2020 Montana elections

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

2020 United States presidential election in Montana^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Donald Trump Mike Pence	343,602	56.92	+0.75
	Democratic	Joe Biden Kamala Harris	244,786	40.55	+4.80
	Libertarian	Jo Jorgensen Spike Cohen	15,252	2.53	−3.11
Total votes			603,640	100%
	Republican win

Incumbent Republican Steve Daines won re-election against former Governor Steve Bullock.^[3]

In the general election, Republican state auditor Matt Rosendale defeated former Democratic state representative Kathleen Williams.^[3]

Incumbent Representative Greg Gianforte was elected in 2018 with 50.9% of the vote. Gianforte announced he would not seek re-election, instead successfully ran for governor.^[4] He defeated incumbent lieutenant governor Mike Cooney with 54.3% of the vote.^[3]

Incumbent Republican Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton was elected in 2016 with 55.5% of the vote.^[5] Stapleton announced he would not seek re-election, instead he ran for the open U.S. House seat in Montana.^[6] Republican Christi Jacobsen defeated Democrat Bryce Bennett.^[3]

Incumbent Republican Montana Attorney General Tim Fox was re-elected in 2016 with 67.7% of the vote.^[5] Fox was term-limited and could not run for re-election. Republican Austin Knudsen defeated Democrat Raph Graybill.^[3]

25 of the 50 seats in the Montana Senate were up for election in 2020.

All 100 seats in the Montana House of Representatives were up for election in 2020.

Three of five seats on the Montana Public Service Commission - Districts 2, 3 and 4 - were up for election.^[7] In District 2, Republican Tony O'Donnell defeated Democrat Valerie McMurtry.^[3] Republican James Brown won District 3 over Democrat Tom Woods.^[3] District 4 was taken by Republican Jennifer Fielder against Democrat Monica Tranel.^[3]

Incumbent Republican Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale was elected in 2016 with 53.8% of the vote.^[5] Rosendale announced he would not seek re-election, instead opting to run for the open U.S. House seat in Montana.^[8]

Republican Troy Downing defeated Democrat Shane Morigeau and Libertarian Roger Roots.^[3]

Incumbent Republican Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen was elected in 2016 with 51.6% of the vote.^[5] In 2020, she defeated Democrat Melissa Romano and Libertarian Kevin Leatherbarrow.^[3]

The terms of Montana Supreme Court justices for Seats 5 and 6 expired at the end of 2020. Incumbent Laurie McKinnon was successful in retaining her seat against challenger Mike Black.^[3] Incumbent Jim Shea was unopposed.^[3]

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

Montana C-46 was an amendment to the constitution proposed by the legislature.^[9] This was a result of House Bill No. 244.^[9] The change would require anyone who proposed a constitutional amendment to obtain signatures of at least ten percent of the qualified voters in two-fifths of the legislative districts.^[9] This did not change existing requirements, rather it amended constitutional language to match existing signature distribution requirements for initiated constitutional amendments.^[10] The amendment passed with 76% voting yes.^[10]

Montana C-47 was an amendment to the constitution proposed by the legislature.^[11] This was a result of House Bill No. 245.^[11] Under this amendment petitions for citizen ballot initiatives must be signed by at least five percent of the qualified electors in one third of the legislative districts. This did not change existing enforced initiative signature distribution requirements, rather it amended constitutional language to match.^[12] The amendment passed with 74% voting yes.^[12]

Montana CI-118 was a constitutional amendment proposed by initiative petition.^[13] The amendment would allow for the legislature or a citizen initiative to establish a minimum legal age for the possession, use, and purchase of marijuana.^[14] This initiative, as well as Montana I-190 which would legalize marijuana use, were led by New Approach Montana.^[14] The amendment passed with 57% voting yes.^[14]

This referendum was referred by the state legislature through House Bill 357.^[15] The reform would limit local government's authority to regulate firearms.^[16] It was narrowly passed with 51% voting yes.^[17]

Montana I-190 was a law proposed by initiative petition.^[18] It was to legalize the possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21.^[18] The initiative passed with 56% voting yes.^[19]

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	For	Against	Undecided / Other
MSU Billings[20]	Oct. 19–24, 2020	546 (LV)	± 4.2%	54%	38%	7%	–
MSU Bozeman[21]	Sept. 14 – Oct. 2, 2020	1,607 (LV)	± 3.9%	49%	39%	10%	2%[b]

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Yes	No	Undecided
University of Montana[22]	Feb. 21 – Mar. 1, 2019	293 (RV)	± 5.7%	51%	37%	12%
University of Montana[23]	Feb. 12–22, 2020	498 (LV)	± 4.39%	54%	37%	9%

On Legislative Referendum 130

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Yes (for the amendment)	No (against the amendment)	Undecided
Montana State University Billings[24]	October 19–24, 2020	546 (LV)	± 4.2%	52%	36%	12%