Montana State Senate elections, 2020
 | U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Local judges • State ballot measures • Recalls • How to run for office |  |
- Presidential election
- Congress elections
- State elections
- Local elections
- Voter information
2022→ ←2018 | |
| 2020 Montana Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 3, 2020 |
| Primary | June 2, 2020 |
| Past Election Results |
| 2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2020 Elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
Montana Republicans expanded their majority in the 2020 Senate elections but fell short of winning asupermajority. Twenty-five of the chamber's 50 seats were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 30-20 majority, including a 16-9 majority among the 25 seats up in 2020. Republicans gained a netone seat from Democrats in 2020, leaving the chamber's post-election partisan balance at a 31-19 Republican majority. A 34-seat majority is required in order to override a governor's veto.
TheMontana State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in2020. A total of 25 seats out of the chamber's 50 seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.
Montana's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control ofredistricting following the 2020 census. In Montana, a commission is responsible for drawing district lines. This commission comprises five members. The majority and minority leaders of each chamber of the state legislature select one member apiece. These four members then select a fifth to serve as the commission's chair.
Click here to read about Republican state legislative primaries.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of thecoronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Montana modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Counties were authorized to conduct the general election entirely by mail.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak,click here.
Party control
| Montana State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 19 | |
| Republican Party | 30 | 31 | |
| Total | 50 | 50 | |
Candidates
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Montana Secretary of State on March 10, 2020. (I) denotes an incumbent.[1]
General election
Montana State Senate primary 2020 | |||
| |||
| Office |  Democratic | Republican | Other |
| District 2 | |||
| District 3 |
| ||
| District 6 | |||
| District 7 | |||
| District 10 | |||
| District 15 |
| ||
| District 16 | |||
| District 17 |
| ||
| District 18 |
| ||
| District 21 |
| ||
| District 23 | |||
| District 25 |
| ||
| District 26 | |||
| District 28 | |||
| District 31 | Did not make the ballot: | Did not make the ballot: | |
| District 35 | |||
| District 36 |
| John Lamb (Libertarian Party) | |
| District 37 | |||
| District 38 | |||
| District 39 | Gordon Pierson (Independent) (Write-in) | ||
| District 40 |
| ||
| District 44 | |||
| District 45 | Did not make the ballot: | Nolen Skime (Libertarian Party) | |
| District 46 | |||
| District 47 |
| Devin Braaten (Libertarian Party) Did not make the ballot: | |
The Gallatin County Republicans appointedNicolas Allevato to replaceRick Vaught on the District 31 general election ballot after Vaught withdrew from the race.[2]
Susan Campbell Reneau was appointed to replaceMike Warner on the District 45 general election ballot after Warner withdrew from the election.[3]
Primary election
Montana State Senate primary 2020 | |||
| |||
| Office | Democratic | Republican | Other |
| District 2 |
Did not make the ballot: | ||
| District 3 |
| ||
| District 6 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 7 | |||
| District 10 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 15 | The Democratic primary was canceled. |
| |
| District 16 | The Republican primary was canceled. | ||
| District 17 | The Democratic primary was canceled. Did not make the ballot: |
| |
| District 18 |
Did not make the ballot: | ||
| District 21 |
| ||
| District 23 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 25 |
| ||
| District 26 | Did not make the ballot: | ||
| District 28 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 31 | Did not make the ballot: | Libertarian Party  Joshua-Luke O'Connor* | |
| District 35 | The Democratic primary was canceled. | ||
| District 36 | The Democratic primary was canceled. |
| Libertarian Party John Lamb*  |
| District 37 | |||
| District 38 | |||
| District 39 | |||
| District 40 |
| ||
| District 44 | Nancy Ballance Did not make the ballot: | ||
| District 45 | Libertarian Party Terry Lucke | ||
| District 46 | |||
| District 47 |
| Green Party Gary MarbutLibertarian Party Devin Braaten* | |
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Margaret MacDonald |  Democratic | Senate District 26 |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
One incumbent,Tom Richmond (R), lost in the June 2 primaries. One incumbent was defeated in the 2018 and 2014 primaries, as well. No incumbents were defeated in the 2016 primaries.
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Richmond | | Senate District 28 |
Retiring incumbents
There were 12open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[4] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Dee Brown |  Republican | Senate District 2 |
| Albert Olszewski | Republican | Senate District 6 |
| Jennifer Fielder | Republican | Senate District 7 |
| Frank Smith | Democratic | Senate District 16 |
| Roger Webb | Republican | Senate District 23 |
| Mike Phillips | Democratic | Senate District 31 |
| Scott Sales | Republican | Senate District 35 |
| Jon Sesso | Democratic | Senate District 37 |
| Gene Vuckovich | Democratic | Senate District 39 |
| Fred Thomas | Republican | Senate District 44 |
| Dick Barrett | Democratic | Senate District 45 |
| Sue Malek | Democratic | Senate District 46 |
12 open seats in 2020 was average relative to the five preceding cycles. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
| Open Seats in Montana State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 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) |
Process to become a candidate
For qualified party candidates
See statutes:Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 201 of the Montana Code
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 theMontana 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.[5][6]
Filing fees are established inTitle 13, Chapter 10, Section 202, of the Montana Code Annotated 2023. These fees are summarized in the table below.[7]
| 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.[8][9]
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.[10]
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 (notedabove).[11]
2020 ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for Montana State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Montana State Senate | Qualified party | N/A | $15.00 | 3/9/2020 | Source |
| Montana State Senate | Unaffiliated | 5% of votes cast for the last successful candidate for the office | $15.00 | 6/1/2020 | Source |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in theMontana State Senate, a candidate must be:[12]
- 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
| State legislative salaries, 2025[13] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $128.86/legislative day | $206/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.[14]
Montana political history
Trifectas
Astate 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: 1992-2026
No Democratic trifectas • Sixteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Presidential politics in Montana
2016 Presidential election results
| 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 | |||||
Voter information
How the primary works
Aprimary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Montana utilizes anopen primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[15]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, seethis article.
Poll times
InMontana, polling place must be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., although in areas with fewer than 400 registered voters, polling places may open as late as 12:00 p.m.[16]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration statushere.
To register to vote in Montana, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a non-temporary resident of Montana for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the day of the election.[17] People serving a felony sentence in a penal institution and those who have been declared by a court to be of unsound mind are not eligible to vote.[18]
An individual can register to vote in person by completing aregistration application at their county election office. They can register by mailing the application to their county election administrator or submitting it when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or state ID. Applicants may also register to vote at their county election offices, certain designated locations, or at their designated polling location on Election Day.[18][19]
Automatic registration
- See also:Automatic voter registration
Montana does not practiceautomatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also:Online voter registration
Montana does not permit online voter registration.
Same-day registration
- See also:Same-day voter registration
Montana allowssame-day voter registration. An eligible voter may register before noon on Election Day.[20]
Residency requirements
In order to register to vote in Montana, applicants must have lived in the state for at least 30 days prior to the election. Montana law says an individual does not gain residency if they relocate for, "temporary work, training, or an educational program, without the intention of making that county or the state the individual's permanent home at the conclusion of the temporary work, training, or educational program."[21]
Verification of citizenship
Montana does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[22] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The siteMy Voter Page, run by the Montana secretary of state’s office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Montana requires voters to present identification while voting.
The following list of accepted forms of identification was current as of October 2025.Click here for the most current information from the Montana Secretary of State.
| “ |
| ” |
Early voting
Montana permits early voting. Learn more by visitingthis website.
Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Montana. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[24]
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by county election officials by noon the day before the election. A returned absentee ballot must be received before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.[24]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Montana Secretary of State, "Elections & Voter Services," accessed March 10, 2020
- ↑Bozeman Daily Chronicle, "New Republican candidate selected to seek Gallatin County Senate seat," August 25, 2020
- ↑Montana Secretary of State, "2020 Candidate Filing List: Legislative," accessed October 20, 2020
- ↑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.
- ↑Montana Secretary of State, "Candidates information," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 201," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 202," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Independent, Minor Party and Indigent Candidates," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 501," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑Montana Code Annotated 2023, "Title 13, Chapter 10, Section 502," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑Montana Secretary of State, "Information for Write-in Candidates," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑Montana Legislative Services, "Constitution of Montana," accessed March 6, 2014 (Referenced Art. V, Sec. 4)
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑Montana State Legislature, "Montana Code Annotated 2021, 5-2-102. Term of office," accessed November 4, 2021
- ↑Montana Legislature, "Mont. Code Ann. § 13–10–301," accessed October 21, 2025
- ↑Montana Code Annotated 2023, "§ 13-1-106. Time of opening and closing of polls for all elections -- exceptions," accessed June 10, 2025
- ↑Montana law says an individual does not gain residency if they relocate for "temporary work, training, or an educational program, without the intention of making that county or the state the individual's permanent home at the conclusion of the temporary work, training, or educational program." SeeHB 413 from 2025 for more information.
- ↑18.018.1Montana Secretary of State, “Montana Voter Registration Application,” accessed June 10, 2025
- ↑Montana Motor Vehicle Division, “Additional Considerations when Getting Your License or ID,” accessed June 10, 2025
- ↑Montana Legislative Services, "SB 490: Revise election laws regarding late registration," accessed June 9, 2025
- ↑Montana Legislative Services, "HB 413: Revise election laws regarding residency," accessed June 9, 2025
- ↑Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship.According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑24.024.1Montana Secretary of State, “Voting by Absentee Ballot,” accessed June 10, 2025
