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 County results Melcher: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Burger: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Montana | ||||||||
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The1976 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 2, 1976. Rather than seek a fifth term, incumbent United States SenatorMike Mansfield, aDemocrat, opted to retire, creating an open seat. United States CongressmanJohn Melcher, who had representedMontana's 2nd congressional district from 1969 to 1977, won theDemocratic nomination and defeated Stanley C. Burger, theRepublican nominee, by a wide margin in the general election. This was the first open seat election in Montana since1960 and the first open seat election in Montana for the Class 1 Senate seat since1922.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jack Melcher | 89,413 | 88.52 | |
| Democratic | Ray E. Gulick | 11,593 | 11.48 | |
| Total votes | 101,006 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Stanley C. Burger | 32,313 | 40.41 | |
| Republican | Dave Drum | 27,257 | 34.09 | |
| Republican | Jack Tierney | 15,129 | 18.92 | |
| Republican | Larry L. Gilbert | 5,258 | 6.58 | |
| Total votes | 79,957 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Melcher | 206,232 | 64.16% | +3.62% | |
| Republican | Stanley C. Burger | 115,213 | 35.84% | −3.62% | |
| Majority | 91,019 | 28.32% | +7.24% | ||
| Turnout | 321,445 | ||||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
