2020 Montana elections

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2020 Montana elections
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A general election in the state of Montana was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, with the primary elections being held on June 2, 2020. Voters will elect one member to United States House of Representatives and all five state constitutional offices, among other elected offices. [1]

Contents

Federal elections

President

2020 United States presidential election in Montana [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Donald Trump
Mike Pence 		343,602 56.92 +0.75
Democratic Joe Biden
Kamala Harris 		244,78640.55+4.80
Libertarian Jo Jorgensen
Spike Cohen 		15,2522.53−3.11
Total votes603,640 100%
Republican win

Congress

Senate

Incumbent Republican Steve Daines won re-election.

House of Representatives

Incumbent Republican Greg Gianforte was elected in 2018 with 50.9% of the vote. Gianforte announced he would not seek re-election, instead successfully ran for governor. [3] In the general election, Republican state auditor Matt Rosendale defeated former Democratic state representative Kathleen Williams.

Governor

Secretary of state

Incumbent Republican Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton was elected in 2016 with 55.5% of the vote. [4] Stapleton has announced he would not seek re-election, instead running for the open U.S. House seat in Montana. [5]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared
Declined

Results

Republican primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Christi Jacobsen 57,749 29%
Republican Scott Sales 49,59625%
Republican Brad Johnson 45,38823%
Republican Forrest Mandeville 20,25810%
Republican Bowen Greenwood14,0367%
Republican Kurt Johnson9,3215%
Total votes196,348 100%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Bryce Bennett 130,109 100%
Total votes130,109 100%

General election

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Christi Jacobsen (R)Bryce Bennett (D)Undecided
Bryce Bennett [12] Released August 20–26, 2020– [a] ± 4.4%39%36%22%

Results

Montana Secretary of State election, 2020 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Christi Jacobsen 352,939 59.56% Increase2.svg4.07
Democratic Bryce Bennett 239,61740.44%Decrease2.svg0.53
Total votes592,556 100.00%

Attorney general

Incumbent Republican Montana Attorney General Tim Fox was re-elected in 2016 with 67.7% of the vote. [4] Fox is term-limited and cannot run for re-election. Fox decided to run for the Governor of Montana election. [14]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
Eliminated in primary
  • Jon Bennion, chief deputy Attorney General [16]

Results

Republican primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Austin Knudsen 116,113 60%
Republican Jon Bennion78,16140%
Total votes194,274 100.0

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
Eliminated in primary
Withdrawn
  • Jim Cossitt, bankruptcy attorney [18] [19]
Declined

Results

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Raph Graybill 79,772 57%
Democratic Kimberly Dudik 59,96343%
Total votes139,735 100.0

Green primary

Candidates

Disqualified

Results

Green primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Green Roy Davis 748 100.0%
Total votes748 100.0%

General election

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Austin
Knudsen (R)		Raph
Graybill (D)		OtherUndecided
Change Research [22] October 29 – November 2, 2020920 (LV)± 3.5%50%44%5% [c] 2%
Raph Graybill [23] [A] Released September 3, 2020– [d] –38%38%20%–

Results

Montana Attorney General election, 2020
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Austin Knudsen 348,322 58.51% {{{change}}}
Democratic Raph Graybill 247,02541.49%
Total votes595,347 100.00%

Montana State Senate

Montana State House

Public Service Commission

Three of five seats on the Montana Public Service Commission - Districts 2, 3 and 4 - were up for election on November 3, 2020, with party primaries scheduled for June 2. [24]

State auditor

Incumbent Republican Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale was elected in 2016 with 53.8% of the vote. [4] Rosendale announced he would not seek re-election, instead opting to run for the open U.S. House seat in Montana. [25]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Troy Downing, businessman and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018 [26]
Eliminated in primary
  • Nelly Nicol, businesswoman [27]
  • Scott Tuxbury, insurance underwriting firm owner [28]
Declined

Results

Republican primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Troy Downing 97,053 50%
Republican Scott Tuxbury58,08530%
Republican Nelly Nicol39,17220%
Total votes194,310 100.0

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
Eliminated in primary
  • Mike Windsor, attorney [28]

Results

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Shane Morigeau 78,374 61%
Democratic Mike Windsor49,06439%
Total votes127,438 100.0

General election

Results

Montana State Auditor election, 2020 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Troy Downing 326,742 55.32% {{{change}}}
Democratic Shane Morigeau 232,63439.39%
Libertarian Roger Roots31,2675.29%
Total votes590,643 100.00%

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Incumbent Republican Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen was elected in 2016 with 51.6% of the vote. [4]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

Republican primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Elsie Arntzen (incumbent) 177,595 100%
Total votes177,595 100%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared
  • Melissa Romano, fourth grade teacher and nominee for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2016 [31]

Results

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Melissa Romano 132,351 100%
Total votes132,351 100%

General election

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Elsie
Arntzen (R)		Melissa
Romano (D)		Other /
Undecided
Strategies 360/NBCMT [32] October 15–20, 2020500 (LV)± 4.4%39%41%21% [e]

Results

Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2020 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Elsie Arntzen (incumbent) 310,111 52.19% {{{change}}}
Democratic Melissa Romano259,88643.74%
Libertarian Kevin Leatherbarrow24,2024.07%
Total votes594,199 100.00%

Supreme Court

The terms of Montana Supreme Court justices for Seats 5 and 6 expire at the end of 2020. A nonpartisan primary for the two seats is scheduled for June 2, and the nonpartisan election on November 3. [33]

Ballot measures

Polling

On Initiative 190

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		For Initiative 190Against Initiative 190OtherUndecided
Montana State University Billings [38] October 19–24, 2020546 (LV)± 4.2%54%38%–7%
Montana State University Bozeman [39] September 14 – October 2, 20201,607 (LV)± 3.9%49%39%2% [f] 10%

On whether recreational marijuana should be legal

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		YesNoUndecided
University of Montana [40] February 12–22, 2020498 (LV)± 4.39%54%37%9%
University of Montana [41] February 21 – March 1, 2019293 (RV)± 5.7%51%37%12%

On Legislative Referendum 130

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Yes (for the amendment)No (against the amendment)Undecided
Montana State University Billings [42] October 19–24, 2020546 (LV)± 4.2%52%36%12%

Notes

  1. ↑ Not yet released
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  3. ↑ "Don't recall" with 3%; Did not vote with 2%; Would not vote with 0%
  4. ↑ Not yet released
  5. ↑ Leatherbarrow (L) with 5%; Undecided with 16%
  6. ↑ Would not vote with 2%

Partisan clients

  1. ↑ Poll conducted for Graybill's campaign

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References

  1. ↑ "Montana elections, 2020". Ballotpedia. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Montana Federal Election Results". Montana Secretary of State. November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  3. ↑ holly.michels@lee.net, HOLLY K. MICHELS (June 6, 2019). "Gianforte files to run for governor in 2020". The Independent Record. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "2016GeneralStatewideCanvass.pdf" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Drake, Phil (June 15, 2019). "Stapleton announces run for U.S. House seat". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  6. ↑ Michiels, Holly K. (November 5, 2019). "Greenwood running for secretary of state". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Montana secretary of state aide files to run for boss's job". Helena Independent Record. October 8, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Lutey, Tom (March 9, 2020). "Montana's PSC chairman running again for secretary of state". Billings Gazette.
  9. ↑ "Rep. Forrest Mandeville running for Montana secretary of state". Helena Independent Record. Associated Press. July 31, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  10. ↑ Michiels, Holly K. (March 18, 2019). "State Senate president Scott Sales announces bid for secretary of state in 202". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  11. ↑ Michels, Holly K. (May 29, 2019). "State Sen. Bryce Bennett running for Montana secretary of state". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  12. ↑ Bryce Bennett
  13. 1 2 3 "Montana Statewide Election Results". Montana Secretary of State. November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  14. ↑ Dennison, Mike (January 24, 2019). "Attorney General Fox launches gubernatorial bid". KRTV. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  15. ↑ Drake, Phil (May 20, 2019). "Austin Knudsen enters race for attorney general". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  16. 1 2 DeMarco, Margaret (May 8, 2019). "Great Falls native kicks off campaign for Montana Attorney General". KRTV Great Falls. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  17. ↑ Cates-Carney, Corin (December 17, 2018). "Rep Kimberly Dudik Announces Bid For Attorney General's Office". Montana Public Radio. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  18. ↑ "KALISPELL ATTORNEY JOINS ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE". Daily Inter Lake. September 14, 2019. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  19. ↑ Drake, Phil (October 8, 2019). "Cossitt drops from 2020 attorney general race". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  20. ↑ Dennison, Mike (October 23, 2019). "Montana 2020: Former state auditor considers bid for AG or Supreme Court". Missoula News Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  21. ↑ Dennison, Mike (August 19, 2020). "Green Party candidates to remain off Montana ballot this November". Missoula Current. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  22. ↑ Change Research
  23. ↑ Raph Graybill
  24. ↑ "Montana Public Service Commission election, 2020". Ballotpedia.
  25. 1 2 Pathé, Simone (September 23, 2019). "On heels of Senate loss, Montana's Matt Rosendale running for Congress — again". Roll Call. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  26. ↑ Drake, Phil (June 26, 2019). "Downing running for state auditor in 2020". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  27. ↑ Drake, Phil (October 3, 2019). "Nicol enters 2020 race for Montana state auditor". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  28. 1 2 "Here are the local, state and federal candidates on Helena-area ballots". Helena Independent Record. March 9, 2020.
  29. ↑ Michels, Holly K. (June 30, 2019). "Missoula Democrat Shane Morigeau running for state auditor post". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  30. ↑ "State superintendent Elsie Arntzen announces campaign for second term". 8 KPAX. MTN News. June 12, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  31. ↑ Michels, Holly K. (April 30, 2019). "Romano to take another run at top education job in 2020". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  32. ↑ Strategies 360/NBCMT
  33. ↑ "Montana Supreme Court elections, 2020". Ballotpedia.
  34. ↑ "Montana LR-130, Limit Local Government Authority to Regulate Firearms Measure (2020)". Ballotpedia.
  35. ↑ "Montana C-46, Initiated Amendment Distribution Requirements Measure (2020)". Ballotpedia.
  36. ↑ "Montana C-47, Initiated Statute and Referendum Distribution Requirements Amendment (2020)". Ballotpedia.
  37. ↑ "Montana CI-118, Allow for a Legal Age for Marijuana Amendment (2020)". Ballotpedia.
  38. ↑ Montana State University Billings
  39. ↑ Montana State University Bozeman Archived 2020-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
  40. ↑ University of Montana
  41. ↑ University of Montana
  42. ↑ Montana State University Billings

Official campaign websites for Secretary of State

Official campaign websites for Attorney General

Official campaign websites for State Auditor

Official campaign websites for Superintendent of Public Instruction

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