Lieutenant Governor of Montana
| Montana Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $90,140 |
| Term limits: | Two terms in 16 year period |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Montana Constitution, Article VI, Section 1 the Executive Department |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Kristen Juras | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 7, 2028 |
| Last election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Other Montana Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Director • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Director • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
The Lieutenant Governor of Montana is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the governor of Montana. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms in any 16-year span.
Current officeholder
- See also: Current Lieutenant Governors
The current Lieutenant Governor of Montana is Kristen Juras (R). She was elected in 2020.[1]
Authority
The Montana Constitution establishes the office of the lieutenant governor in Article VI, the Executive Department.
Under Article VI, Section I:
|
The executive branch includes a governor, lieutenant governor... |
Qualifications
| State Executives |
|---|
 |
| Current Governors |
| Gubernatorial Elections |
| 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
| Current Lt. Governors |
| Lt. Governor Elections |
| 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 |
A candidate for lieutenant governor must:[2]
- be at least 25 years of age or older at the time of election
- be a citizen of the United States
- have resided within the state at least two years at his election
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
Montana elects lieutenant governors in the presidential election years (e.g. 2020, 2024, 2028, and 2032). Legally, the lieutenant gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Monday in the January following an election.
2024
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Incumbent Kristen Juras defeated Raph Graybill and Matt Campbell in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Montana on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kristen Juras (R) | 59.6 | 326,499 |
 | Raph Graybill (D) | 37.9 | 207,675 | |
 | Matt Campbell (L) | 2.4 | 13,276 | |
| Total votes: 547,450 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Raph Graybill defeated Jerry Driscoll in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Raph Graybill | 71.0 | 70,857 |
| Jerry Driscoll | 29.0 | 29,004 | |
| Total votes: 99,861 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Incumbent Kristen Juras defeated Randy Pinocci in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristen Juras | 75.2 | 144,827 |
 | Randy Pinocci | 24.8 | 47,713 | |
| Total votes: 192,540 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Matt Campbell advanced from the Libertarian primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana.
2020
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Kristen Juras defeated Casey Schreiner, John Nesper, and Darren Hall in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Montana on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristen Juras (R) | 54.4 | 328,548 |
 | Casey Schreiner (D) | 41.6 | 250,860 | |
| John Nesper (L) | 4.0 | 24,179 | |
| Darren Hall (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 21 | |
| Total votes: 603,608 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joshua Thomas (G)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Casey Schreiner defeated Buzz Mattelin in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Casey Schreiner | 54.9 | 81,527 |
| Buzz Mattelin | 45.1 | 67,066 | |
| Total votes: 148,593 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Kristen Juras defeated Jon Knokey and Kenneth Bogner in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristen Juras | 53.4 | 119,247 |
 | Jon Knokey | 27.3 | 60,823 | |
 | Kenneth Bogner | 19.3 | 43,080 | |
| Total votes: 223,150 | |||
| = 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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Green primary election
Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Joshua Thomas advanced from the Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joshua Thomas | 100.0 | 713 |
| Total votes: 713 | |||
| = 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. John Nesper advanced from the Libertarian primary for Lieutenant Governor of Montana.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Roger Roots (L)
2016
The general election for lieutenant governor was held on November 8, 2016. Incumbent Mike Cooney (D) won re-election to the position.
2012
Incumbent John Bohlinger (R) was prevented from running for re-election due to term limits. John E. Walsh (D), running on a ticket with Steve Bullock, defeated Jon Sonju (R), Marc Mulcahy (L), and Joni Oja (I) in the November 6, 2012 general election.
| Governor/Lieutenant Governor of Montana General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Steve Bullock and John E. Walsh |
48.9% | 236,450 | |
| Republican | Rick Hill and Jon Sonju | 47.3% | 228,879 | |
| Libertarian | Ron Vandevender and Marc Mulcahy | 3.8% | 18,160 | |
| Total Votes | 483,489 | |||
| Election results via Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Term limits
Term limits for the lieutenant governor are laid out in Article IV, Section 8 of the Montana Constitution, which forbids any one person from appearing on the ballot as lieutenant governor after serving more than eight years in any 16-year period.
Montana Constitution, Article IV, Section 8:
| (1) The secretary of state or other authorized official shall not certify a candidate's nomination or election to, or print or cause to be printed on any ballot the name of a candidate for, one of the following offices if, at the end of the current term of that office, the candidate will have served in that office or had he not resigned or been recalled would have served in that office:
(a) 8 or more years in any 16-year period as governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, attorney general, or superintendent of public instruction; (b) 8 or more years in any 16-year period as a state representative; (c) 8 or more years in any 16-year period as a state senator; (d) 6 or more years in any 12-year period as a member of the U.S. house of representatives; and (e) 12 or more years in any 24-year period as a member of the U.S. senate. (2) When computing time served for purposes of subsection (1), the provisions of subsection (1) do not apply to time served in terms that end during or prior to January 1993. (3) Nothing contained herein shall preclude an otherwise qualified candidate from being certified as nominated or elected by virtue of write-in votes cast for said candidate. |
Vacancies
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article VI, Section 6.
If the lieutenant governor's chair is vacant due to death, resignation, removal, disability or succession to the governorship, the governor shall appoint a new lieutenant governor.
If both the governor and lieutenant governor's chair are vacant, the legally provide line of succession goes into effect until the next scheduled general election, when both office will be elected.
Duties
Montana's lieutenant governor acts as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to illness of the governor.
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Lieutenant Governor of Montana has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
State budget
- See also: Montana state budget and finances
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor did not appear as a line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. If you have information related to the budget for this office, please email us and let us know.
Compensation
Under Article VI, Section 5 of the Montana Constitution, the lieutenant governor's salary is fixed by law and the officeholder may not receive any other compensation while in office.
In 1995, the Montana Legislature passed MCA 2-16-403 and MCA 2-16-405, which require the state's department of administration to conduct a salary survey every other year of elected officials for North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The salary for the lieutenant governor is determined by calculating the average salary of the lieutenant governors in the five states. The adjusted salary is effective July 1 of the year following the survey.[3]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $90,140, according to the Council of State Governments.[4]
2021
In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $90,140, according to the Council of State Governments.[5]
2020
In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $90,140 according to the Council of State Governments.[2]
2019
In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $86,990 according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
2018
In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $86,990 according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2017
In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $86,362 according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2016
In 2016, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $86,362 according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2015
In 2015, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $86,362 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2014
In 2014, the lieutenant governor earned a salary of $86,362 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2013
In 2013, the lieutenant governor was paid an estimated $86,362.[12]
2010
In 2010, the lieutenant governor was paid $79,007, the 29th highest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America.
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Lieutenant Governor of Montana has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
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Contact information
Office of the Lt. Governor
Montana State Capitol Bldg.
PO Box 200801
Helena, MT 59620-1901
Phone: (406) 444-3111
Fax: (406) 444-4648
See also
| Montana | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Governor of Montana, "About," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2019, "2-16-405 Salaries Of Certain Elected State Officials,” accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 30, 2014
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