Montana held its general election on November 8, 2016, deciding 125 legislative seats and 9 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Divided government held. Steve Bullock (D) won a second term, but Republicans swept the statewide races below the governor's ticket and kept the legislature, widening their Senate majority to 32-18 while the House stayed at 59-41.
- Bullock beat Greg Gianforte (R) by about 4 points; Gianforte had pledged to roll back regulations. University of Montana political scientist Rob Saldin said that given the national results, it was "really remarkable that Bullock hung on". Gianforte conceded the next day.
- Attorney General Tim Fox (R) won a second term by about 35 points, and Republicans took three open offices from Democrats:
- In the House, eight seats changed party, four each way, and four incumbents lost, two from each party:Republicans' Senate gains included southeastern Montana's Senate District 21, where Jason Small (R), a Northern Cheyenne tribal member, beat Carolyn Pease-Lopez (D) by about 190 votes to become the lone Native American Republican in the state Senate. Margie MacDonald (D) won Senate District 26 after a recount.
- Voters passed 2 of 4 measures. Under I-182, medical marijuana dispensaries could reopen; they had been closed since August under a state Supreme Court ruling that upheld a three-patient cap. CI-116, a crime victims' rights amendment, passed easily, but the Montana Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in 2017. I-177, which would have banned trapping on public lands, and I-181, a biomedical research bond, both failed.
Legislature
- House (100 seats): 41 D, 59 R before the election, 41 D, 59 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (50 seats): 21 D, 29 R before the election, 18 D, 32 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
Statewide races
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|
| CI-116 | Specification of specific rights for crime victims | Passed (66.09% yes) |
| I-177 | Prohibition on using animal traps and snares on state lands | Failed (37.3% yes) |
| I-181 | Bonds to establish a Montana Biomedical Research Authority | Failed (42.67% yes) |
| I-182 | Medical marijuana | Passed (57.87% yes) |