Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2024

• Presidential election
  • Presidential candidates
• Congress elections
  • U.S. Congress
  • U.S. Senate
  • U.S. House
  • Congressional special elections
• State elections
  • Ballot measures
  • State executives
  • State legislatures
  • State legislature special elections
  • State supreme courts
  • Intermediate appellate courts
• Local elections
  • Ballot measures
  • Municipal government
  • School boards
  • Trial courts
  • Political recalls
  • Additional local elections
• Voter information
  • Sample ballot
  • Election calendar
  • Election results
  • Poll opening and closing times
  • Voting policies

← 2020
Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction
Election details
Filing deadline: March 11, 2024
Primary: June 4, 2024 General: November 5, 2024 Pre-election incumbent(s): Elsie Arntzen (R)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Montana
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2024 Impact of term limits in 2024 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
Montana executive elections
Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Secretary of State Auditor Superintendent of Public Instruction Public Service Commissioner (3 seats)

Montana held an election for superintendent of public instruction on November 5, 2024. The primary was June 4, 2024. The filing deadline was March 11, 2024.

Susie Hedalen won election in the general election for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction

Susie Hedalen defeated Shannon O'Brien in the general election for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susie Hedalen (R)	59.3	348,360
		Shannon O'Brien (D)	40.7	238,880

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 587,240
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction

Shannon O'Brien advanced from the Democratic primary for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shannon O'Brien	100.0	94,474

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 94,474
= 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 Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction

Susie Hedalen defeated Sharyl Allen in the Republican primary for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Susie Hedalen	62.3	99,717
		Sharyl Allen	37.7	60,352

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 160,069
= 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.

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.

Shannon O'Brien

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Started my career as a high school social studies teacher and basketball coach. Went on to serve as the education policy advisor to Governor Steve Bullock. Became the Dean of the Missoula College in Missoula Montana working with non-traditional students. Am presently a Montana State Senator in a leadership role. For ten years I helped young people who came from low-income, first generation college or ethnic minority backgrounds have access to college. I have degrees in political science, teaching, and educational leadership from the University of Washington (BA), Gonzaga (Masters) and UM (Ed.D.). My husband Chuck and I are proud parents of one son who is in high school in Missoula Montana."

---

Key Messages

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

---

Fix the teacher shortage crisis in our state and pay our teachers

---

Safe schools for our children with a quality teacher in the classroom

---

Rebuild the Office of Public Instruction and support school districts and educators in every community

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2024.

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)

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?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Fix the teacher shortage crisis in our state and pay our teachers

Safe schools for our children with a quality teacher in the classroom

Rebuild the Office of Public Instruction and support school districts and educators in every community

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Investing in our students is the wisest long-term investment of our taxpayer dollars. When education is prioritized the outcome is a strong workforce and a bright future for students. In order to do that, we must address the teacher shortage crisis head-on. Last fall, there were over 1,000 vacancies statewide which is simply unacceptable. Montana is 51st in the nation for starting teacher salaries with some districts offering less than $28,000/year salary. Housing is impossible for so many in the state, including teachers.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Montana’s State Constitution requires that every child receive a quality public education.This office plays a critical role in ensuring that all children have the opportunity to realize their full potential and achieve their goals of a good job, a college education or service in our military.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Effective and competent leadership matters, regardless of the position. Strong leaders listen carefully to all people, provide a clear vision and support their team to fulfill that vision and serve the public. Additionally, leaders need to build relationships with all others regardless of their party affiliation. I believe it’s important to build relationships of trust, find common ground and then get to work identifying the real problems and building solutions.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Over the last 10 years I have traveled the State of Montana meeting with students, parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and other education policy makers. I have seen the amazing work of our teachers first-hand, heard parents stories of pride and concern about their children’s future. Hearing the financial struggles that school superintendents face to keep their teachers paid a living wage, retaining good teachers and maintaining school buildings to keep our children safe often seem insurmountable. My husband and I have a son in high school, so as a mom I know first hand the life of parenting.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction must prioritize students, teachers, families and communities. We must leave politics out of our classrooms. The Office of Public Instruction (OPI) must rebuild strong working relationships with school superintendents and support their needs. Teacher’s must be supported as they meet the challenges to help every child succeed.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Problem solving through collaboration and relationships with other policy makers. Right now, we have a teacher shortage crisis and a mental health crisis for our youth. Both of those problems can be solved by bringing legislators and other stakeholders together to find solutions.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

The State Superintendent obligation is to set funding priorities and advance policy that supports quality education for every student. It is paramount that the Superintendent have a strong working relationship with the Board of Public Education, legislators, local school districts and teacher organizations to advance those funding and policy priorities. Kindergarten readiness and early learning is a critical area that could move the dial for success for children. If students enter kindergarten ready to learn, they are significantly more likely to be successful later in life. The State Superintendent is one of the five constitutional officers that oversee our state lands. Resources that are generated from the leasing of our state lands go directly to our public schools. Managing those lands in a fair and responsible way for the long term sustainability of access and revenue is paramount.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Montana Federation of Public Employees

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Shannon O'Brien (D)

We work for the people of Montana and are the stewards of taxpayer dollars. It is essential that we are transparent. It is imperative that we follow the law, are responsive to the needs of our constituents and ensure that our public schools remain strong. Currently we are seeing a deliberate attack on public education and an effort to divert taxpayer money to fund private religious schools. This will certainly have a negative impact on our local public schools which are the very backbone of our communities. We must fight for our public schools and protect each child’s fair shot at a bright future.

Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2012.

2020

See also: Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2020

General election candidates

• Elsie Arntzen  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔
• Melissa Romano  (Democratic Party) 
• Kevin Leatherbarrow  (Libertarian Party) 

---

= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Democratic primary candidates

• Melissa Romano ✔ 

---

= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Republican primary candidates

• Elsie Arntzen (Incumbent) ✔

Minor Party primary candidates

Libertarian Party

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:

• Kevin Leatherbarrow ✔ 

---

= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

2016

See also: Montana Superintendent of Schools election, 2016

The general election for superintendent of public instruction was held on November 8, 2016.

2012

See also: Montana down ballot state executive elections, 2012

Incumbent Denise Juneau (D) narrowly defeated Sandy Welch (R) to win re-election in the November 6, 2012 general election. The race initially went to a recount, but Welch dropped the issue due to the cost.

Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Denise Juneau Incumbent	50.2%	235,397
	Republican	Sandy Welch	49.8%	233,166
Total Votes				468,563
Election results via Montana Secretary of State

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.

   .placeholder {}
   .census-table-container {
       width: 100%;
       max-width: 500px;
       overflow-x: auto;
   }
   .census-table-widget {
       text-align: center;
       border: 1px solid black !important;
   }
   .census-table-header {
       background-color: #334aab;
       color: white;
       padding: 0.5em 1em;
   }
   .census-table-census-item-header {
       text-align: left !important;
       font-weight: normal !important;
       background-color: #D9D9D9;
       padding-left: 0.25em;
       padding-right: 0.25em;
   }
   .census-table-census-item {
       text-align: center !important;
       font-weight: normal !important;
   }
   .census-table-section-header {
       background-color: #f0a236;
       font-style: italic;
   }
   .census-table-source {
       font-size: 80%;
   }
   .census-table-race-disclaimer {
       font-size: 70%;
       border-top: 1px solid #ccc;
   }

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%
Two or more	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.

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Montana superintendent of public instruction official website