Montana State Senate elections, 2024
| 2024 Montana Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Primary | June 4, 2024 |
| General | November 5, 2024 |
| Past Election Results |
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| 2024 Elections | |
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Elections for the Montana State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was June 4, 2024. The filing deadline was March 11, 2024.
Following the election, Republicans lost a legislative veto-proof majority but maintained a 32-18 Senate majority. Democrats needed to gain one Senate seat or two House seats to break the Republican legislative veto-proof majority. Republicans needed to lose no Senate seats and fewer than two House seats to maintain the Republican legislative veto-proof majority.
The Montana State Senate was one of 85 state legislative chambers with elections in 2024. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| Montana State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 16 | Pending | |
| Republican Party | 34 | Pending | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
Candidates
General election
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Montana State Senate general election 2024
- Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic
Republican
Other District 2 District 3
Carl Glimm (i)
District 5 District 7
District 13 District 15 District 16 District 17 District 20 District 21 District 24 District 26
District 27 District 30 District 33
District 35 District 36 District 37 District 38
District 39 District 40 District 44
District 45 Kelley Durbin-Williams (Independent)
District 46 District 47
Primary
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Montana State Senate primary 2024
- Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
Office Other District 2 District 3
District 5 District 7
District 13 The Democratic primary was canceled.
District 15 The Democratic primary was canceled.
District 16 District 17 The Democratic primary was canceled.
District 20 District 21 Did not make the ballot:
Christian Takesenemy
District 24 District 26
District 27 District 30 District 33
District 35 The Democratic primary was canceled.
District 36 Did not make the ballot:
Suzzann Nordwick
District 37 District 38
Gregory Frazer
Jeremy Mygland
Did not make the ballot:
Jim Kephart
District 39 District 40 District 44 District 45 District 46
C. B. Pearson
Did not make the ballot:
Gwen Nicholson
District 47
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Montana
General election race ratings
The table below displays race ratings for each race in this chamber from CNalysis.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Incumbents defeated in primaries
One incumbent lost in a primary. This was the fourth election cycle in a row where one incumbent lost a primary.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Friedel |  Republican |
Senate District 27 |
Retiring incumbents
Seventeen incumbents did not file for re-election in 2024.[1] This was the highest number of retirements since Ballotpedia began tracking competitiveness statistics in 2010. Those incumbents were:
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Montana. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Montana in 2024. Information below was calculated on May 31, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
Montana had 60 contested state legislative primaries in 2024, a new high and an increase of 36% from the preceding cycle.
Fifteen of the 60 contested primaries were for Democrats, up 15% from 2022. Forty-five primaries were for Republicans, a 45% increase from 31 in 2022. The number of Montana state legislative incumbents who faced primary challenges was up 85% from 13 in 2022.
Twenty-four incumbents faced primaries in 2024, representing 32% of all incumbents who ran for re-election. This was a new high, and 2020 became the second highest with 23 incumbents in contested primaries. Of the 24 incumbents who faced primary challengers in 2024, two were Democrats and 22 were Republicans.
A total of 304 major party candidates filed to run—123 Democrats and 181 Republicans. All 100 House seats and half of the state’s 50 Senate seats were up for election. Fifty-two of those 125 seats were open, meaning no incumbents filed, and at least 42% of the state legislature would be made up of newcomers the next year. Seventeen percent of House incumbents were term-limited in 2024.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Montana State Senate from 2010 to 2024.[3]
| Open Seats in Montana State Senate elections: 2010 - 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2024 | 25 | 17 (68 percent) | 8 (32 percent) |
| 2022 | 25 | 13 (52 percent) | 12 (48 percent) |
| 2020 | 25 | 12 (48 percent) | 13 (52 percent) |
| 2018 | 25 | 8 (32 percent) | 17 (68 percent) |
| 2016 | 25 | 14 (56 percent) | 11 (44 percent) |
| 2014 | 25 | 11 (44 percent) | 14 (56 percent) |
| 2012 | 24 | 11 (46 percent) | 14 (54 percent) |
| 2010 | 26 | 16 (62 percent) | 10 (38 percent) |
Legislative referrals
- See also: Legislative referral
A legislative referral, or legislatively referred ballot measure, is a ballot measure that appears on the ballot due to a vote of the state legislature. A legislative referral can be a constitutional amendment, state statute, or bond issue.
As of the 2024 election, a two-thirds vote was required of all members of the legislature during one legislative session for the Montana State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Since Montana had 150 legislators (100 Representatives and 50 Senators), at least 100 members needed to vote in favor of a constitutional amendment for it to pass. Amendments did not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
At the time of the 2024 election, Republicans held a 34-16 majority in the Senate and 68-32 majority in the House. Democrats needed to win 52 seats to be able to pass legislative referrals without Republican votes. Republicans needed to lose two seats to lose the same ability.
Process to become a candidate
For qualified party candidates
See statutes: Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 201 of the Montana Code Annotated 2013
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.[4][5]
Filing fees are established in Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 202, of the Montana Code Annotated 2013. These fees are summarized in the table below.[6]
| 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.[7][8]
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.[9]
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).[10]
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Montana State Senate, a candidate must be:[11]
- 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[12] | |
|---|---|
| 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.[13]
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: 1992-2024
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 |
Presidential politics in Montana
2020
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
Presidential election in Montana, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
||
| ✔ |
 
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
56.9
|
343,602 | 3 |
 
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
40.5
|
244,786 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
2.5
|
15,252 | 0 | |
| Other write-in votes |
0.0
|
55 | 0 | ||
 |
Total votes: 603,695 |
2016
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
| 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 | |||||
Montana presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 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 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | R |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Although this district was not on the ballot in 2024, because of the staggered terms in the Senate, its incumbent was eligible to run for re-election. For information, see this article by Daily Montanan.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Major Party Candidates," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2013, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 201," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2013, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 202," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Independent, Minor Party and Indigent Candidates," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2013, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 501," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ Montana Code Annotated 2013, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 502," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Write-in Candidates," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ 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
