Voting tabulation across Montana continued into Wednesday afternoon after a slew of race calls up and down the ballot late Tuesday evening.
Here’s what we know about the outcomes of federal, statewide and district-level races, and the trio of ballot initiatives that voters considered.
This article will be updated as results come in.
U.S. SENATE
Republican Kurt Alme has won the open seat to represent Montana in the U.S. Senate, according to a race call from the Associated Press shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. The AP determination came more than an hour after Alme had declared victory, surrounded by supporters in Billings.
“Montana is my home, and as your senator, I will fight to make life more affordable, make our communities safer and always protect our Montana way of life,” Alme said in a written statement released shortly before 11:30 p.m.
With 78% of the statewide vote tallied, Alme held 47.7% of the vote at the time of the AP race call. Independent candidate Seth Bodnar’s 38.6% put him in second place. Democrat Alani Bankhead was in third place with just shy of 12% of the vote.
That breakdown mirrored the vote share between the three leading candidates for much of Tuesday evening. Libertarian Kyle Austin trailed throughout the night in a distant fourth place.
Bodnar conceded to Alme shortly before midnight.
“We didn’t get over the hill tonight, and that stings. But what we built together will endure. We proved that an Independent can compete in Montana,” Bodnar said in a press release.
The apparent split of moderate and left-leaning voters between Bodnar and Bankhead had been predicted by polls and political observers for months. Many of each candidates’ supporters had urged the other to drop out of the race to consolidate opposition against Alme.
Alme, a former state budget director under Gov. Greg Gianforte and former U.S. attorney for the District of Montana appointed twice to that position by President Donald Trump, was tapped to succeed retiring Sen. Steve Daines after the incumbent withdrew his reelection bid in March.
WESTERN U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT (MT-01)
Democrat Sam Forstag has claimed victory in Montana’s Western U.S. House District, apparently defeating Republican Aaron Flint.
The Associated Press had not called the race for Forstag by Wednesday afternoon, with ballots still being tabulated in Missoula, Gallatin and Flathead counties. But Flint’s campaign said around midnight on Tuesday that the Republican had called Forstag to concede.
In a social media post Wednesday, Flint added that he had also offered his assistance to Forstag “if ever needed.” Flint also thanked his family members, friends and supporters.
Forstag’s entry into Congress would make him Montana’s first Democrat elected to federal office since former U.S. Sen. Jon Tester last won reelection in 2018. The race with Flint had been neck and neck for months. A Montana Free Press-Rutgers Eagleton poll in September showed the race nearly tied and within the margin of error. More recent polls leading up to Election Day showed Forstag in the lead.
Flint, a conservative radio talk show host and U.S. Army Reserve veteran, inherited the endorsement and campaign staff of retiring Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke. He sought to rally support around job creation and immigration enforcement during a challenging midterm environment for Republicans. Forstag, a former union leader and smokejumper, campaigned as a progressive voice for the working class in a Congress he cast as out of touch with voters on cost-of-living concerns.
Libertarian Nick Sheedy was trailing in a distant third place Wednesday.
EASTERN U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT (MT-02)
Incumbent Republican Rep. Troy Downing has won reelection to Montana’s Eastern U.S. House District, according to the Associated Press. The news outlet called the race at 9:18 p.m., determining that there was no path to victory for Downing’s opponents after election administrators began releasing vote tallies. 38% of the vote had been counted at the time of the race call.
A Democratic, Libertarian and independent candidate had lined up to challenge Downing in the Eastern District, which has voted overwhelmingly Republican since its inception in 2022. Downing has offered an understated campaign presence, but did appear at a Kalispell rally with President Donald Trump in October. He has pledged to be a reliable conservative advocate for Montanans if elected to another term.
His opponents included Democrat Brian Miller, a Helena attorney; independent candidate Michael Eisenhauer, a Great Falls cardiologist and retired Army colonel; and Libertarian Patrick McCracken.
SUPREME COURT
Amy Eddy defeated Dan Wilson for a nonpartisan seat on the Montana Supreme Court, according to an Associated Press race call just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
With 75% of the vote counted, Eddy led Wilson by about 61% to 39%. She had held a sizable lead for most of the evening.
Wilson previously ran for a seat on the Supreme Court against current Associate Justice Katherine Bidegaray in 2024. Eddy has not run for the state’s high court before.
Both candidates, currently district court judges in Kalispell, had pledged to use their legal experience to help them fairly adjudicate cases and uphold the state Constitution, but differed in how their campaigns associated with partisan spending and endorsements. Wilson had the backing of the Montana GOP and appeared as a keynote speaker at Republican functions, saying he wanted to counter what he calls a leftward tilt of the state Supreme Court.
Eddy acknowledged receiving funding from Democratic groups and individuals, as well as Republicans, but said she is committed to being a nonpartisan voice on the bench.
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Republican candidates were leading in races for the two district seats up for election this year on the Public Service Commission, though neither race had been called by the Associated Press as of Wednesday afternoon. The PSC is a quasi-judicial body that regulates monopoly utilities in Montana.
In the race for District 5, which covers portions of the Flathead Valley and eastward to the edge of Great Falls and south to Helena, incumbent Republican Commissioner Annie Bukacek led with about 53% of the vote. Helena-based Democrat Kevin Hamm had about 47% of the vote.
Republican Jeff Pattison led with about 65% of the vote in the race for the District 1 seat, representing most of eastern Montana, extending westward to Billings and Great Falls. Democrat Angeline Cheek had about 35% of the vote. The winner will fill the seat of incumbent Republican Commissioner Randy Pinocci, who will term out.
The PSC plays a key role in determining utility costs for ratepayers, as well as regulation of data centers — both top-of-mind issues for voters this election.
CI-132: NONPARTISAN JUDICIAL ELECTIONS
The Associated Press declared that Constitutional Initiative 132 has succeeded late Tuesday evening.
CI-132, which amends the state Constitution to require that judicial elections remain nonpartisan, led by about 140,000 votes at the time of the call.
Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts, the group behind CI-132, says the initiative will “keep judges accountable to the people’s interests, not deep-pocketed political interests.”
“Judges should be elected based on their record and qualifications, not politics,” according to the group’s website.
The Montana Republican Party has been vocal in its opposition to CI-132, and passed a resolution earlier this year opposing it. The resolution argues that “the Montana Supreme Court has long acted as a partisan Democrat bench” and alleges that allowing candidates to campaign with an overt political party affiliation will keep judicial elections “free, fair, and honest.”
CI-133: THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PROCESS
Constitutional Initiative 133, a ballot initiative about ballot initiatives and referendums, led by about 115,000 votes when the Associated Press declared on Tuesday evening that it had passed.
CI-133 would require that initiative language be assessed for legality by the state within 90 days of its initial submission, and that “reasonably ample time” be allowed for the signature gathering necessary to place an initiative on the ballot. It also requires that legal challenges to initiatives must be resolved before the secretary of state’s deadline for finalizing ballots, which is 75 days before the general election.
Montanans Decide, the group supporting the initiative, had argued that ballot measures “protect the voice of the people,” and organizers have described CI-133 as a response to “attacks” on the referendum process.
Opponents said the initiative removes needed protections and complicates a process that has otherwise been working.
I-194: LIMITING CAMPAIGN SPENDING FROM ARTIFICIAL PERSONS
The Associated Press said late Tuesday that Initiative 194, dubbed The Montana Plan, had passed. The initiative had a roughly 115,000-vote margin at the time the outlet made the call.
Initiative 194 changes state code to prohibit any incorporated entity in Montana from spending money to influence state elections. The prohibition applies to any group with a charter filed with the state, including nonprofits, unions and for-profit companies. The law will take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Supporters said the initiative offers a much-needed check on corporate spending and dark money, which “has flooded our political system, drowning out the voices of everyday Americans,” according to the initiative’s website.
“I’m just very proud of the state of Montana and thankful for all of our volunteers and the folks just getting out and getting the work done on behalf of their friends and neighbors,” Jeff Mangan, who organized I-194, told Montana Free Press by phone Tuesday night.
Opponents said the initiative would prevent local businesses from participating in the political process.
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