About Montana Insights

As part of Montana Free Press’ mission to provide data-driven news and information, we’ve launched an initiative designed to identify Montana citizens’ views on a variety of topics and report on the issues they tell us are most important to the people of our state.

Montana Insights centers on a public interest study commissioned by Montana Free Press and conducted by Rutgers University’s Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling.

Detailed poll results can be downloaded as a spreadsheet here.

Montana Insights – in the news

Poll: Cost-of-living important factor for 80% of Montana registered voters

Voters report ongoing challenges to afford housing, healthcare, groceries and gas.

by Katie Fairbanks 09.17.202609.17.2026

Poll: Nearly 75% of Montana registered voters oppose new data centers

As proposals for new AI data centers pop up across the state, registered voters have concerns about electricity costs and local impacts.

by Ellis Juhlin 09.16.202609.18.2026

Poll: Men, Republicans and older Montanans more likely to support ICE

Poll finds divides fall along political party, gender and age lines.

by Nora Mabie 09.16.202609.18.2026

Poll: Rep. Troy Downing ahead in Eastern U.S. House District

Democratic challenger Brian Miller has more name recognition than he did in May, but the Republican incumbent is still heavily favored.

by Zeke Lloyd 09.15.202609.18.2026

Flint, Forstag in dead heat for House seat

The recent Montana Free Press-Rutgers Eagleton poll shows the two candidates in a toss-up race for Montana’s Western District.

by Tom Lutey 09.14.202609.18.2026

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

New poll shows Republican Kurt Alme ahead of independent Seth Bodnar, with Democrats favoring the independent over party nominee Alani Bankhead.

by Tom Lutey 09.11.202609.18.2026

Montanans weigh in on Trump, Iran, affordability and congressional candidates

Montana Free Press–Eagleton poll gauges voter attitudes in lead-up to midterm election.

by MTFP Staff 05.28.202606.01.2026

U.S. Montana Rep. Troy Downing at 34% approval in his deep-red district

Two of the Democrats running in the June 2 primary are relatively unknown among voters.

by Zeke Lloyd 05.21.202605.28.2026

Poll finds Jacobsen, Busse most favorable in Montana’s Western District primaries

Jacobsen, Montana’s secretary of state, and Busse, a former Democratic candidate for governor, and were both on the ballot in 2024.

by Tom Lutey 05.20.202605.28.2026

About this project

Montana Insights is a collaboration of Montana Free Press and Rutgers University’s Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling to survey Montanans about their state government. Montana Insights aims to equip everyday Montanans and those who influence public policy with information that will help them better understand the political landscape of our state.

Methodology

Montana Insights is an ongoing public opinion polling project conducted by Montana Free Press in partnership with the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University. Surveys are conducted using a mix of telephone interviews and text-to-web responses to reach a broad cross-section of Montana registered voters.

The winter 2026 version of the MTFP-Eagleton poll surveyed 801 registered voters through telephone interviews and text-to-web questionnaires. Data was collected from Dec. 23, 2025 to Jan. 3, 2026. The poll was weighted by sex, age, education, ethnicity, Montana region and 2024 presidential vote to reflect the state’s population of registered voters.

The poll had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points. A full methodology statement is available here.

Learn about our previous polling

Arthur M. Blank Foundation

Funding for Montana Insights came through the support of a grant from Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.