watching," July 25, 2018
  8. Washington Post, "Republican primary candidates have one goal: Securing Trump’s endorsement or denying it to an opponent," July 25, 2018
  9. USA Today, "Donald Trump once divided Republicans; ads for midterms signal that's no longer true," May 17, 2018
  10. Federal Election Commission, "TURIANO, DREW," accessed September 18, 2017
  11. Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, "Campaign Report Search," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Montana Republican State Central Committee Montana Democratic State Central Committee)
  12. Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Montana Republican State Central Committee and Montana Democratic Party)
  13. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed April 19, 2023
  14. Christi Jacobsen Montana Secretary of State,"Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 19, 2023
  15. Montana Code Annotated 2023, "§ 13-1-106. Time of opening and closing of polls for all elections -- exceptions," accessed June 10, 2025
  16. Montana law says an individual does not gain residency if they relocate for "temporary work, training, or an educational program, without the intention of making that county or the state the individual's permanent home at the conclusion of the temporary work, training, or educational program." See HB 413 from 2025 for more information.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Montana Secretary of State, “Montana Voter Registration Application,” accessed June 10, 2025
  18. Montana Motor Vehicle Division, “Additional Considerations when Getting Your License or ID,” accessed June 10, 2025
  19. Montana Legislative Services, "SB 490: Revise election laws regarding late registration," accessed June 9, 2025
  20. Montana Legislative Services, "HB 413: Revise election laws regarding residency," accessed June 9, 2025
  21. Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  22. Montana Code Annotated 2023, "§ 13-13-114. Voter Identification And Marking Precinct Register Book Before Elector Votes -- Provisional Voting," accessed June 9, 2025
  23. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  24. 24.0 24.1 Montana Secretary of State, “Voting by Absentee Ballot,” accessed June 10, 2025
  25. 270towin.com, "Montana," accessed June 29, 2017
  26. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  27. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017