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United States Senate election in Montana, 2026
U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • All local elections by county • How to run for office |
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← 2024
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| U.S. Senate, Montana |
|---|
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 4, 2026 |
| Primary: June 2, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd Montana elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
Voters in Montana will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 3, 2026. The primary is June 2, 2026. The filing deadline is March 4, 2026. The election will fill the Class II Senate seat held by Steve Daines (R), who first took office in 2015. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in Montana, 2026 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in Montana, 2026 (June 2 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. Senate Montana
Alani Bankhead is running in the general election for U.S. Senate Montana on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Alani Bankhead (D) | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Montana
Michael BlackWolf, Michael Hummert, and Reilly Neill are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Montana on June 2, 2026.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Montana
Incumbent Steve Daines and Charles A. Walking Child are running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Montana on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Steve Daines | ||
| Charles A. Walking Child | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Candidate profiles
There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Montana
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Daines | Republican Party | $6,715,883 | $2,970,840 | $3,852,826 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Alani Bankhead | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Michael BlackWolf | Democratic Party | $92 | $92 | $0 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Michael Hummert | Democratic Party | $10,000 | $200 | $10,545 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Reilly Neill | Democratic Party | $118,672 | $102,737 | $15,365 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Charles A. Walking Child | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. 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." |
|||||
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.[1]
- 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.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Montana, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 12/23/2025 | 12/16/2025 | 12/9/2025 | 12/2/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Montana in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Montana, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Montana | U.S. Senate | Ballot-qualified party | N/A | 1% of annual salary | 3/4/2026 | Source |
| Montana | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 5% of total votes cast for successful candidate in the last general election | 1% of annual salary | 6/1/2026 | Source |
Election history
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2018.
2024
See also: United States Senate election in Montana, 2024
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Montana
Tim Sheehy defeated incumbent Jon Tester, Sid Daoud, and Robert Barb in the general election for U.S. Senate Montana on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tim Sheehy (R) | 52.6 | 319,682 | |
| Jon Tester (D) | 45.5 | 276,305 | ||
Sid Daoud (L) ![]() | 1.2 | 7,272 | ||
| Robert Barb (G) | 0.7 | 4,003 | ||
| Total votes: 607,262 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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
- Michael Downey (G)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Montana
Incumbent Jon Tester defeated Michael Hummert in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Montana on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jon Tester | 97.0 | 104,279 | |
| Michael Hummert | 3.0 | 3,272 | ||
| Total votes: 107,551 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Montana
Tim Sheehy defeated Brad Johnson and Charles A. Walking Child in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Montana on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Tim Sheehy | 73.6 | 139,857 | |
| Brad Johnson | 19.4 | 36,926 | ||
Charles A. Walking Child ![]() | 7.0 | 13,229 | ||
| Total votes: 190,012 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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
- Thomas Madigan (R)
- Matt Rosendale (R)
- Jeremy Mygland (R)
Green primary election
Green primary for U.S. Senate Montana
Michael Downey defeated Robert Barb in the Green primary for U.S. Senate Montana on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Michael Downey | 62.4 | 679 | |
| Robert Barb | 37.6 | 410 | ||
| Total votes: 1,089 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Sid Daoud advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate Montana.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Devin Braaten (L)
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Montana
Incumbent Steve Daines defeated Steve Bullock in the general election for U.S. Senate Montana on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Steve Daines (R) | 55.0 | 333,174 | |
| Steve Bullock (D) | 45.0 | 272,463 | ||
| Total votes: 605,637 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Montana
Steve Bullock defeated John Mues and Mike Knoles (Unofficially withdrew) in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Steve Bullock | 95.5 | 144,949 | |
| John Mues | 2.5 | 3,740 | ||
Mike Knoles (Unofficially withdrew) ![]() | 2.1 | 3,165 | ||
| Total votes: 151,854 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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
- Jack Ballard (D)
- Josh Seckinger (D)
- Wilmot Collins (D)
- Cora Neumann (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Montana
Incumbent Steve Daines defeated John B. Driscoll and Daniel Larson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Steve Daines | 88.0 | 192,942 | |
John B. Driscoll ![]() | 6.4 | 13,944 | ||
| Daniel Larson | 5.6 | 12,319 | ||
| Total votes: 219,205 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!
Green primary election
Green primary for U.S. Senate Montana
Wendie Fredrickson defeated Dennis Daneke in the Green primary for U.S. Senate Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Wendie Fredrickson | 66.4 | 504 | |
| Dennis Daneke | 33.6 | 255 | ||
| Total votes: 759 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Susan Good-Geise (L)
2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Montana
Incumbent Jon Tester defeated Matt Rosendale and Rick Breckenridge in the general election for U.S. Senate Montana on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jon Tester (D) | 50.3 | 253,876 | |
| Matt Rosendale (R) | 46.8 | 235,963 | ||
| Rick Breckenridge (L) | 2.9 | 14,545 | ||
| Total votes: 504,384 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| 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
- Steve Kelly (G)
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Montana's 1st | Ryan Zinke | R+5 |
| Montana's 2nd | Troy Downing | R+15 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris |
Donald Trump |
|---|---|---|
| Montana's 1st | 43.0% | 54.0% |
| Montana's 2nd | 34.0% | 63.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
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 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 71.1% of Montanans lived in one of the state's 49 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 27.2% lived in one of 5 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Montana was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Montana following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Montana county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 49 | 71.1% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 5 | 27.2% | |||||
| New Republican | 1 | 1.1% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 1 | 0.6% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 5 | 27.2% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 51 | 72.8% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Montana presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 10 Democratic wins
- 21 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | D | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Montana.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Montana
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Montana.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Montana's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Montana | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 4 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Montana's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
Montana State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | |
Montana House of Representatives
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 42 | |
| Republican Party | 58 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Trifecta control
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 |
The table below details demographic data in Montana and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Montana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Montana | United States | |
| Population | 1,084,225 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 145,549 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 85.7% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 0.5% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 0.8% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 5.7% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 1.2% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 6% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.4% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 94.6% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 34.5% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $69,922 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 12% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **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
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 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
= candidate completed the