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Montana House of Representatives elections, 2020
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| 2020 Montana House Elections | |
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| General | November 3, 2020 |
| Primary | June 2, 2020 |
| Past Election Results |
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| 2020 Elections | |
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Montana Republicans won a supermajority in the 2020 House elections. All 100 House seats were up in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 58-42 majority. Republicans gained a net nine seats from Democrats, leaving the chamber's post-election partisan balance at 67-33. A 67-seat majority is required to override a governor's veto.
The Montana House of Representatives was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. All 100 seats in the Montana House of Representatives were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.
Montana's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Montana, a commission is responsible for drawing district lines. This commission comprises five members. The majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the state legislature select one member apiece. These four members then select a fifth to serve as the commission's chair.
Click here to read about Republican state legislative primaries.
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 absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Counties were authorized to conduct the general election entirely by mail.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control
| Montana House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 42 | 33 | |
| Republican Party | 58 | 67 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
Candidates
General election
The Gallatin County Democratic Party selected Emily Brosten to replace Montana House of Representatives District 68 candidate Claire Broling on the general election ballot after Broling withdrew from the race.[1]
Karen Sherman was appointed to replace Kelsey Cooley on the District 94 general election ballot after Cooley withdrew from the election.[2]
Primary election
The candidate lists below are based on candidate filing lists provided by the Montana Secretary of State.[3]
Montana State House primary election |
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| Office |  Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 2 |
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| District 3 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 4 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
Libertarian Party  Nicholas Ramlow* |
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| District 8 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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Libertarian Party This primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
| District 9 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 12 |
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| District 13 |
Libertarian Party Cade Stiles*  |
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| District 14 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 15 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 16 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 17 |
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| District 18 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 19 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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Libertarian Party George Schultz* |
| District 20 |
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| District 21 |
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| District 22 |
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| District 23 |
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| District 24 |
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| District 25 |
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| District 26 |
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| District 27 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 28 |
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| District 29 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 30 |
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| District 31 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 32 |
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| District 33 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 34 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 35 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 36 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Jim Johnson Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 37 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Libertarian Party Jacob Kitson* |
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| District 38 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 39 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 40 |
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| District 41 |
August Scalpcane Did not make the ballot: |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 42 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 43 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Libertarian Party Melody Benes* |
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| District 44 |
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| District 45 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Did not make the ballot: |
Libertarian Party Nathan McKenty* |
| District 46 |
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| District 47 |
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| District 48 |
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| District 49 |
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| District 50 |
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| District 51 |
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| District 52 |
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| District 53 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 54 |
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| District 55 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 56 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 57 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 58 |
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| District 59 |
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| District 60 |
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| District 61 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
Libertarian Party This primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 62 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
Libertarian Party Francis Wendt* |
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| District 63 |
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| District 64 |
Libertarian Party Doug Campbell* |
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| District 65 |
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| District 66 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 67 |
Did not make the ballot: |
Libertarian Party Andrew Schaefer* |
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| District 68 |
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| District 69 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 70 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 71 |
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| District 72 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 73 |
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| District 74 |
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| District 75 |
Greg DeVries (i) Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 76 |
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| District 77 |
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| District 78 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 79 |
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| District 80 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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Libertarian Party Ron Vandevender* |
| District 81 |
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| District 82 |
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| District 83 |
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| District 84 |
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| District 85 |
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| District 86 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 87 |
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| District 88 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 89 |
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| District 90 |
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| District 91 |
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| District 92 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 93 |
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| District 94 |
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| District 95 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 96 |
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| District 97 |
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| District 98 |
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Libertarian Party Richard Armerding* |
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| District 99 |
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| District 100 |
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Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
Five incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
Five incumbents lost in the June 2 primaries, the highest number since 2012 when three incumbents were defeated in the primaries.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| David Dunn | |
House District 9 |
| Joel Krautter | |
House District 35 |
| Frederick Moore | |
House District 37 |
| Bruce Grubbs | |
House District 68 |
| Greg DeVries | |
House District 75 |
Retiring incumbents
There were 30 open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[4] Those incumbents were:
The 30 seats left open in 2020 were roughly average relative to the five preceding election cycles. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
| Open Seats in Montana House of Representatives elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 100 | 30 (30 percent) | 70 (70 percent) |
| 2018 | 100 | 29 (29 percent) | 71 (71 percent) |
| 2016 | 100 | 31 (31 percent) | 69 (69 percent) |
| 2014 | 100 | 30 (30 percent) | 70 (70 percent) |
| 2012 | 100 | 31 (31 percent) | 69 (69 percent) |
| 2010 | 100 | 33 (33 percent) | 67 (67 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
For qualified party candidates
See statutes: Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 201 of the Montana Code
In order to qualify for placement on the primary ballot, a candidate for the nomination of a recognized political party must file a declaration of nomination and pay the required filing fees. The declaration must include an oath of candidacy, which the candidate is required to sign to affirm that, under the state constitution and applicable federal and state laws, he or she is qualified to hold the office being sought. This paperwork must be filed with the Montana Secretary of State if the office being sought is a congressional seat, a state or district office voted for in more than one county, or a state legislative seat.[5][6]
Filing fees are established in Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 202, of the Montana Code Annotated 2023. These fees are summarized in the table below.[7]
| Filing fees | |
|---|---|
| Office sought | How the fee is determined |
| For offices earning an annual salary of $2,500 or less and members of the state legislature | $15 |
| For offices (except county-level) earning an annual salary of more than $2,500 | 1% of salary |
| For offices in which compensation is paid in fees | $10 |
For independent, indigent, and non-qualified party candidates
See statutes: Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 501 of the Montana Code Annotated 2013
In order to qualify for placement on the general election ballot, a candidate must file an "Independent, Minor Party, or Indigent Candidate Declaration, Oath of Candidacy, and Petition for Nomination." Independent and non-qualified party candidates are liable for the same filing fees as qualified party candidates (see table above). Indigent candidates (i.e., those who do not have the resources to pay the filing fees) are not required to pay the statutory filing fees and may have their names placed on the ballot via the petition process only.[8][9]
Nominating petitions must be signed by electors residing within the state and district or political subdivision in which the official is to be elected. Valid signatures must total at least 5 percent of the total votes cast at the last general election for the successful candidate for the office being sought.[10]
For write-in candidates
In order to have his or her votes counted, a write-in candidate must submit to the Montana Secretary of State a "Declaration of Intent and Oath of Candidacy" and pay the requisite filing fees (noted above).[11]
2020 ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for Montana House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Montana House of Representatives | Qualified party | N/A | $15.00 | 3/9/2020 | Source |
| Montana House of Representatives | Unaffiliated | 5% of votes cast for the last successful candidate for the office | $15.00 | 6/1/2020 | Source |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Montana House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[12]
- A resident of the state for at least one year next preceding the general election
- A resident of the county for six months preceding the general election if it contains one or more districts or of the district if it contains all or parts of more than one county.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[13] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $104.86/legislative day | $171/day |
When sworn in
Montana legislators assume office the first Monday of January following the election. If January 1 is a Monday, legislators assume office on the first Wednesday.[14]
Montana political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
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 |
Presidential politics in Montana
2016 Presidential election results
| U.S. presidential election, Montana, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 35.7% | 177,709 | 0 | |
| Republican | Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
56.2% | 279,240 | 3 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 5.6% | 28,037 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 1.6% | 7,970 | 0 | |
| American Delta | Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg | 0.3% | 1,570 | 0 | |
| - | Other/Write-in | 0.5% | 2,621 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 497,147 | 3 | |||
| Election results via: Federal Election Commission | |||||
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.[15][16]
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.[17]
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.[18] 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.[19]
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.[19][20]
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.[21]
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."[22]
Verification of citizenship
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.[23] 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:"[24]
| “ |
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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.[26]
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.[26]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Bozemain Daily Chronicle, "Gallatin Democrats pick candidate for vacant state House seat," August 4, 2020
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2020 Candidate Filing List: Legislative," accessed October 20, 2020
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "2020 Candidate Filing List: Legislative," accessed March 9, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Candidates information," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 201," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 202," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Independent, Minor Party and Indigent Candidates," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 501," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 502," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Write-in Candidates," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Montana Legislative Services, "Constitution of Montana," accessed March 6, 2014 (Referenced Art. V, Sec. 4)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Montana State Legislature, "Montana Code Annotated 2021, 5-2-102. Term of office," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2023, "§ 13-1-106. Time of opening and closing of polls for all elections -- exceptions," accessed June 10, 2025
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Montana Secretary of State, “Montana Voter Registration Application,” accessed June 10, 2025
- ↑ Montana Motor Vehicle Division, “Additional Considerations when Getting Your License or ID,” accessed June 10, 2025
- ↑ Montana Legislative Services, "SB 490: Revise election laws regarding late registration," accessed June 9, 2025
- ↑ Montana Legislative Services, "HB 413: Revise election laws regarding residency," accessed June 9, 2025
- ↑ 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."
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2023, "§ 13-13-114. Voter Identification And Marking Precinct Register Book Before Elector Votes -- Provisional Voting," accessed June 9, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Montana Secretary of State, “Voting by Absentee Ballot,” accessed June 10, 2025
