Montana held its general election on November 4, 2014, deciding 125 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Divided government with a Democratic governor continued. In the first election on districts redrawn after the 2010 census, Democrats had hoped to chip away at GOP majorities, but they only trimmed the House margin, from 61-39 to 59-41. The Senate stayed at 29-21.
- Voters ousted 2 legislators, one from each party:
- Zachary Perry (D) beat Rep. Jerry O'Neil (R) by about 50 votes in House District 3.
- Bruce Meyers (R) beat Rep. Clarena M. Brockie (D) by about 170 votes in House District 32.
- Several races came down to a few dozen votes, and two went to recounts that confirmed the winners:
- Diane Sands (D) beat Dick Haines (R) by fewer than 40 votes in Senate District 49 after Haines asked for a recount.
- Margie MacDonald (D) beat Tony O'Donnell (R) by about a dozen votes in House District 51, also confirmed on recount.
- Wendy McKamey (R) beat Earl Salley (D) by 16 votes in House District 23.
- Rep. Kimberly Dudik (D) held off independent Gary Marbut by 48 votes in House District 94.
- Jean Price (D) won House District 24 by 23 votes.
- Mary Ann Dunwell (D) won House District 84 by 23 votes.
- Voters rejected both measures the Legislature referred to the ballot. LR-126 would have ended Election Day voter registration. C-45, which would have renamed the state auditor the commissioner of securities and insurance, failed narrowly.
Legislature
- House (100 seats): 37 D, 61 R, 2 other or vacant before the election, 41 D, 59 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (50 seats): 21 D, 29 R before the election, 21 D, 29 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| C-45 | Renames the position of state auditor to commissioner of securities and insurance | Failed (48.42% yes) |
| LR-126 | Closes late voter registration the Friday before election day | Failed (42.89% yes) |