STATEWIDE RACE RESULTS
BALLOT INITIATIVE RESULTS
STATE HOUSE RESULTS
STATE SENATE RESULTS

Supreme Court puts Butte’s data center initiative back on the ballot

General election voters in Butte-Silver Bow County may now consider a proposed ballot initiative that would require citizen approval of data center development, after the Montana Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that prevented the initiative from appearing on the November ballot. In a court filing responding to the decision, the county said it…

by Jacob Olness

Meet the Flathead Valley judges squaring off for a state Supreme Court seat

11th District Court judges Amy Eddy and Dan Wilson are competing for the state Supreme Court in an unusual race between two judges from the same court. But more interesting than the commonality of the candidates’ current jobs is the politicized flavor of the nominally nonpartisan race. Adding to the race’s ideological dynamic, the campaigns’…

by Justin Franz

Statewide Race Results

Credit: Montana final 2020 vote counts by Eric Dietrich

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Election News

Alme holds an 8-point lead over Bodnar in Senate race

Kurt Alme has a single-digit lead over Seth Bodnar in Montana’s four-candidate U.S. Senate race with Alani Bankhead and Kyle Austin trailing the leader by wide margins, according to a Montana Free Press-Rutgers Eagleton poll.

by Tom Lutey

Who’s drawing the PAC power in Montana’s congressional races?

Montana’s 2026 congressional races have drawn a collective 681 PAC contributions, but there’s another story behind the top-line totals. It’s the power position and access to quick cash afforded to candidates — at least some of them — by donations from leadership funds and national party committees.

by Tom Lutey

Cascade Co. investigating independent signature gathering. House candidate Miller files lawsuit. 

Cascade County law enforcement agencies are investigating about 800 potentially bogus signatures gathered by at least one petitioner working to qualify Michael Eisenhauer, the independent candidate running for U.S. House in the Eastern Congressional District, and Seth Bodnar, the independent candidate running for Montana’s open U.S. Senate seat. None of the signatures under investigation were…

by Zeke Lloyd

Ballot envelopes won’t bear Trump’s stamp

The deadline for printing return envelopes for Montana’s absentee ballots has passed, and with it — for now — President Donald Trump’s unimplemented plan to have the postal service screen mail ballots.

by Tom Lutey

Hiding in plain sight: the low-risk campaign of Republican frontrunner Kurt Alme

Before a shocking switcheroo made Kurt Alme the presumptive frontrunner for only the state’s third open U.S. Senate seat in 64 years, he was the closest thing Montana Republicans had to a human crescent wrench: an unassuming, Harvard-educated, small-town guy, agreeable and adaptable to whatever task was asked of him. Now Alme is flying under…

by Tom Lutey

Shared State Podcast

Shared State: The politics of death and dying

In 2009, Montana was caught up in a heated national debate over whether terminally ill patients could expedite their deaths by taking lethal, physician-prescribed medication. More than a decade later, the state is still mired in disagreement about medical aid in dying, in part because courts and elected lawmakers have sidestepped the political hot-potato. Meanwhile, individual Montanans are confronting profound and personal questions about death in their own ways — including whether “good” deaths are even possible. 

In 2009, Montana was caught up in a heated national debate over whether terminally ill patients could expedite their deaths by taking lethal, physician-prescribed medication. More than a decade later, the state is still mired in disagreement about medical aid in dying, in part because courts and elected lawmakers have sidestepped the political hot-potato. Meanwhile,…

Shared State: Colstrip’s next chapter

There’s not much certainty for the coal industry these days. In Montana, four of the six owners of the Colstrip Power Plant live in states where legislation is requiring companies to wean themselves off of coal energy. Residents of Colstrip — a town that has grown and prospered because of that resource —  fear that any bad news for the industry will be even worse for them. Up against shifting markets and corporate interests, how can advocates for Colstrip ensure future stability for its residents?

Shared State: Bozeman is in a housing death spiral. Can local politics fix anything?

For decades, housing affordability has been a hot-button issue in Bozeman politics, a clear community pain point where the city’s elected leaders haven’t managed to deliver significant relief. As insider and outsider candidates campaigned for city offices in 2021, housing policy became the election’s key issue. The solution, some residents argued, was to elect working class advocates to positions of power. Key to getting the job done, others countered, is experienced, incumbent leadership. 

Shared State: Popularity’s slippery slope

Whitefish has a reputation as a charming ski destination in Montana’s northwest corner that welcomes wayward strays, whether that’s for a season or a lifetime. That attitude has helped grow small businesses and local watering holes, and keep friendly faces on the slopes and behind the bar. But in recent years, more and more people have been drawn to the good thing Whitefish has going on. Locals fear that surging popularity — and skyrocketing cost of living — could push out the very characters that make this place so special.

More Shared State

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MORE ELECTIONS COVERAGE

MORE ELECTIONS HEADLINES

Bankhead: Still in the running

Alani Bankhead, Montana’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, reaffirmed on the withdrawal deadline that she will not step away from the race. At a press conference in an East Helena park, Bankhead declared her intention to win, despite her campaign being almost broke.

Bodnar in Billings: Not bowing out

Independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar held a press event Friday to tell a dozen or so supporters and a gaggle of journalists in Billings that he won’t be dropping out of the race. The deadline to withdraw and not appear on the November ballot is Monday.

Democratic Party weighs legal options in turbulent Senate race

Montana Democratic Party leadership has received legal advice about its options should U.S. Senate nominee Alani Bankhead withdraw from the race. The state party’s executive board was briefed over the weekend that it cannot be forced to produce a replacement if Bankhead withdraws before the Aug. 10 deadline for having her name removed from the…

Campaign finance filings show Democrats — except Sam Forstag — far behind

Democratic candidates for federal office in Montana remain woefully underfunded in all but one 2026 race, according to the latest campaign finance reports. Though not unexpected, Senate candidate Alani Bankhead’s finances were the filing deadline’s biggest reveal. Bankhead ended June with $21,000 to spend, having mustered just $59,000 in contributions since the start of the…

Bodnar’s big gamble: Why the independent is pushing for Montana’s nonpartisan era

It’s been 10 years since anyone other than a Republican won a top-ticket state government election in Montana, and eight years since voters rejected a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. That red streak is the stage setter for a high-stakes test in this year’s U.S. Senate race: Can a well-financed independent candidate tap the state’s…

The ballot questions likely to come before voters in November

The deadline for ballot measure groups to gather and submit tens of thousands of signatures passed on Friday, June 19, and multiple organizations said they have submitted enough signatures to qualify for the general election ballot. If enough of those signatures are ultimately approved by county and state officials, voters in November will have a…

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