United States House election in Montana, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)
- Primary date: June 2
- Primary type: Open
- Registration deadline(s): May 4 (postmarked); May 7 (post received)
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Early voting starts: May 11
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): June 2 (received)
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
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Montana's At-Large Congressional District |
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Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: March 9, 2020 |
Primary: June 2, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Greg Gianforte (R) |
How to vote |
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Montana |
Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Lean Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican |
Ballotpedia analysis |
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
See also |
U.S. Senate • At-large Montana elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Matt Rosendale won the Republican primary for Montana's At-Large Congressional District on June 2, 2020, defeating five other candidates: Joe Dooling, John Evankovich, Debra Lamm, Mark McGinley, and Corey Stapleton. Rosendale received 48.3% of the vote followed by Stapleton with 33.2%. No other candidate received over 10% of the vote.[1] Rosendale advanced to the general election on November 3, 2020 where he faced Kathleen Williams (D). Incumbent Greg Gianforte (R) announced he would run for governor in 2020, leaving the district open.
In the 2018 general election, Gianforte (R) defeated Kathleen Williams (D) 50.9% to 46.2%, and he defeated Rob Quist (D) 50.0% to 44.4% in a 2017 special election. The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+11, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 11 percentage points more Republican than the national average.[2] Click here to learn more about what was at stake in the general election.
This page focuses on the Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- United States House election in Montana, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2020
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Montana modified its primary election process as follows:
- Voting procedures: Counties were authorized to conduct the primary election entirely by mail.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Montana At-large District
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Matt Rosendale | 48.3 | 104,575 |
![]() | Corey Stapleton | 33.2 | 71,902 | |
![]() | Debra Lamm | 6.7 | 14,462 | |
![]() | Joe Dooling | 6.3 | 13,726 | |
![]() | Mark McGinley ![]() | 3.6 | 7,818 | |
John Evankovich | 1.8 | 3,983 |
Total votes: 216,466 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Timothy Johnson (R)
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[3] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I grew up in Dillon, Montana the ninth of 12 children. I played sports and graduated in 1982. I moved to Helena and earned a BA in English Literature and History from Carroll College. After graduating from college, I enlisted with the Montana Army National Guard. I was sent to Officer Candidate School and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1990. I taught at Broadwater County High School in Townsend. In 2003-2004 I was deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I served as an Aviation Officer retiring in February 2019 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Following my retirement, I worked for the National Guard as the Suicide Prevention Program Manager. In October 2019 I accepted a position with Montana Youth Challenge in Dillon. My life has been devoted to public service. I want to serve Montana in the US Congress because I believe these experiences make me the best qualified candidate, a TRUE MONTANA REPRESENTATIVE. My mother used to tell us that we can disagree without being disagreeable. It is true as a family; it is true as a nation. I will serve in Congress an open mind and a passion for the issues."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Montana At-large District in 2020.
Endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Republican primary endorsements | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Endorsement | Dooling | Evankovich | Lamm | McGinley | Rosendale | Stapleton | ||
Elected officials | ||||||||
President Donald Trump (R)[4] | ✔ | |||||||
Organizations | ||||||||
Club for Growth PAC[5] | ✔ | |||||||
U.S. Chamber of Commerce[6] | ✔ | |||||||
House Freedom Fund[7] | ✔ |
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Matt Rosendale
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Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joe Dooling | Republican Party | $120,806 | $120,806 | $0 | As of December 31, 2020 |
John Evankovich | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
Debra Lamm | Republican Party | $62,217 | $61,913 | $304 | As of December 31, 2020 |
Mark McGinley | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
Matt Rosendale | Republican Party | $4,034,800 | $3,848,140 | $262,839 | As of December 31, 2020 |
Corey Stapleton | Republican Party | $219,454 | $219,454 | $0 | As of December 31, 2020 |
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[8][9][10]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
Primaries in Montana
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.[11][12]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
What was at stake in the general election
U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.
At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.
In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.
In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[13]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[14][15][16]
Race ratings: Montana's At-large Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
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Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
The Cook Political Report | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. |
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+11, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 11 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Montana's At-Large Congressional District the 128th most Republican nationally.[17]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.06. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.06 points toward that party.[18]
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 | |||||||
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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.[19]
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.[20][21]
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. |
2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
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District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
1 | 31.49% | 65.40% | R+33.9 | 24.56% | 69.61% | R+45 | R |
2 | 26.19% | 70.62% | R+44.4 | 19.77% | 74.94% | R+55.2 | R |
3 | 35.65% | 60.43% | R+24.8 | 30.90% | 61.30% | R+30.4 | D |
4 | 24.98% | 72.60% | R+47.6 | 20.50% | 73.71% | R+53.2 | R |
5 | 49.18% | 47.36% | D+1.8 | 48.70% | 43.57% | D+5.1 | D |
6 | 29.95% | 67.81% | R+37.9 | 28.87% | 65.58% | R+36.7 | R |
7 | 40.61% | 55.52% | R+14.9 | 34.89% | 56.46% | R+21.6 | R |
8 | 28.89% | 68.40% | R+39.5 | 25.31% | 68.36% | R+43 | R |
9 | 27.76% | 69.09% | R+41.3 | 23.24% | 70.16% | R+46.9 | R |
10 | 28.59% | 69.10% | R+40.5 | 26.23% | 69.31% | R+43.1 | R |
11 | 25.25% | 72.18% | R+46.9 | 21.87% | 72.64% | R+50.8 | R |
12 | 42.13% | 55.16% | R+13 | 36.12% | 58.17% | R+22 | R |
13 | 26.14% | 70.71% | R+44.6 | 18.54% | 76.04% | R+57.5 | R |
14 | 32.60% | 63.22% | R+30.6 | 24.35% | 67.81% | R+43.5 | R |
15 | 58.01% | 39.28% | D+18.7 | 55.71% | 37.44% | D+18.3 | D |
16 | 71.07% | 26.84% | D+44.2 | 65.23% | 28.59% | D+36.6 | D |
17 | 30.65% | 66.42% | R+35.8 | 22.87% | 70.58% | R+47.7 | R |
18 | 29.49% | 66.80% | R+37.3 | 21.44% | 71.56% | R+50.1 | R |
19 | 34.08% | 63.36% | R+29.3 | 25.01% | 68.81% | R+43.8 | R |
20 | 36.11% | 62.06% | R+25.9 | 32.46% | 62.16% | R+29.7 | R |
21 | 46.91% | 50.23% | R+3.3 | 36.35% | 56.76% | R+20.4 | D |
22 | 47.47% | 48.93% | R+1.5 | 36.16% | 54.87% | R+18.7 | R |
23 | 49.89% | 47.11% | D+2.8 | 42.34% | 49.63% | R+7.3 | D |
24 | 47.86% | 49.59% | R+1.7 | 40.35% | 51.07% | R+10.7 | D |
25 | 50.16% | 46.46% | D+3.7 | 39.34% | 52.01% | R+12.7 | R |
26 | 47.24% | 49.05% | R+1.8 | 38.78% | 51.69% | R+12.9 | D |
27 | 31.45% | 65.37% | R+33.9 | 24.74% | 68.78% | R+44 | R |
28 | 48.35% | 47.62% | D+0.7 | 35.81% | 54.70% | R+18.9 | D |
29 | 27.54% | 69.57% | R+42 | 20.97% | 72.91% | R+51.9 | R |
30 | 26.49% | 70.76% | R+44.3 | 18.35% | 74.80% | R+56.5 | R |
31 | 62.74% | 35.08% | D+27.7 | 49.74% | 41.79% | D+7.9 | D |
32 | 62.84% | 35.17% | D+27.7 | 51.75% | 41.33% | D+10.4 | D |
33 | 31.92% | 64.62% | R+32.7 | 20.69% | 71.73% | R+51 | R |
34 | 30.36% | 66.63% | R+36.3 | 20.38% | 73.24% | R+52.9 | R |
35 | 21.57% | 75.57% | R+54 | 13.84% | 80.63% | R+66.8 | R |
36 | 26.51% | 69.46% | R+42.9 | 17.30% | 77.71% | R+60.4 | R |
37 | 17.49% | 79.95% | R+62.5 | 11.75% | 84.38% | R+72.6 | R |
38 | 37.31% | 59.77% | R+22.5 | 24.89% | 67.53% | R+42.6 | R |
39 | 27.29% | 69.23% | R+41.9 | 15.87% | 78.77% | R+62.9 | R |
40 | 22.65% | 73.92% | R+51.3 | 16.45% | 78.01% | R+61.6 | R |
41 | 54.68% | 43.62% | D+11.1 | 42.37% | 52.19% | R+9.8 | D |
42 | 58.60% | 39.41% | D+19.2 | 47.51% | 45.39% | D+2.1 | D |
43 | 35.34% | 61.61% | R+26.3 | 26.74% | 65.15% | R+38.4 | R |
44 | 37.95% | 59.42% | R+21.5 | 30.87% | 59.71% | R+28.8 | R |
45 | 33.16% | 64.67% | R+31.5 | 29.98% | 61.13% | R+31.2 | R |
46 | 35.28% | 63.06% | R+27.8 | 36.58% | 57.00% | R+20.4 | R |
47 | 48.01% | 48.86% | R+0.8 | 47.76% | 44.03% | D+3.7 | D |
48 | 46.60% | 50.72% | R+4.1 | 43.66% | 47.69% | R+4 | D |
49 | 51.94% | 43.75% | D+8.2 | 44.93% | 43.99% | D+0.9 | D |
50 | 46.96% | 49.13% | R+2.2 | 38.01% | 51.03% | R+13 | D |
51 | 43.83% | 53.14% | R+9.3 | 35.99% | 54.64% | R+18.6 | R |
52 | 45.95% | 50.47% | R+4.5 | 36.84% | 54.25% | R+17.4 | R |
53 | 26.88% | 71.64% | R+44.8 | 24.59% | 69.45% | R+44.9 | R |
54 | 34.72% | 63.36% | R+28.6 | 31.02% | 61.86% | R+30.8 | R |
55 | 38.15% | 58.52% | R+20.4 | 26.81% | 65.43% | R+38.6 | R |
56 | 36.68% | 60.59% | R+23.9 | 26.13% | 67.22% | R+41.1 | R |
57 | 26.02% | 71.51% | R+45.5 | 18.26% | 75.81% | R+57.5 | R |
58 | 36.71% | 60.43% | R+23.7 | 30.64% | 62.81% | R+32.2 | R |
59 | 31.67% | 65.41% | R+33.7 | 30.10% | 63.92% | R+33.8 | R |
60 | 49.22% | 47.75% | D+1.5 | 42.90% | 48.10% | R+5.2 | D |
61 | 52.13% | 45.30% | D+6.8 | 55.16% | 37.34% | D+17.8 | D |
62 | 57.33% | 39.68% | D+17.7 | 62.26% | 28.33% | D+33.9 | D |
63 | 55.23% | 40.35% | D+14.9 | 49.37% | 36.73% | D+12.6 | D |
64 | 40.23% | 56.95% | R+16.7 | 38.79% | 52.50% | R+13.7 | R |
65 | 51.99% | 44.48% | D+7.5 | 52.43% | 36.25% | D+16.2 | R |
66 | 59.07% | 37.20% | D+21.9 | 60.50% | 27.72% | D+32.8 | D |
67 | 36.06% | 60.39% | R+24.3 | 31.16% | 58.18% | R+27 | R |
68 | 29.86% | 66.53% | R+36.7 | 26.12% | 64.60% | R+38.5 | R |
69 | 27.48% | 69.83% | R+42.3 | 23.90% | 68.84% | R+44.9 | R |
70 | 29.72% | 67.70% | R+38 | 23.68% | 69.44% | R+45.8 | R |
71 | 30.43% | 67.06% | R+36.6 | 25.87% | 68.31% | R+42.4 | R |
72 | 30.12% | 66.71% | R+36.6 | 24.63% | 68.26% | R+43.6 | R |
73 | 67.29% | 29.51% | D+37.8 | 51.69% | 39.47% | D+12.2 | D |
74 | 67.84% | 28.48% | D+39.4 | 54.64% | 35.06% | D+19.6 | D |
75 | 36.01% | 61.13% | R+25.1 | 31.30% | 60.96% | R+29.7 | R |
76 | 62.60% | 35.45% | D+27.1 | 54.57% | 37.65% | D+16.9 | D |
77 | 54.71% | 41.78% | D+12.9 | 42.42% | 49.42% | R+7 | D |
78 | 49.90% | 46.76% | D+3.1 | 34.39% | 56.64% | R+22.3 | D |
79 | 52.38% | 45.20% | D+7.2 | 51.09% | 40.64% | D+10.5 | D |
80 | 29.81% | 67.67% | R+37.9 | 23.46% | 70.02% | R+46.6 | R |
81 | 53.84% | 43.72% | D+10.1 | 46.71% | 44.07% | D+2.6 | D |
82 | 50.97% | 46.39% | D+4.6 | 46.83% | 44.43% | D+2.4 | D |
83 | 51.40% | 45.43% | D+6 | 48.20% | 43.23% | D+5 | D |
84 | 47.66% | 49.40% | R+1.7 | 43.56% | 46.97% | R+3.4 | D |
85 | 28.10% | 69.34% | R+41.2 | 23.44% | 71.16% | R+47.7 | R |
86 | 38.39% | 58.67% | R+20.3 | 33.89% | 59.62% | R+25.7 | R |
87 | 28.26% | 68.87% | R+40.6 | 24.22% | 70.13% | R+45.9 | R |
88 | 36.82% | 60.50% | R+23.7 | 30.21% | 63.77% | R+33.6 | R |
89 | 55.35% | 42.16% | D+13.2 | 53.30% | 37.59% | D+15.7 | D |
90 | 62.36% | 35.39% | D+27 | 60.12% | 31.87% | D+28.3 | D |
91 | 74.07% | 23.34% | D+50.7 | 74.47% | 17.31% | D+57.2 | D |
92 | 44.75% | 51.56% | R+6.8 | 35.48% | 55.99% | R+20.5 | R |
93 | 45.74% | 51.67% | R+5.9 | 36.57% | 57.09% | R+20.5 | D |
94 | 52.31% | 44.47% | D+7.8 | 47.39% | 44.39% | D+3 | D |
95 | 67.27% | 28.91% | D+38.4 | 63.09% | 24.62% | D+38.5 | D |
96 | 45.17% | 51.93% | R+6.8 | 40.48% | 51.14% | R+10.7 | R |
97 | 42.65% | 54.90% | R+12.3 | 38.02% | 54.75% | R+16.7 | R |
98 | 55.62% | 40.95% | D+14.7 | 48.67% | 42.15% | D+6.5 | D |
99 | 53.76% | 43.36% | D+10.4 | 51.66% | 39.94% | D+11.7 | D |
100 | 74.33% | 22.27% | D+52.1 | 71.30% | 18.23% | D+53.1 | D |
Total | 41.71% | 55.36% | R+13.7 | 35.94% | 56.47% | R+20.5 | - |
Source: Daily Kos |
Candidate ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for At-large District candidates in Montana in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Montana, click here.
Filing requirements, 2020 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
Montana | At-large District | Qualified party | N/A | N/A | $1,740.00 | Percentage of annual salary | 3/9/2020 | Source |
Montana | At-large District | Unaffiliated | 12,833 | 5% of total votes cast for successful candidate in the last general election | N/A | N/A | 6/1/2020 | Source |
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Montana At-large District
Incumbent Greg Gianforte defeated Kathleen Williams and Elinor Swanson in the general election for U.S. House Montana At-large District on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Greg Gianforte (R) | 50.9 | 256,661 |
![]() | Kathleen Williams (D) ![]() | 46.2 | 233,284 | |
![]() | Elinor Swanson (L) | 2.9 | 14,476 |
Total votes: 504,421 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
![]() | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Doug Campbell (G)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Montana At-large District
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Montana At-large District on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Kathleen Williams ![]() | 33.5 | 37,513 |
![]() | John Heenan | 31.7 | 35,480 | |
Grant Kier | 24.2 | 27,025 | ||
![]() | Lynda Moss | 5.1 | 5,667 | |
John Meyer ![]() | 3.3 | 3,740 | ||
![]() | Jared Pettinato | 2.2 | 2,472 |
Total votes: 111,897 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Montana At-large District
Incumbent Greg Gianforte advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Montana At-large District on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Greg Gianforte | 100.0 | 136,372 |
Total votes: 136,372 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Drew Turiano (R)
2017
U.S. House, Montana At-Large Special Election, 2017 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | ![]() |
50% | 190,520 | |
Democratic | Rob Quist | 44.4% | 169,214 | |
Libertarian | Mark Wicks | 5.7% | 21,682 | |
Total Votes | 381,416 | |||
Source: Montana Secretary of State |
The election was held to replace Ryan Zinke (R), who was confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior on March 1, 2017.[22]
Republican Greg Gianforte defeated Democrat Rob Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks, earning more than 50 percent of the vote. Gianforte was sworn in as a member of the United States House of Representatives on June 21, 2017.[23]
Primary elections were not held in the race. Instead, party leaders chose the nominees at conventions. Democrats selected musician Rob Quist at the party's convention on March 5, 2017, while Republicans nominated businessman Greg Gianforte at the party's convention on March 6, 2017. A third candidate, Libertarian Mark Wicks, was also on the ballot.[24][25][26][27]
Ballotpedia compiled the following resources to help voters better understand the policy positions of the candidates prior to the general election on May 25, 2017:
- An overview of each candidate's career and policy priorities;
- Background information about each candidate's policy positions, campaign themes, and debate performance; and
- The politicians and influencers involved in the race, including those releasing ads and fundraising.
Although Montana's At-Large District seat was held by a Republican continuously from 1997, with former incumbent Ryan Zinke winning election in 2014 and 2016 by roughly 15 points, the race garnered significant national attention and fundraising. In the final week of the election alone, Quist announced that he had received $1 million, bringing his total campaign contributions to $6 million. The pro-Democrat House Majority PAC also spent $125,000 on ad buys for the election's final week. Outside organizations backing Gianforte like the Congressional Leadership Fund have spent $7 million on ad buys—approximately $4 million more than Democratic outside groups.[28][29]
On May 24, 2017, the eve of the election, Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault after he allegedly slammed a reporter to the ground and punched him. The Gianforte campaign refuted the reporter's account in a statement.[30][31]
Click [show] for previous cycle election results. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2016Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Ryan Zinke (R) defeated Denise Juneau (D) and Rick Breckenridge (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent in June.[32]
2014
2012
2010On November 2, 2010, Denny Rehberg won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Dennis McDonald (D) and Mike Fellows (Libertarian) in the general election.[33] |
State profile
- See also: Montana and Montana elections, 2020
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of April 30, 2020.
Presidential voting pattern
- Montana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, one U.S. senator from Montana was a Democrat and the other was a Republican.
- Montana's sole U.S. representative was a Republican.
State executives
- Republicans held four of Montana's 10 state executive offices, and Democrats controlled two. The other four offices were nonpartisan.
- Montana's governor was Democrat Steve Bullock.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the Montana State Senate with a 30-20 majority.
- Republicans controlled the Montana House of Representatives with a 57-42 majority.
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 |
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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 |
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Demographic data for Montana | ||
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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. |
See also
- United States House election in Montana, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
- United States House election in Montana (June 5, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States House election in Montana (June 5, 2018 Democratic primary)
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "Montana Primary Election Results: At-Large Congressional District," accessed June 9, 2020
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ NBC Montana, "President Trump endorses Rosendale for US House seat," February 12, 2020
- ↑ The Club for Growth website, "Club for Growth PAC Endorses Matt Rosendale (MT-AL) for U.S. House of Representatives," June 17, 2019
- ↑ House Freedom Fund website, "MT-AL: Support Matt Rosendale," July 22, 2019
- ↑ House Freedom Fund website, "MT-AL: Support Matt Rosendale," July 22, 2019
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed April 19, 2023
- ↑ Christi Jacobsen Montana Secretary of State,"Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 19, 2023
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Montana," accessed June 29, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Trump taps Montana congressman Ryan Zinke as interior secretary," December 13, 2016
- ↑ The Billings Gazette, "Gianforte set to take oath as Montana's next congressman," June 15, 2017
- ↑ Billings Gazette, "Democrats, Republicans plan for special election to replace Zinke," December 15, 2016
- ↑ KTVH, "Bullock sets soonest possible date for special election," March 1, 2017
- ↑ Billings Gazette, "Montana Democrats pick musician Rob Quist to run for U.S. House," March 5, 2017
- ↑ Billings Gazette, "Greg Gianforte wins Republican nomination for Montana's U.S. House election," March 6, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Republicans: Montana special election 'closer than it should be,'" May 24, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP, Dems put more money into Montana special election," May 3, 2017
- ↑ KULR, "U.S. House candidate Greg Gianforte charged with misdemeanor assault," May 25, 2017
- ↑ KTVQ, "Greg Gianforte accused of body slamming reporter," May 24, 2017
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2016 Candidate Filing List: Non-Legislative," accessed March 15, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013