United States Senate election in Montana, 2024

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2026 → ← 2020
U.S. Senate, Montana
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 11, 2024
Primary: June 4, 2024 General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Montana
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Lean Republican DDHQ and The Hill: Likely Republican Inside Elections: Tilt 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, 2024
See also
U.S. Senate, Montana U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd Montana elections, 2024 U.S. Congress elections, 2024 U.S. Senate elections, 2024 U.S. House elections, 2024 Arizona U.S. Senate raceCalifornia U.S. Senate raceConnecticut U.S. Senate raceDelaware U.S. Senate raceFlorida U.S. Senate raceHawaii U.S. Senate raceIndiana U.S. Senate raceMaine U.S. Senate raceMaryland U.S. Senate raceMassachusetts U.S. Senate raceMichigan U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate raceMississippi U.S. Senate raceMissouri U.S. Senate raceMontana U.S. Senate raceNebraska U.S. Senate raceNevada U.S. Senate raceNew Jersey U.S. Senate raceNew Mexico U.S. Senate raceNew York U.S. Senate raceNorth Dakota U.S. Senate raceOhio U.S. Senate racePennsylvania U.S. Senate raceRhode Island U.S. Senate raceTennessee U.S. Senate raceTexas U.S. Senate raceUtah U.S. Senate raceVermont U.S. Senate raceVirginia U.S. Senate raceWashington U.S. Senate raceWest Virginia U.S. Senate raceWisconsin U.S. Senate raceWyoming U.S. Senate raceSubmit

Tim Sheehy (R) defeated incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D) in the general election for Montana's U.S. Senate seat on November 5, 2024. Tester was one of three incumbents who lost their re-election campaigns to the U.S. Senate in 2024. Additionally, this was one of five seats that changed partisan control due to the 2024 U.S. Senate elections.

Open Secrets' Lydia McFarlane said the election would be one of the most competitive in 2024 because of the "deep red nature of Montana's electorate. Former president Donald Trump won the state by 16 percentage points in the 2020 election. Tester is currently the only Democrat holding statewide office in Montana, with Republicans controlling the state legislature and governor's office." Tester was first elected to the Senate in 2006, and was re-elected in 2012 and 2018.

Four major election forecasters differed in their ratings for the general election, with three rating it Lean Republican and one rating it Tilt Republican.

Tester received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Great Falls. Before running for political office, Tester worked for his family's farm, as a music teacher, and served on the Big Sandy School Board. Tester served in the Montana Senate from 1998 to 2006 and was Senate president from 2005 to 2006.

Tester said, "It’s important that we have a voice that represents rural America back there in Washington, D.C., and that's why I'm running." Tester said he would defend Medicare and Social Security, expand veterans clinics, and invest in rural hospitals and schools.

Sheehy received a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy. Sheehy served in the U.S. Navy as a SEAL officer and team leader and worked as a CEO and founder of Ascent Vision Technologies and Bridger Aerospace.

At the Republican National Convention in July, Sheehy said, "I’m running for the United States Senate in Montana to bring back accountability to our government and beat John Tester, the liberal Washington politician who votes with Biden and Kamala every single time it matters." Sheehy said he would oppose policies that transfer public lands to the federal government, increase America’s energy independence, increase border security, protect gun ownership, and increase fiscal responsibility.

Based on Q2 2024 reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Tester raised $43.78 million and spent $33.37 million, and Sheehy raised $14.07 million and spent $10.80 million. To review all the campaign finance figures in full detail, click here.

Michael Downey (Green Party) and Sid Daoud (L) ran in the November general election. Daoud completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey. Click here to read Daoud's responses. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

• United States Senate election in Montana, 2024 (June 4 Democratic primary)
• United States Senate election in Montana, 2024 (June 4 Republican primary)

Election news

This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election.

• July 10, 2024: Remington Research Group released a poll sponsored by American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a partisan sponsor for the Republican Party, of 570 likely voters showing Sheehy at 50% and Tester at 45%. The margin of error was ±3.1 percentage points.

• June 28, 2024: Torchlight Strategies released a poll sponsored by Common Sense for America PAC, a partisan sponsor for the Republican Party, of 649 registered voters showing Sheehy at 47% and Tester at 41%. The margin of error was ±3.9 percentage points.

• June 13, 2024: Public Opinion Strategies released a poll sponsored by the Montana Republican Party of 500 likely voters showing Tester and Sheehy tied at 46%. The margin of error was ±4.4 percentage points.

Candidates and election results

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
	Submit photo	Robert Barb (G)	0.7	4,003

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	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

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	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
✔	Submit photo	Michael Downey	62.4	679
	Submit photo	Robert Barb	37.6	410

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	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)

Voting information

See also: Voting in Montana

Election information in Montana: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 7, 2024
• Online: N/A

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 4, 2024
• By mail: N/A by N/A
• Online: N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
• By mail: Received by Nov. 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 7, 2024 to Nov. 4, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (MST)

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Jon Tester

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

• United States Senate (Assumed office: 2006)
• Montana Senate (1996-2006)
• Big Sandy School Board (1983-1992)

Biography:  Tester received a bachelor's degree from the College of Great Falls. Tester worked as an elementary school music teacher.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Tester's website said he would stand up to outside influencers and work to prevent corruption. It said, "Jon is relentless in standing up to outsiders who are hell-bent on changing our way of life by buying Montana for themselves and driving up the cost to live here. There are those who want to change Montana—but Jon will always stand tough by fighting corruption in Washington and taking on anyone, no matter how powerful, to do what’s right for us just like he always has."

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Tester's website said he would continue to support policies he believed benefited rural communities in Montana. It said, "He is a fierce defender of Medicare and Social Security, a tireless advocate for veterans, and will never stop fighting to improve our schools, tackle rising costs, and invest in rural America."

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Tester's website said he would continue to work with members of both parties in Congress. It said, "Jon has worked with Republicans to get things done, and he’ll stand up to both parties to do what’s right for Montana. It’s why Jon is ranked one of the most effective senators in Washington – of either party – and has gotten more bills signed into law than any other member of Congress this year."

---

Show sources

Sources: Jon Tester Campaign Website, "Meet Jon," accessed July 23, 2024; Jon Tester, "About Jon," accessed July 23, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Montana in 2024.

Tim Sheehy

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Sheehy received a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy. He served in the U.S. Navy as a SEAL officer and team leader and worked as a CEO and founder of Ascent Vision Technologies and Bridger Aerospace.

---

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

---

On energy production, Sheehy's website said he supported repealing Environmental Protection Agency regulations he believed increase energy prices. It said, "We are blessed here with abundant coal, minerals, timber and grasslands – let’s make sure Montana producers come first. We should be able to responsibly develop those resources here at home to create more high-paying jobs, lower energy costs, and support our communities, all while protecting the environment."

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On immigration, Sheehy's campaign website said, "The result of an open southern border is more crime and drugs flooding into our country and into our Montana communities. We need to take a strong stand and secure our border, finish the wall, and finally put an end to illegal immigration once and for all."

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Sheehy's website said he would support reducing government spending. Sheehy said, "I’m committed to ensuring that politicians who fail to pass a balanced budget don’t get paid because our country’s economic security should never be jeopardized for the sake of politics. You are not allowed to run your business that way, and they shouldn’t be allowed to run our nation that way."

---

Show sources

Sources: Tim Sheehy Campaign Website, "On the Issues," accessed July 23, 2024; Linkedin, "Tim Sheehy," accessed July 23, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Montana in 2024.

Sid Daoud

Party: Libertarian Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I’m a Montanan with a rich family history, representing two American dreams. On my mother’s side, the dream of early settlers in territorial Montana, and on my father’s, that of Armenian immigrants, coming to America to work hard and make a new life. I was born and raised in Great Falls, proudly served my country in the US Army for 13 years, married my high school sweetheart and raised three great kids. In 2006, we settled our family in the Flathead Valley, where we had the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, send our kids to great schools, and make friends with wonderful people who come from many different social and political perspectives. I’ve had a long, thriving career, working in Information Technology for large enterprise operations and as a private consultant. I’ve volunteered with many outstanding organizations, such as Kalispell’s Cancer Support Community and Habitat for Humanity to deepen my connections in the Valley and give back to the community I love. In 2016, I became more interested in local politics. Leaning on the values I was raised with, I wanted to make an impact locally! The United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights forms the core of my principals. Any issue I consider has to pass through the crucible of enhancing individual rights or support for the community free market. With the troubling rise of pointless infighting and corruption found in politics and government, I have come to realize that I can no longer wait for someone else"

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Inflation and the National Debt We urgently need to address Inflation and the National Debt. Americans are in dire straights under the current inflation and the stress on our economy due to the enormous national debt. Without immediate steps to reduce both, we are dooming our younger and future generations. I will fight to make congress pass a budget, one that reduces spending and starts to pay off the debt.

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Unconstitutional Wars Our nation can no longer afford all the unconstitutional wars, police actions and worldwide troop deployments. I will fight to return us to the constitutional inclusion of the people, through their representatives, when determining when our troops are put in harm’s way. I will fight to remove the war pigs from Washington.

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A voice of reason The leadership of the two big parties concentrate on investigating and indicting each other, leaving little time to take care of our great nation. Leadership of both parties address an agreed upon uni-party agenda and have left their membership behind. We of the rational middle need to take back our country, disband the uni-party and return to the Constitution. I will be a moderator, bringing both sides to the table to find solutions for America.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Montana in 2024.

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. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Sid Daoud (L)

Inflation and the National Debt

We urgently need to address Inflation and the National Debt. Americans are in dire straights under the current inflation and the stress on our economy due to the enormous national debt. Without immediate steps to reduce both, we are dooming our younger and future generations. I will fight to make congress pass a budget, one that reduces spending and starts to pay off the debt.

Unconstitutional Wars

Our nation can no longer afford all the unconstitutional wars, police actions and worldwide troop deployments. I will fight to return us to the constitutional inclusion of the people, through their representatives, when determining when our troops are put in harm’s way. I will fight to remove the war pigs from Washington.

A voice of reason

The leadership of the two big parties concentrate on investigating and indicting each other, leaving little time to take care of our great nation. Leadership of both parties address an agreed upon uni-party agenda and have left their membership behind. We of the rational middle need to take back our country, disband the uni-party and return to the Constitution. I will be a moderator, bringing both sides to the table to find solutions for America.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Sid Daoud (L)

I am most concerned with Policy that addresses Economic Responsibility, Foreign Relations and Limiting Government Growth and Overreach

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Sid Daoud (L)

I look up to the founders of this country and the Classic Liberal philosophers and economists that shaped them. For instance, Thomas Jefferson, Adam Smith and Ludwig Von Mises.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Sid Daoud (L)

I would like to leave a legacy of Senators that put Montana values first when looking at policy and hope to start a tradition of just that.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Sid Daoud (L)

My first real job was as a Fire Support Specialist in the US Army. I was responsible for calling in Artillery and Close Air Support for Infantry and Armor units. I served in the US Army for more than a decade.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Sid Daoud (L)

Yes, I believe that a clear understanding of how policy and laws affect actual people is crucial to Senators. I believe that holding office at a city or county level prior to serving is extremely beneficial as it shows how laws and policy affect real people, it's no longer theoretical at that level.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Sid Daoud (L)

What do you call a boomerang that does not come back - A stick

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Sid Daoud (L)

It is crucial that we have total financial transparency with the public so they have a realistic view of our economic situation and can then guide their elected officials to execute the will of the people they serve. It is difficult most of the time to see how your congressmen vote, a list of the bill / issue and how each member of the body voted should be published and easier to find. Congressmen should be required to post their schedule to include every entity they speak with so their constituents understand who their elected officials meet with and what they are up to.

Campaign ads

Jon Tester

February 22, 2024

November 10, 2023

November 7, 2023

Tim Sheehy

June 26, 2024

June 26, 2024

June 6, 2024

Debates and forums

This section includes links to debates, forums, and other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated. If you are aware of any debates or forums that should be included, please email us.

June 9 debate

On June 9, 2024, Sheehy and Tester participated in a debate hosted by the Montana Broadcasters Association at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in Anaconda, Montana.

• Click here to watch a recording of the debate

Click on the links below for summaries of the event:

• Montana Free Press
• Daily Montanan
• Associated Press

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering 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.

General election endorsements
Endorser	Jon Tester	Tim Sheehy
Government officials
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)  source		✔
Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R)  source		✔
State Sen. Terry Vermeire (R)  source	✔
Individuals
Fmr. Secretary of State, Montana Bob Brown  source	✔
Fmr. State Rep. Mallerie Stromswold  source	✔
Former President Donald Trump  source		✔
Organizations
Democratic Majority for Israel PAC  source	✔
Montana Rural Voters  source	✔
Montana Sportsmen Alliance  source	✔
National Committee To Preserve Social Security & Medicare PAC  source	✔
National Rifle Association  source		✔

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals. The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times." For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.

Below we provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval.

U.S. Senate election in Montana, 2024: general election polls
Poll	Date	Tester	Sheehy	Daoud	Downey	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Remington Research Group	June 29-July 1, 2024	45%	50%	—	—	5%	± 3.1	570	American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
Torchlight Strategies	June 22-26, 2024	41%	47%	2%	1%	9%	± 3.9	649	Common Sense for America (PAC)
Public Opinion Strategies	June 11-13, 2024	46%	46%	2%	2%	8%	± 4.4	500	Montana Republican Party
Fabrizio, Lee & Associates	June 3-5, 2024	48%	48%	—	—	4%	± 4.4	500	More Jobs, Less Government (super PAC)
Fabrizio, Lee & Associates	June 3-5, 2024	43%	46%	4%	—	7%	± 4.4	500	More Jobs, Less Government (super PAC)

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.
• 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.

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Montana, 2024
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2024	October 29, 2024	October 22, 2024	October 15, 2024
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Likely Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Likely Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Tilt Republican	Tilt Republican	Tilt Republican	Tilt Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean 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.

Election spending

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Jon Tester	Democratic Party	$98,066,476	$97,781,426	$765,624	As of December 31, 2024
Michael Hummert	Democratic Party	$7,230	$6,485	$745	As of December 31, 2024
Brad Johnson	Republican Party	$38,786	$35,694	$3,092	As of March 31, 2024
Tim Sheehy	Republican Party	$30,010,525	$28,624,278	$1,386,246	As of December 31, 2024
Charles A. Walking Child	Republican Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Robert Barb	Green Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Michael Downey	Green Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Sid Daoud	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. 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." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

As of Oct. 28, 2024, the two major party candidates had the third largest difference in terms of total money raised between major party Senate candidates and the fifth largest difference in terms of total spending. Click here to learn more.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite 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.

If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.

Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

By candidate	By election
Jon Tester Tim Sheehy	Federal Election Commission

Noteworthy events

Rosendale announces campaign, drops out (2024)

On February 9, 2024, U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) announced he would run for Senate, saying “We’ve made great accomplishments in the House, only to see them die at the hands of Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer in the Senate. Montanans want a Senator that fights for WE, THE PEOPLE, not the D.C. Cartel” in a tweet announcing his candidacy.”

Rosendale withdrew from the race days later, on February 15, 2024, saying “By my calculations, with Trump endorsing my opponent and the lack of resources, the hill was just too steep.”

Shortly after Rosendale announced his candidacy for Senate, Trump endorsed candidate Tim Sheehy (R), a business owner and former Navy SEAL who announced his candidacy for Senate in 2023. In a post on Truth Social announcing his endorsement, Trump said “Tim is the candidate who is currently best-positioned to DEFEAT Lazy Jon Tester, and Regain the Republican Majority in the United States Senate. Tim is a Political Outsider, Strong on the Border, the Military/Vets, and our constantly under siege Second Amendment.”

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.

• Presidential elections
• Statewide elections
• State partisanship
• Demographics

See also: Presidential voting trends in Montana and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Montana, 2024
District	Incumbent	Party	PVI
Montana's 1st	Ryan Zinke	Republican	R+6
Montana's 2nd	Matt Rosendale	Republican	R+16

2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, Montana
District	Joe Biden	Donald Trump
Montana's 1st	45.3%	52.2%
Montana's 2nd	35.3%	62.2%

2012-2020

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 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories
Democratic
Status	2012	2016	2020
Solid Democratic	D	D	D
Trending Democratic	R	D	D
Battleground Democratic	D	R	D
New Democratic	R	R	D
Republican
Status	2012	2016	2020
Solid Republican	R	R	R
Trending Republican	D	R	R
Battleground Republican	R	D	R
New Republican	D	D	R

Following the 2020 presidential election, 68.4% of Montanans lived in one of the state's 47 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 17.5% lived in one of five Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Montana was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Montana following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Montana county-level statistics, 2020
Solid Republican	47	68.4%
Solid Democratic	5	17.5%
Trending Democratic	1	11.0%
Trending Republican	2	2.5%
Battleground Democratic	1	0.6%
Total voted Democratic	7	29.1%
Total voted Republican	49	70.9%

Historical voting trends

Montana presidential election results (1900-2020)

• 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
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

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Montana

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Montana.

U.S. Senate election results in Montana
Race	Winner	Runner up
2020	55.0%	45.0%
2018	50.3%	46.8%
2014	57.8%	40.1%
2012	48.6%	44.9%
2008	72.9%	27.1%
Average	56.9	40.8

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Montana

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Montana.

Gubernatorial election results in Montana
Race	Winner	Runner up
2020	54.4%	40.7%
2016	50.2%	48.3%
2012	48.9%	47.3%
2008	65.5%	32.5%
2004	50.4%	46.0%
Average	53.9	43.0

See also: Party control of Montana state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Montana's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

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 May 2024.

State executive officials in Montana, May 2024
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Greg Gianforte
Lieutenant Governor	Kristen Juras
Secretary of State	Christi Jacobsen
Attorney General	Austin Knudsen

State legislature

Montana State Senate

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	16
	Republican Party	34
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		50

Montana House of Representatives

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	32
	Republican Party	68
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		100

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Montana Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas  •  Fourteen 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
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
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
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

The table below details demographic data in Montana and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.

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	86.4%	65.9%
Black/African American	0.6%	12.5%
Asian	0.8%	5.8%
Native American	5.8%	0.8%
Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.2%
Other (single race)	1.1%	6%
Multiple	5.2%	8.8%
Hispanic/Latino	4.2%	18.7%
Education
High school graduation rate	94.5%	89.1%
College graduation rate	34%	34.3%
Income
Median household income	$66,341	$75,149
Persons below poverty level	7.3%	8.8%
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 2017-2022).
**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.

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Montana in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Montana, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2024
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Montana	U.S. Senate	Ballot-qualified party	N/A	N/A	$1,740.00	1% of annual salary	3/11/2024	Source
Montana	U.S. Senate	Unaffiliated	12,694	5% of total votes cast for successful candidate in the last general election	$1,740.00	1% of annual salary	6/3/2024	Source

Election history

The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2014.

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

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 605,637
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Wendie Fredrickson (G)

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
	Submit photo	John Mues	2.5	3,740
		Mike Knoles (Unofficially withdrew)	2.1	3,165

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 151,854
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 219,205
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
	Submit photo	Dennis Daneke	33.6	255

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 759
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	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.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Steve Kelly (G)

2014

On November 4, 2014, Steve Daines (R) won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Amanda Curtis (D) and Roger Roots (L) in the general election.

U.S. Senate, Montana General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Daines	57.8%	213,709
	Democratic	Amanda Curtis	40.1%	148,184
	Libertarian	Roger Roots	2.1%	7,933
Total Votes				369,826
Source: Montana Secretary of State

Democratic-held Senate seat in state Trump won

This was one of two Senate seats Democrats were defending in states Donald Trump (R) won in the 2020 presidential election:

• Montana: Incumbent Jon Tester (D) ran for a fourth term. Trump won Montana by 16 points in 2020.
• Ohio: Incumbent Sherrod Brown (D) ran for a fourth term. Trump won Ohio by 8 points in 2020.
• West Virginia: Incumbent Joe Manchin (D) did not run for re-election. Trump won West Virginia by 39 points in 2020.

Republicans were not defending any Senate seats in states Joe Biden (D) won in 2020.