1974 Montana Senate election

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1974 Montana Senate election
← 1972
November 5, 1974 (1974-11-05)
1976 →
All 50 seats in the Montana Senate
26 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader W. Gordon McOmber Jim Moore
(retired)
Party Democratic Republican
Leader's seat 6th-Fairfield 9th-Two Dot
Last election 27 23
Seats after 30 20
Seat change Increase3 Decrease3
Senate President before election

W. Gordon McOmber[1][2]
Democratic

 Elected Senate President

W. Gordon McOmber[3]
Democratic

The 1974 Montana Senate election took place on November 5, 1974, with the primary election held on June 4, 1974. Montana voters elected all 50 members of the Montana Senate.[4] Following the landmark Reynolds v. Sims (1964) US Supreme Court decision, every state had to redraw state electoral districts to be approximately equal in population. Before Reynolds, the Montana Senate consisted of 50 members from a mix of single- and multi-member districts. After the ruling, the Montana Senate had to shift to equally populated electoral districts.[5] In 1972, the voters of Montana ratified the current Constitution of Montana, establishing the structure of the state senate that is still used today: 50 senators each elected from a single-member district.[6][7] To stagger state senate terms, senators elected in 1974 were split into two groups: half served just two years and faced re-election in 1976; the other half served full four-year terms and ran again in 1978. This setup made sure not all senate seats were up for election at once.[4]

The election coincided with United States national elections and Montana state elections, including U.S. House and Montana House.[8][9]

Following the previous election in 1972, Democrats held a 27-to-23-seat majority over Republicans.[10][11][12] Democrats increased their majority in the legislature to 30 seats, while Republicans held 20—giving Democrats a net gain of three seats.[10][8][9] The newly elected members served in the 44th Montana State Legislature, during which Democrat W. Gordon McOmber was re-elected President of the Montana Senate.[3]

Democrats

  1. District 4: Gordon E. Bollinger
  2. District 4: Stanley Nees
  3. District 5: B. J. “Swede” Goodheart
  4. District 13: William H. Bertsche
  5. District 13: P. J. Gilfeather
  6. District 13: Mrs. John Nelson Hall
  7. District 13: John K. “Jack” McDonald
  8. District 14: David F. James
  9. District 16: George Siderius
  10. District 19: P. J. Keenan
  11. District 19: Luke McKeon
  12. District 20: James R. “Jimmy” Shea
  13. District 20: Leonard E. Vainio
  14. District 23: Arthur N. Jensen

Republicans

  1. District 8: Archie M. Cochrane
  2. District 8: Herbert J. Klindt
  3. District 8: William R. McNamer
  4. District 9: Jim Moore
  5. District 11: J. W. “Brick” Breeden
  6. District 12: George T. Bennett
  7. District 12: James T. "Tom" Harrison Jr.
  8. District 18: G. W. “Por” Deschamps

Incumbent defeated in primary election

Republican

  1. District 32: George Darrow[a]

Incumbents defeated in general election

Democrats

  1. District 5: Gordon McGowan[b]
  2. District 7: Percy DeWolfe[c]
  3. District 21: C. F. “Smokey” Sorensen[d]
  4. District 28: A. A. Zody[e]

Republicans

  1. District 8: Fred O. Broeder[f]
  2. District 24: Earl Moritz[g]
  3. District 33: William R. “Bill” Lowe[h]
  4. District 47: Harry T. Northey[i]
  5. District 50: Fred G. Carl[j]

Summary of results

Italics denote an open seat held by the incumbent party; bold text denotes a gain for a party.[4][8][9]

State senate district Incumbent Party Elected senator Outcome
1 Carroll A. Graham[k] Dem Edward B. Smith Rep gain
2 William L. Mathers[l] Rep Mark Etchart Rep hold
3 Cornie R. Thiessen[m] Dem Greg Jergeson Dem hold
A. A. Zody[e] Dem
4 Gordon E. Bollinger Dem Stan Stephens Rep gain
Stanley Nees Dem
5 B. J. “Swede” Goodheart Dem Allen C. Kolstad Rep gain
6 Dave Manning[n] Dem W. Gordon McOmber[o] Dem hold
7 L. M. “Larry” Aber[p] Rep Harold C. Nelson Rep gain
8 Archie M. Cochrane Rep Richard G. Smith Dem gain
George Darrow[a] Rep
Herbert J. Klindt Rep
William R. “Bill” Lowe[h] Rep
William R. McNamer Rep
Antoinette "Toni" Fraser Rosell[q] Rep
9 Jim Moore Rep Matt Himsl[r] Rep hold
10 Earl Moritz[g] Rep Robert J. "Bob" Brown Rep hold
11 Paul F. Boylan[s] Dem Joe R. Roberts Dem hold
J. W. “Brick” Breeden Rep
Peter R. Story[t] Rep
12 George T. Bennett Rep George McCallum[u] Rep hold
Glen L. Drake[v] Rep
James T. "Tom" Harrison Jr. Rep
13 William H. Bertsche Dem Jean A. Turnage[w] Rep gain
John W. “Jack” Devine[x] Dem
P. J. Gilfeather Dem
Mrs. John Nelson Hall Dem
John K. “Jack” McDonald Dem
C. F. “Smokey” Sorensen[d] Dem
14 David F. James Dem John E. Manley Dem hold
Gordon McGowan[b] Dem
15 Percy DeWolfe[c] Dem Frank Dunkle Rep gain
W. Gordon McOmber[o] Dem
16 Fred O. Broeder[f] Rep Glen L. Drake[v] Rep hold
Matt Himsl[y][r] Rep
George Siderius Dem
17 Jean A. Turnage[w] Rep Larry Fasbender Dem gain
18 Fred G. Carl[j] Rep Margaret S. Warden Dem hold
G. W. “Por” Deschamps Rep
Elmer Flynn[z] Dem
Harry T. Northey[i] Rep
19 P. J. Keenan Dem John W. “Jack” Devine[x] Dem hold
Luke McKeon Dem
20 Neil J. Lynch[aa] Dem Mike Greely Dem hold
James R. “Jimmy” Shea Dem
Leonard E. Vainio Dem
21 Frank W. Hazelbaker[ab] Rep George F. Roskie Rep gain
22 Miles Romney[ac][ad] Dem Pat M. Goodover Rep gain
23 Arthur N. Jensen Dem Jack E. Galt Rep hold
George McCallum[u] Rep
24 New district Donald R. Foster Dem gain
25 New district Dave Manning[n] Dem hold
26 New district William L. Mathers[l] Rep hold
27 New district Cornie R. Thiessen[m] Dem hold
28 New district S. A. Olson Rep gain
29 New district Carroll Graham[k] Dem hold
30 New district Max Conover Dem gain
31 New district Pat Regan Dem gain
32 New district Antoinette "Toni" Fraser Rosell[q] Rep hold
33 New district V. E. "Gene" Cetrone Dem gain
34 New district Thomas E. Towe Dem gain
35 New district Chet Blaylock Dem gain
36 New district L. M. “Larry” Aber[p] Rep hold
37 New district Pete Story[t] Rep hold
38 New district Paul F. Boylan[s] Dem hold
39 New district Ann Seibel Dem gain
40 New district Terry Murphy Dem gain
41 New district Frank W. Hazelbaker[ab] Rep hold
42 New district Neil J. Lynch[aa] Dem hold
43 New district Robert E. "Bob" Lee Dem gain
44 New district John E. "Jack" Healy Dem gain
45 New district John "Sandy" Mehrens Dem gain
46 New district Miles Romney[ad] Dem hold
47 New district Bill Norman Dem gain
48 New district Elmer Flynn[z] Dem hold
49 New district Robert D. Watt Dem gain
50 New district Richard A. Colberg Dem gain

Detailed results by district

See also

References

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