- Former state lawmaker Kathleen Williams defeated state Rep. Tom Winter in the Democratic nomination for Montana’s open US House seat.
- On the Republican side, state Auditor Matt Rosendale and Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton are leading the six candidates vying for the nomination.
- As expected, current Gov. Steve Bullock easily won the Democratic nomination for US Senate to face incumbent GOP Sen. Steve Daines this fall.
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This year, Montana has highly competitive races for its governorship, the US Senate seat held by Sen. Steve Daines, and its open at-large House district.
As expected, current Gov. Steve Bullock easily won the Democratic nomination for US Senate to face incumbent GOP Sen. Steve Daines this fall.
The battle for Montana’s sole congressional seat, which is being vacated by Rep. Greg Gianforte, is also narrowing on Tuesday as the state selects its Democratic and Republican nominees.
On the Democratic side, former state lawmaker Kathleen Williams defeated state Rep. Tom Winter for the nomination. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has endorsed Williams and considers her a competitive candidate to flip a red seat blue.
On the Republican side, six candidates are vying for the nomination. The strongest candidate is state Auditor Matt Rosendale, who unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in 2018. Rosendale and the second-most popular GOP candidate in the race, Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, both unsuccessfully ran for the same seat in 2014.
Current Lt. Governor Mike Cooney is competing against non-profit executive Whitney Williams for the Democratic nomination for governor. Gianforte, Montana’s Attorney General Tim Fox, and State Senator Albert Olszewski are vying for the nomination on the Republican side.
All 56 of Montana’s counties have decided to conduct Tuesday’s elections by mail.
Montana, a red state that went for Trump by about 20 points in 2016, has a Democratic governor, Steve Bullock, one Democratic senator — Tester — and one Republican senator, Steve Daines.
After months of insisting he wouldn’t run for the Senate, Bullock, a former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, announced in March that he would challenge Daines this year.
Now Bullock is enjoying sky-high approval ratings and heightened visibility for his pandemic response. Pollsters say Bullock’s bid is a key opportunity for Democrats to go on offense in their fight to flip the Senate and his bid could in turn boost the Democratic nominee for the state’s congressional seat.
