Elections in Montana

United States presidential election results for Montana[1]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1892 18,871 42.44% 17,690 39.79% 7,900 17.77%
1896 10,509 19.71% 42,628 79.93% 193 0.36%
1900 25,409 39.79% 37,311 58.43% 1,136 1.78%
1904 34,932 54.21% 21,773 33.79% 7,739 12.01%
1908 32,333 46.98% 29,326 42.61% 7,163 10.41%
1912 18,512 23.19% 27,941 35.00% 33,373 41.81%
1916 66,750 37.57% 101,063 56.88% 9,866 5.55%
1920 109,430 61.13% 57,372 32.05% 12,204 6.82%
1924 74,138 42.50% 33,805 19.38% 66,480 38.11%
1928 113,300 58.37% 78,578 40.48% 2,230 1.15%
1932 78,078 36.07% 127,286 58.80% 11,115 5.13%
1936 63,598 27.59% 159,690 69.28% 7,224 3.13%
1940 99,579 40.17% 145,698 58.78% 2,596 1.05%
1944 93,163 44.93% 112,556 54.28% 1,636 0.79%
1948 96,770 43.15% 119,071 53.09% 8,437 3.76%
1952 157,394 59.39% 106,213 40.07% 1,430 0.54%
1956 154,933 57.13% 116,238 42.87% 0 0.00%
1960 141,841 51.10% 134,891 48.60% 847 0.31%
1964 113,032 40.57% 164,246 58.95% 1,350 0.48%
1968 138,835 50.60% 114,117 41.59% 21,452 7.82%
1972 183,976 57.93% 120,197 37.85% 13,430 4.23%
1976 173,703 52.84% 149,259 45.40% 5,772 1.76%
1980 206,814 56.82% 118,032 32.43% 39,106 10.74%
1984 232,450 60.47% 146,742 38.18% 5,185 1.35%
1988 190,412 52.07% 168,936 46.20% 6,326 1.73%
1992 144,207 35.12% 154,507 37.63% 111,897 27.25%
1996 179,652 44.11% 167,922 41.23% 59,687 14.66%
2000 240,178 58.44% 137,126 33.36% 33,693 8.20%
2004 266,063 59.07% 173,710 38.56% 10,672 2.37%
2008 243,882 49.49% 232,159 47.11% 16,709 3.39%
2012 267,928 55.30% 201,839 41.66% 14,717 3.04%
2016 279,240 55.65% 177,709 35.41% 44,873 8.94%
2020 343,602 56.74% 244,786 40.42% 17,182 2.84%
2024 352,079 58.27% 231,906 38.38% 20,196 3.34%
Original 9 Montana counties

Montana became a territory May 28, 1864 and the first delegation created nine counties: Beaverhead, Big Horn (renamed Custer in 1877), Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, Jefferson, Edgerton (renamed Lewis and Clark in 1867), Madison, and Missoula. Montana became a state on November 8, 1889.

Montana has a history of voters splitting their tickets and filling elected offices with individuals from both parties. Through the mid-20th century, the state had a tradition of "sending the liberals to Washington and the conservatives to Helena". Between 1988 and 2006, the pattern flipped, with voters more likely to elect conservatives to federal offices. There have also been long-term shifts in party control. From 1968 through 1988, the state was dominated by the Democratic Party, with Democratic governors for a 20-year period, and a Democratic majority of both the national congressional delegation and during many sessions of the state legislature. This pattern shifted, beginning with the 1988 election when Montana elected a Republican governor for the first time since 1964 and sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1948. This shift continued with the reapportionment of the state's legislative districts that took effect in 1994, when the Republican Party took control of both chambers of the state legislature, consolidating a Republican party dominance that lasted until the 2004 reapportionment produced more swing districts and a brief period of Democratic legislative majorities in the mid-2000s.

Montana has voted for the Republican nominee in all but two presidential elections since 1952.[2] The state last supported a Democrat for president in 1992, when Bill Clinton won a plurality victory. However, since 1889 the state has voted for Democratic governors 60 percent of the time, and Republican governors 40 percent of the time. In the 2008 presidential election, Montana was considered a swing state and was ultimately won by Republican John McCain by a narrow margin of two percent.

In a 2020 study, Montana was ranked as the 21st easiest state for citizens to vote in.[3]

1890s

Included representatives from additional territorial counties: Meagher (1866), Dawson (1869), Silver Bow (1881), Yellowstone (1883), Fergus (1885), Park (1887), and Cascade (1887)

Montana county map 1890

1892 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1892

1896 elections

First election to include Flathead, Valley, Teton, Ravalli, Granite, Carbon, and Sweet Grass counties.

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1896

1900s

Montana county map 1900

1900 elections

First election to include Broadwater County

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1900

1904 elections

First election to include Powell and Rosebud counties.

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1904

1908 elections

First election to include Sanders County

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1908

1910s

Montana county map 1910

1912 elections

First election to include Lincoln, Musselshell, Hill and Blaine counties.

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1912

1916 elections

First election to include Big Horn, Stillwater, Sheridan, Fallon, Toole, Richland, Mineral, Wibaux, Phillips, and Prairie counties.

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1916

1918 elections

  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1918

1920s

Montana county map 1920

1920 elections

First election to include Liberty, Golden Valley, and Daniels counties.

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1920

1922 elections

  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1922

1924 elections

First election to include Judith Basin and Lake counties.

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1924
  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1924

1928 elections

First election to include Petroleum County.

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1928
  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1928

1930s

Montana county map 1930 (current)
  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1930

1932 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1932

1934 elections

  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1934
  • United States Senate special election in Montana, 1934

1936 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1936
  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1936

1940s

1940 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1940
  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1940

1942 elections

  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1942

1944 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1944

1946 elections

  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1946

1948 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1948
  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1948

1950s

1952 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1952
  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1952

1954 elections

  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1954

1956 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 1956

1958 elections

  • United States Senate election in Montana, 1958

1960s

1960 elections

1962

1964 elections

1966 elections

1968 elections

1969 elections

  • 1969 Montana's 2nd congressional district special election

1970s

1970 elections

1972 elections

1974 elections

1976 elections

1978 elections

1980s

1980 elections

1982 elections

1984 elections

1986

1988 elections

1990s

1990 elections

  • 1990 United States Senate election in Montana
  • 1990 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana

1992 elections

  • 1992 United States presidential election in Montana
  • 1992 Montana gubernatorial election

1994 elections

  • 1994 United States Senate election in Montana
  • 1994 United States House of Representatives election in Montana

1996 elections

  • 1996 United States presidential election in Montana
  • 1996 United States Senate election in Montana
  • 1996 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
  • 1996 Montana gubernatorial election

1998 elections

  • 1998 United States House of Representatives election in Montana

2000s

2000 elections

  • 2000 United States presidential election in Montana
  • 2000 United States Senate election in Montana
  • 2000 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
  • 2000 Montana gubernatorial election
  • 2000 Montana House of Representatives election

2002 elections

2004 elections

  • United States presidential election in Montana, 2004
  • 2004 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
  • Montana gubernatorial election, 2004
  • 2004 Montana House of Representatives election

2006 elections

2008 elections

2010s

2010 elections

  • 2010 Montana elections
  • 2010 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
  • 2010 Montana House of Representatives election

2012 elections

2014 elections

2016 elections

  • 2016 Montana elections
  • 2016 United States presidential election in Montana
  • 2016 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
  • 2016 Montana gubernatorial election
  • 2016 Montana Senate election
  • 2016 Montana House of Representatives election

2017 elections

2018 elections

2020s

2020 elections

2022 elections

  • 2022 Montana elections
  • 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
  • 2022 Montana Senate election
  • 2022 Montana House of Representatives election

2024 elections

  • 2024 Montana elections
  • 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
  • 2024 United States Senate election in Montana
  • 2024 Montana gubernatorial election
  • 2024 United States presidential election in Montana
  • 2024 Montana Senate election
  • 2024 Montana House of Representatives election

2026 elections

  • 2026 Montana elections
  • 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana
  • 2026 United States Senate election in Montana
  • 2026 Montana Senate election
  • 2026 Montana House of Representatives election

See also

References

  1. ^ Leip, David. "Presidential General Election Results Comparison – Montana". US Election Atlas. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  2. ^ Montana 2012 Election 2013.
  3. ^ J. Pomante II, Michael; Li, Quan (December 15, 2020). "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 19 (4): 503–509. doi:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. S2CID 225139517. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2022.

Works cited