Montana

MONTANA

3 Electoral Votes

Population
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, MT Secretary of State)
Total Population, July 2007 est. 957,861
Total Registration, June 2006 626,853
Montana has: 56 counties,126 incorporated cities and towns.
Largest counties: Yellowstone, Missoula, Flathead, Cascade, Gallatin. >
Largest cities: Billings, Missoula, Great Falls. >

Government
Governor: Brian Schweitzer (D) elected in Nov. 2004; up for re-election in 2008.
State Legislature: Montana Legislature House: 100 seats Senate: 50 seats
Local: Counties, Cities and Towns NACO Counties
U.S. House: 1R - Denny Rehberg (R)
U.S. Senate: Max Baucus (D) up for re-election in 2008, Jon Tester (D) elected in 2006.

Big Sky Country

Montana Online
Secretary of State

Constitution Party of MT
MT Democratic Party
MT Libertarian Party
MT Republican Party
Green Party of MT

Billings Gazette
Media
Newspapers
TV, Radio
Television

Politics1-MT

Republican Presidential Caucus -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Presidential Preference Primary -- Tuesday, June 3, 2008

The presidential preference primary is held the same day as the state primary.

Democrats
25 Delegates (16 Pledged and 9 Unpledged) and 4 Alternates.
0.62% of the 4,047 Delegate Votes.

Clinton | Obama

Old: Schweitzer for President (draft site launched in May 2005)

Republicans
25 Delegates: 3 RNC; 19 at-large; 3 by CD (3 x 1 CD).
1.05% of the 2,380 Delegates.

Delegate allocation is winner-take-all based on the presidential caucus.

Huckabee | McCain | Paul | Romney

Caucus Results

Mike Huckabee
245

15.03%

Alan Keyes
2

0.12%

John McCain
358

21.96%

Ron Paul
400

24.54%

Mitt Romney
625

38.34%

Total
1,630

Participation limited to Republican officials and elected officeholders.

Setting the Date
There were efforts in the 2007 and 2005 Legislative Sessions to move the presidential primary forward. House Bill 797, introduced by Rep. Duane Ankney, would have required the Secretary of State to select by September 15th of the preceding year a date in February or March for the presidential preference primary election. The House passed the bill on March 29, 2007, and it went to the Senate but died in standing committee. Ankney's bill was very similar to House Bill 376, introduced by Rep. Christopher Harris on Jan. 20, 2005; that bill likewise passed the House but died in process in April 2005.

Not to be deterred in Aug. 2007, Montana Republicans approved a February presidential caucus.

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Last day to register to vote in the November 2 general election is October 4, 2004.

649 polling places
856 precincts
456,096 total votes cast

Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.)

1,764

(0.39)

Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)
173,710

(38.57)

Cobb/LaMarche (Grn.) 996 (0.22)

Nader/Sanchirico (Ind.) 6,168
(1.37)

Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)
1,733

(0.38)

+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
266,063

(59.07)

Total........450,434

2004 Overview
The Bush-Cheney ticket won with a plurality of 93,353 votes (20.50 percentage points), carrying 51 of the 56 counties. Kerry won in Missoula, Silver Bow, Glacier, Big Horn and Roosevelt Counties.
In terms of campaign activity, Kerry's younger sister Diana visited the state July and mid-October. Nader campaigned at the University of Montana in Missoula on Sept. 5 and Cobb appeared in Great Falls on Aug. 10. First Lady Laura Bush vacationed at Glacier Park in July. Also of note, former Montana Governor Marc Racicot chaired the Bush campaign.

Past Results

1996

Dole (Rep.).............179,652 (44.11)

Clinton (Dem.)........167,992 (41.23)

Perot (Ref.)..............55,229 (13.56)

Others (2+4 w/ins)......4,458
(1.09)

Total........407,261

1992

Clinton (Dem.)........154,507 (37.63)

Bush (Rep.)...........144,207 (35.12)

Perot (Ind.).............107,225 (26.11)

Others (2+2 w/ins).....4,672
(1.14)

Total........410,611

2000

Browne/Olivier (Lib.)
1,718

(0.42)

Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)
5,697

(1.39)

+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
240,178

(58.44)

Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)
137,126

(33.37)

Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP)
675

(0.16)

Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)
24,437

(5.95)

Phillips/Frazier (Const.)
1,155

(0.28)

Forrest C. Laible (w/in)
11

-

Total........410,997

Total votes cast: 417,916
2000 Overview
Montana, a very close state with Perot on the ballot in 1992 and 1996, went to Bush by a wide margin in 2000. The Bush-Cheney ticket won with a plurality of 103,052 votes (25.07 percentage points), carrying all but 4 of the state's 56 counties. The state did see a number of closely fought races, however. In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Conrad Burns (R) defeated Brian Schweitzer (D) 51% to 47%. In the U.S. House race, Dennis Rehberg (R) defeated Nancy Keenan (D) 51% to 46%. In the governor's race, Judy Martz and Karl Ohs (R) defeated Mark O'Keefe and Carol Williams (D) 51% to 47%.

Primary -- Tuesday, June 8, 2004

Last-in-the-nation Montana held its presidential preference primary and primary for statewide and legislative offices on June 8, 2004. No-quit Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich made a late visit to the state but was unable to gain any delegates.

Democratic

	Votes	Percent
Wesley K. Clark	4,081	4.36%
John Edwards	8,516	9.10%
+John F. Kerry	63,611	68.00%
Dennis J. Kucinich	9,686	10.35%
Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr.	750	0.80%
No Preference	6,899	7.38%
Total	93,543

Based on the results of the primary, delegates to the State Convention were elected at County Conventions on June 10, 2004.

The State Convention, held June 11, 12, 13, 2004 at Billings Hotel and Convention Center, selected the pledged National Convention delegates and alternates and the add-on unpledged.

21 Delegates (15 Pledged, 6 Unpledged) and 4 Alternates.

Republican
George W. Bush 106,407 No Preference 6,340