Montana House of Representatives elections, 2016

Montana 2016 elections

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2016 Montana
House Elections

Primary| June 7, 2016
General| November 8, 2016
2016 Election Results

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2016 Elections

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All 100 seats in the Montana House of Representatives were up for election in 2016. No significant changes occurred to political control in the state after the November 2016 election.

HIGHLIGHTS

* Fifteen Democrats were guaranteed election in November barring unforeseen circumstances.

* Thirty-one incumbents—12 Democrats and 19 Republicans—did not run for re-election in 2016. Twenty-seven of those seats had general election competition.

* If Democrats were to make any gains, it would have been in the 85 districts that had general election competition between two major party candidates; only 18 seats were competitive or mildly competitive in 2014.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Introduction
* 1.1 Majority control
* 2 Incumbents retiring
* 3 2016 election competitiveness
* 4 Races we watched
* 4.1 Primary contests
* 5 List of candidates
* 6 General election
* 7 Primary election
* 7.1 Margins of victory
* 7.2 Important dates and deadlines
* 7.3 Competitiveness
* 7.3.1 Candidates unopposed by a major party
* 7.3.2 Primary challenges
* 7.3.3 Retired incumbents
* 7.3.3.1 Impact of term limits
* 7.3.4 Results from 2014
* 7.3.5 Historical context
* 7.4 Campaign contributions
* 7.4.1 State comparison
* 7.5 Qualifications
* 7.6 See also
* 7.7 External links
* 7.8 Footnotes

## Introduction[edit]

Elections for the Montana House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 14, 2016.

### Majority control[edit]

See also: Partisan composition of state houses

Heading into the election, the Republican Party held the majority in the Montana House of Representatives:

Montana House of Representatives

Party  |  As of November 7, 2016  |  After November 8, 2016
|  Democratic Party |  41  |  41
|  Republican Party |  59 |  59
Total |  100 |  100

## Incumbents retiring[edit]

A total of 31 incumbents did not run for re-election in 2016. Those incumbents were:

Name  |  Party  |  Current Office

|
|

Jerry Bennett |  Republican | House District 1
Ed Lieser |  Democratic | House District 4
Keith Regier |  Republican | House District 5
Albert Olszewski |  Republican | House District 11
Nicholas Schwaderer |  Republican | House District 14
Christy Clark |  Republican | House District 17
Steve Fitzpatrick |  Republican | House District 20
Robert Mehlhoff |  Democratic | House District 22
Mitch Tropila |  Democratic | House District 26
Roy Hollandsworth |  Republican | House District 27
Ryan Osmundson |  Republican | House District 30
Bruce Meyers |  Republican | House District 32
Mike Lang |  Republican | House District 33
Lee Randall |  Republican | House District 37
Tom Berry |  Republican | House District 40
Carolyn Pease-Lopez |  Democratic | House District 42
Clayton Fiscus |  Republican | House District 43
Margaret MacDonald |  Democratic | House District 51
Dave Hagstrom |  Republican | House District 52
Sarah Laszloffy |  Republican | House District 53
Tom Richmond |  Republican | House District 56
Kathleen Williams |  Democratic | House District 61
Matthew Monforton |  Republican | House District 69
Jeffrey Welborn |  Republican | House District 72
Edith McClafferty |  Democratic | House District 73
Pat Noonan |  Democratic | House District 74
Mike Miller |  Republican | House District 80
Chuck Hunter |  Democratic | House District 83
Daniel Salomon |  Republican | House District 93
Nancy Wilson |  Democratic | House District 95
Tom Steenberg |  Democratic | House District 99

## 2016 election competitiveness[edit]

Montana saw some improvement in electoral competitiveness.

Ballotpedia conducts a yearly study of electoral competitiveness in state legislative elections. Details on how well Montana performed in the study are provided in the image below. Click here for the full 2016 Competitiveness Analysis »

* In the Montana State Senate, there were 21 Democratic incumbents and 29 Republican incumbents. No incumbents faced primary opposition in the Democratic Party. There was just one primary challenge in the Republican primary.

* In the House, there were 41 Democratic incumbents and 59 Republican incumbents. One state representative faced primary opposition in the Democratic Party. There were 11 primary challenges in the Republican primary.

* Overall, 18.6 percent of Democratic incumbents and 21.4 percent of GOP incumbents faced primary opposition in all of the state legislatures with elections in 2016.

* The cumulative figure for how many state legislative candidates faced no major party opposition in November in these states was 41.8 percent. This compares to 32.7 percent in 2010, 38.3 percent in 2012, and 43.0 percent in 2014.

* More details on electoral competitiveness in Montana can be found below.

## Races we watched[edit]

Ballotpedia identified 17 notable Montana state primary races in 2016, 13 of which were state House contests.

Click here to read more about Ballotpedia's coverage of notable Montana races »

### Primary contests[edit]

State House District 11 (R)

Two Republicans competed for the open seat left by the Republican incumbent.
☑ Derek Skees ☐ Jean Barragan

State House District 17 (R)

Three Republicans competed for the open seat left by the Republican incumbent.
☑ Ross Fitzgerald ☐ David Brownell ☐ Charlie Brown

State House District 18 (R)

District 18 featured a candidate rematch between the GOP incumbent and the 2014 challenger.
☑ Rob Cook (Inc.) ☐ Ann Morren

State House District 19 (R)

A Republican incumbent challenged the District 19 incumbent.
☐ Randy Pinocci (Inc., District 19) ☑ Wendy McKamey (Inc., District 23)

State House District 20 (R)

Two Republicans competed for the open seat left by the Republican incumbent.
☑ Fred Anderson ☐ Sheridan Buck

State House District 27 (R)

Two Republicans competed for the open seat left by the Republican incumbent.
☑ James O'Hara ☐ Darrold Hutchinson

State House District 35 (R)

The Republican incumbent faced a primary challenger backed by business groups.
☑ Scott Staffanson (Inc.) ☐ Joel Krautter

State House District 38 (R)

District 38 featured a candidate rematch.
☑ Alan Doane (Inc.) ☐ Edward Hilbert

State House District 40 (R)

Three Republicans competed for the open seat left by the Democratic incumbent.
☐ Pat Riley ☐ Bruce Hoiland ☑ Barry Usher

State House District 45 (R)

The Republican incumbent faced a primary challenger over infrastructure issues.
☑ Daniel Zolnikov (Inc.) ☐ John Bedford

State House District 67 (R)

The Republican incumbent faced a primary challenger over infrastructure issues.
☑ Tom Burnett (Inc.) ☐ Mike Houghton

State House District 69 (R)

Two Republicans competed for the open seat left by the Republican incumbent.
☑ Walt Sales ☐ Phil Olson

State House District 71 (R)

The Republican incumbent faced his 2012 and 2014 opponent.
☑ Ray Shaw (Inc.) ☐ Robert Wagner

## List of candidates[edit]

# General election[edit]

2016 Montana House candidates

District |  Democrat |  Republican | Other
1  |  Steve Haarstick: 1,155  |  Steve Gunderson: 3,045 a |
2  |  David McGarry: 1,035  |  Mike Cuffe: 3,829 (I) a |
3  |  Zac Perry: 2,474 (I) a |  Taylor Rose: 2,203  |
4  |  Deborah Gentry: 1,170  |  Matt Regier: 3,955 a |
5  |  Dave Fern: 3,257 a |  Chet Billi: 2,483  |
6  |  Lisa Morrow: 1,612  |  Carl Glimm: 3,770 (I) a |  Ian Wheeler: 313 (L)
7  |  Lynn Stanley: 1,392  |  Frank Garner: 2,604 (I) a |
8  |  Paige Rappleye: 1,115  |  Steve Lavin: 3,665 (I) a |
9  |  Brittany MacLean: 1,052  |  Randy Brodehl: 2,804 (I) a |
10  |  No candidate |  Mark Noland: 4,102 (I) a |  James Swanson: 1,516 (Ind.)
11  |  Eileen Bech: 1,305  |  Derek Skees: 3,752 a |
12  |  Susan Evans: 1,883  |  Greg Hertz: 3,403 (I) a |
13  |  Debra Achatz: 129  |  Bob Brown: 3,942 (I) a |
14  |  Bryan Foster: 1,054  |  Denley Loge: 3,681 a |
15  |  George Kipp (I) a |  No candidate |
16  |  Susan Webber (I) a |  No candidate |
17  |  Barnett Sporkin-Morrison: 1,275  |  Ross Fitzgerald: 3,700 a |
18  |  No candidate |  Rob Cook (I) a |
19  |  Elaine Olsen: 1,243  |  Wendy McKamey: 3,328 (I-23) a |
20  |  Amy Rapp: 1,625  |  Fred Anderson: 3,985 a |
21  |  Tom Jacobson (I) a |  No candidate |
22  |  Albert Ferderer: 1,801  |  Lola Sheldon-Galloway: 2,100 a |
23  |  Brad Hamlett: 1,817 a |  Mark Dunn: 1,758  |
24  |  Jean Price: 2,292 (I) a |  William Raaen: 1,625  |
25  |  Garrett Lankford: 1,861  |  Jeremy Trebas: 1,971 a |
26  |  Casey Schreiner: 1,375 (I) a |  Michael Cooper: 1,333  |
27  |  Ryan Rominger: 1,406  |  James O'Hara: 3,568 a |
28  |  Jacob Bachmeier: 2,231 a |  Stephanie Hess: 1,943 (I) |
29  |  Dryn Durley: 994  |  Dan Bartel: 4,032 a |
30  |  Linda Johnson: 1,274  |  Wylie Galt: 3,871 a |
31  |  Bridget Smith (I) a |  No candidate |
32  |  Jonathan Windy Boy a |  No candidate |
33  |  Mike Finley: 1,058  |  Casey Knudsen: 3,562 a |
34  |  Evelyn Carlisle: 1,243  |  Austin Knudsen: 4,278 (I) a |
35  |  Chris Trumpower: 882  |  Scott Staffanson: 3,825 (I) a |
36  |  Mike Ruddy: 1,177  |  Alan Doane: 3,730 (I) a |
37  |  Judi Cramer: 834  |  Bill Harris: 4,831 (I) a |
38  |  Steve Muggli: 1,916  |  Kenneth Holmlund: 2,255 (I) a |
39  |  Bruce Miller: 922  |  Geraldine Custer: 3,908 (I) a |
40  |  Sue Olson: 1,654  |  Barry Usher: 3,269 a |
41  |  Rae Peppers (I) a |  No candidate |
42  |  Sharon Stewart Peregoy a |  No candidate |
43  |  Elizabeth Pincolini: 1,523  |  Peggy Webb: 2,488 a |  Josh Daniels: 334 (L)
44  |  Kari Boiter: 1,606  |  Dale Mortensen: 2,722 (I) a |
45  |  Ken Crouch: 1,453  |  Daniel Zolnikov: 3,305 (I) a |
46  |  Angie Buckley: 1,939  |  Don Jones: 3,553 (I) a |
47  |  Kathy Kelker: 2,272 (I) a |  Jason Thomas: 1,611  |
48  |  Jessica Karjala: 2,551 (I) a |  Robert Saunders: 2,077  |
49  |  Kelly McCarthy: 1,856 (I) a |  Benjamin Hunter: 1,416  |
50  |  Virginia Court: 2,117 (I) a |  Kerri Seekins-Crowe: 1,712  |
51  |  Shoots Veis: 1,759  |  Adam Rosendale: 2,049 a |
52  |  Chris Goodridge: 1,801  |  Jimmy Patelis: 1,955 a |
53  |  Jordan Matney: 1,543  |  Dennis Lenz: 5,216 a |
54  |  No candidate |  Jeff Essmann (I) a |
55  |  Ryan Arnold: 1,149  |  Vince Ricci: 3,387 (I) a |
56  |  Daryl Templet: 1,247  |  Sue Vinton: 2,940 a |
57  |  No candidate |  Forrest Mandeville: 4,247 (I) a |  Andrew Forcier: 748 (L)
58  |  Mike Crabtree: 2,180  |  Seth Berglee: 3,746 (I) a |
59  |  Dirk Adams: 1,735  |  Alan Redfield: 4,225 (I) a |
60  |  Laurie Bishop: 2,858 a |  Debra Lamm: 2,607 (I) |
61  |  Jim Hamilton: 3,787 a |  Neal Ganser: 2,804  |  Francis Wendt: 287 (L)
62  |  Tom Woods (I) a |  No candidate |
63  |  Zach Brown: 2,885 (I) a |  Jim King: 1,959  |
64  |  Chase Ellison: 2,510  |  Kerry White: 3,873 (I) a |
65  |  Christopher Pope: 3,093 (I) |  Jon Knokey: 3,149 a |
66  |  Denise Hayman (I) a |  No candidate |
67  |  John Jurmu: 1,491  |  Tom Burnett: 3,290 (I) a |
68  |  David Andes: 1,275  |  Bruce Grubbs: 3,700 a |
69  |  Eric Dunham: 1,291  |  Walt Sales: 4,266 a |
70  |  Merlyn Huso: 1,793  |  Kelly Flynn: 4,038 (I) a |
71  |  No candidate |  Ray Shaw (I) a |
72  |  Mike Mosolf: 1,002  |  Tom Welch: 4,331 a |
73  |  Jim Keane a |  No candidate |
74  |  Amanda Curtis a |  No candidate |
75  |  Sabrina Steketee: 2,390  |  Kirk Wagoner: 3,389 (I) a |
76  |  Ryan Lynch (I) a |  No candidate |
77  |  Kathy Swanson: 2,977 (I) a |  Kerry Graybeal: 2,214  |
78  |  Gordon Pierson: 2,153 (I) a |  Dean DeSilva: 1,439  |
79  |  Jenny Eck (I) a |  No candidate |
80  |  Elizabeth Cain: 1,161  |  Becky Beard: 4,040 a |  Valerie Clague: 503 (Ind.)
81  |  Janet Ellis (I) a |  No candidate |
82  |  Moffie Funk (I) a |  No candidate |
83  |  Kim Abbott: 2,573 a |  Bob Leach: 2,145  |
84  |  Mary Ann Dunwell: 2,462 (I) a |  Steve Gibson: 2,343  |  Paula Bonar: 179 (L)
85  |  Jo Young: 1,593  |  Theresa Manzella: 4,321 (I) a |
86  |  Nancy Neal: 1,889  |  Ron Ehli: 3,583 (I) a |
87  |  No candidate |  Nancy Ballance (I) a |
88  |  Margaret Gorski: 1,818  |  Ed Greef: 3,639 (I) a |
89  |  Nate McConnell: 2,801 (I) a |  Alex Krigsvold: 1,921  |
90  |  Ellie Hill: 3,113 (I) a |  Bill Murray: 2,014  |
91  |  Bryce Bennett (I) a |  No candidate |
92  |  Addrien Marx: 2,416  |  Mike Hopkins: 2,514 a |
93  |  John Fleming: 2,392 a |  Johanna Clark: 2,011  |
94  |  Kimberly Dudik: 2,703 (I) a |  Lance Cox: 2,257  |
95  |  Shane Morigeau: 3,178 a |  Cyndi Kenck: 1,115  |
96  |  Andrew Person: 2,532 (I) |  Adam Hertz: 2,744 a |
97  |  Nick Davis: 2,096  |  Brad Tschida: 3,103 (I) a |
98  |  Willis Curdy: 2,989 (I) a |  Michael Ellsworth: 2,022  |
99  |  Marilyn Ryan: 3,101 a |  Susan Cundiff: 2,094  |
100  |  Andrea Olsen: 4,379 (I) a |  David Moore: 1,148 (I-92) |
Notes:

* An (I) denotes an incumbent.
* Candidate lists can change frequently throughout an election season. Ballotpedia staff update this list monthly. To suggest changes, click here to email our State Legislature Project.

# Primary election[edit]

2016 Montana House candidates

District |  Democrat |  Republican | Other
1 | Steve Haarstick a | Steve Gunderson: 1,015 a
Bill Clark: 565 |
2 | David McGarry a | Mike Cuffe (I) a |
3 | Zac Perry (I) a | Taylor Rose a |
4 | Deborah Gentry a | Matt Regier a |
5 | Dave Fern a | Chet Billi a |
6 | Lisa Morrow a | Carl Glimm (I) a | Shannon Hanson (L) a
7 | Lynn Stanley a | Frank Garner (I) a |
8 | Paige Rappleye a | Steve Lavin (I) a |
9 | Brittany MacLean a | Randy Brodehl (I) a |
10 | No candidate | Mark Noland (I) a |  James Swanson (Ind.) a
11 | Eileen Bech a | Jean Barragan: 911
Derek Skees: 1,000 a |
12 | Susan Evans a | Greg Hertz (I) a |
13 | Gerald Cuvillier: 144
Debra Achatz: 537 a | Bob Brown (I) a |
14 | Bryan Foster a | Denley Loge: 1,074 a
Charles Woolley: 999 |
15 | George Kipp (I) a | No candidate |
16 | Susan Webber (I) a | No candidate |
17 | Barnett Sporkin-Morrison a | David Brownell: 497
Ross Fitzgerald: 1,069 a
Charlie Brown: 455 |
18 | Herbert Hartzell a | Rob Cook: 1,194 (I) a
Ann Morren: 896 |
19 | Elaine Olsen a | Wendy McKamey: 1,230 (I) a
Randy Pinocci: 766 (I) |
20 | Amy Rapp a | Fred Anderson: 1,386 a
Sheridan Buck: 1,026 |
21 | Tom Jacobson (I) a | No candidate |
22 | Albert Ferderer: 704 a
Bill Mintsiveris: 327 | Lola Sheldon-Galloway: 578 a
Cleve Loney: 506 |
23 | Brad Hamlett a | Mark Dunn a |
24 | Jean Price (I) a | William Raaen a |
25 | Garrett Lankford a | Jeremy Trebas a |
26 | Casey Schreiner (I) a | Michael Cooper a |
27 | Ryan Rominger a | Darrold Hutchinson: 982
James O'Hara: 1,330 a |
28 | Jacob Bachmeier: 656 a
Will Rawn: 556 | Stephanie Hess (I) a |
29 | Dryn Durley a | Dan Bartel: 1,897 a
Jeannie Walter: 376 |
30 | Linda Johnson a | Wylie Galt a |
31 | Bridget Smith (I) a | No candidate |
32 | Jonathan Windy Boy a | No candidate |
33 | Mike Finley a | Michael Burns: 819
Casey Knudsen: 1,357 a |
34 | Evelyn Carlisle a | Austin Knudsen (I) a |
35 | Chris Trumpower a | Scott Staffanson: 1,127 (I) a
Joel Krautter: 752 |
36 | Mike Ruddy a | Alan Doane: 1,528 (I) a
Edward Hilbert: 1,055 |
37 | Judi Cramer a | Bill Harris: 1,706 (I) a
Luther Waterland: 1,410 |
38 | Steve Muggli a | Kenneth Holmlund (I) a |
39 | Bruce Miller a | Geraldine Custer (I) a |
40 | Edith Sloan a | Pat Riley: 775
Bruce Hoiland: 644
Barry Usher: 883 a |
41 | Rae Peppers (I) a | No candidate |
42 | Sharon Stewart Peregoy a | No candidate |
43 | Elizabeth Pincolini a | Peggy Webb a | Josh Daniels (L) a
44 | Kari Boiter a | Dale Mortensen: 1,064 (I) a
TJ Smith: 472 |
45 | Ken Crouch a | John Bedford: 709
Daniel Zolnikov: 1,212 (I) a |
46 | Angie Buckley a | Don Jones (I) a |
47 | Kathy Kelker (I) a | Jason Thomas a |
48 | Jessica Karjala (I) a | Robert Saunders a |
49 | Kelly McCarthy (I) a | Brian Kenat a |
50 | Virginia Court (I) a | Kerri Seekins-Crowe a |
51 | Shoots Veis a | Adam Rosendale a |
52 | Chris Goodridge a | Jimmy Patelis a | Valerie Courtney (Ind.) a
53 | Jordan Matney a | Dennis Lenz a |
54 | Tracy Heilman a | Jeff Essmann (I) a |
55 | Ryan Arnold a | Vince Ricci (I) a |
56 | Daryl Templet a | Sue Vinton a |
57 | Elaine Doerr a | Forrest Mandeville (I) a | Andrew Forcier (L) a
58 | Mike Crabtree a | Seth Berglee (I) a |
59 | Dirk Adams a | Alan Redfield (I) a |
60 | Laurie Bishop a | Debra Lamm (I) a |
61 | Jim Hamilton a | Neal Ganser a | Francis Wendt (L) a
62 | Tom Woods (I) a | No candidate |
63 | Zach Brown (I) a | Jim King a |
64 | Chase Ellison a | Kerry White (I) a |
65 | Christopher Pope (I) a | Jon Knokey a |
66 | Denise Hayman (I) a | No candidate |
67 | John Jurmu a | Tom Burnett: 980 (I) a
Mike Houghton: 337 |
68 | David Andes a | Art Wittich: 602 (I)
Michael Comstock: 264
Bruce Grubbs: 712 a |
69 | Eric Dunham a | Phil Olson: 779
Walt Sales: 1,450 a |
70 | Merlyn Huso a | Kelly Flynn (I) a |
71 | No candidate | Ray Shaw: 1,490 (I) a
Robert Wagner: 966 |
72 | Mike Mosolf a | Brooke Erb: 1,339
Tom Welch: 1,422 a |
73 | Jim Keane a | No candidate |
74 | Amanda Curtis a | No candidate |
75 | Sabrina Steketee a | Kirk Wagoner (I) a |
76 | Ryan Lynch (I) a | No candidate |
77 | Kathy Swanson (I) a | Kerry Graybeal a |
78 | Gordon Pierson (I) a | Dean DeSilva a |
79 | Jenny Eck (I) a | No candidate |
80 | Elizabeth Cain a | Becky Beard: 860 a
Patrick Johnson: 680
Zachary Wirth: 489 | Valerie Clague (Ind.) a
81 | Janet Ellis (I) a | No candidate |
82 | Moffie Funk (I) a | No candidate |
83 | Kim Abbott: 1,035 a
Quinlan O'Connor: 813 | Bob Leach a |
84 | Mary Ann Dunwell (I) a | Steve Gibson: 693 a
Kit Johnson: 504 | Paula Bonar (L) a
85 | Jo Young a | Theresa Manzella: 1,435 (I) a
Scott Ralston: 1,191 |
86 | Nancy Neal a | Ron Ehli (I) a |
87 | Mark Snider a | Nancy Ballance (I) a |
88 | Margaret Gorski a | Ed Greef (I) a |
89 | Nate McConnell (I) a | Alex Krigsvold a |
90 | Ellie Hill (I) a | Bill Murray a |
91 | Bryce Bennett (I) a | No candidate |
92 | Addrien Marx a | Mike Hopkins: 495 a
Randy Vannoy: 317
Larry Dunham: 403 |
93 | John Fleming a | Johanna Clark a |
94 | Kimberly Dudik (I) a | Lance Cox a |
95 | Curtis Bridges: 343
Shane Morigeau: 1,256 a | Cyndi Kenck a |
96 | Andrew Person (I) a | Adam Hertz a |
97 | Nick Davis: 518
Patrick Maloney: 571 a | Brad Tschida (I) a |
98 | Michael Bowles: 418
Willis Curdy: 1,232 (I) a | Michael Ellsworth a |
99 | Greg Strandberg: 322
Marilyn Ryan: 1,451 a | Susan Cundiff a |
100 | Andrea Olsen (I) a | David "Doc" Moore (I) a |
Notes:

* An (I) denotes an incumbent.
* Candidate lists can change frequently throughout an election season. Ballotpedia staff update this list monthly. To suggest changes, click here to email our State Legislature Project.

## Margins of victory[edit]

The average margin of victory for contested races in the Montana House of Representatives in 2016 was higher than the national average. Out of 100 races in the Montana House of Representatives in 2016, 80 were contested, meaning at least two candidates competed for that seat in the general election. The average margin of victory across these races was 32 percent. Across contested single-winner state legislative elections in 2016, the average margin of victory was 29.01 percent.[2]

Republican candidates in the Montana House of Representatives saw larger margins of victory than Democratic candidates in 2016. Republicans won 59 races. In the 55 races where a winning Republican faced a challenger, the average margin of victory was 39.5 percent. Democrats won 41 races in 2016. In the 25 races where a winning Democrat faced a challenger, the average margin of victory was 15.4 percent.

More Democratic candidates than Republican candidates saw margins of victory that were less than 10 percentage points. 17 of the 80 contested races in 2016—21.3 percent—saw margins of victory that were 10 percent or less. Nine races saw margins of victory that were 5 percent or less. Democrats won nine races with margins of victory of 10 percent or less.

Montana House of Representatives: 2016 Margins of Victory Less than 10 Percent

District | Winning Party | Margin of Victory
District 3 | D | 5.8 percent
District 22 | R | 7.7 percent
District 23 | D | 1.7 percent
District 25 | R | 2.9 percent
District 26 | D | 1.6 percent
District 28 | D | 4.2 percent
District 38 | R | 6.2 percent
District 51 | R | 7.6 percent
District 52 | R | 4.1 percent
District 60 | D | 4.6 percent
District 65 | R | 0.9 percent
District 83 | D | 9.1 percent
District 84 | D | 2.4 percent
District 92 | R | 2.0 percent
District 93 | D | 8.7 percent
District 94 | D | 9.0 percent
District 96 | R | 4.0 percent
The average margin of victory for incumbents in the Montana House of Representatives who ran for re-election and won in 2016 was higher than the national average. 62 incumbents who ran for re-election in 2016 won. The average margin of victory for the 46 winning Montana House of Representatives incumbents who faced a challenger in 2016 was 33.3 percent. The average margin of victory for all winning incumbents in contested single-winner state legislative elections in 2016 was 31.8 percent.

Republican incumbents in the Montana House of Representatives saw larger margins of victory than Democratic incumbents. 34 Republican incumbents won re-election. In the 30 races where a winning Republican incumbent faced a challenger, the average margin of victory was 42.5 percent. 28 Democratic incumbents won re-election. In the 16 races where a winning Democratic incumbent faced a challenger, the average margin of victory was 16.2 percent.

Montana House of Representatives: 2016 Margin of Victory Analysis

Party | Elections won | Average margin of victory[3] | Races with incumbent victories | Average margin of victory for incumbents[3] | Unopposed incumbents | Unopposed races | Percent unopposed
Democratic | 41 | 15.4 percent | 28 | 16.2 percent | 12 | 16 | 39.0 percent
Republican | 59 | 39.5 percent | 34 | 42.5 percent | 4 | 4 | 6.8 percent
Total | 100 | 32.0 percent | 62 | 33.3 percent | 16 | 20 | 20.0 percent

Click [show] on the tables below to see the margin of victory in Montana House of Representatives districts in 2016.

Montana House of Representatives: 2016 Margin of Victory by District

District | Winning Party | Margin of Victory
District 1 | R | 45.0 percent
District 2 | R | 57.4 percent
District 3 | D | 5.8 percent
District 4 | R | 54.3 percent
District 5 | D | 13.5 percent
District 6 | R | 37.9 percent
District 7 | R | 30.3 percent
District 8 | R | 53.4 percent
District 9 | R | 45.4 percent
District 10 | R | 46.0 percent
District 11 | R | 48.4 percent
District 12 | R | 28.8 percent
District 13 | R | 93.7 percent
District 14 | R | 55.5 percent
District 15 | D | Unopposed
District 16 | D | Unopposed
District 17 | R | 48.7 percent
District 18 | R | Unopposed
District 19 | R | 45.6 percent
District 20 | R | 42.1 percent
District 21 | D | Unopposed
District 22 | R | 7.7 percent
District 23 | D | 1.7 percent
District 24 | D | 17.0 percent
District 25 | R | 2.9 percent
District 26 | D | 1.6 percent
District 27 | R | 43.5 percent
District 28 | D | 6.9 percent
District 29 | R | 60.5 percent
District 30 | R | 50.5 percent
District 31 | D | Unopposed
District 32 | D | Unopposed
District 33 | R | 54.2 percent
District 34 | R | 55.0 percent
District 35 | R | 62.5 percent
District 36 | R | 52.0 percent
District 37 | R | 70.6 percent
District 38 | R | 8.1 percent
District 39 | R | 61.8 percent
District 40 | R | 32.8 percent
District 41 | D | Unopposed
District 42 | D | Unopposed
District 43 | R | 22.2 percent
District 44 | R | 25.8 percent
District 45 | R | 38.9 percent
District 46 | R | 29.4 percent
District 47 | D | 17.0 percent
District 48 | D | 10.2 percent
District 49 | D | 13.5 percent
District 50 | D | 10.6 percent
District 51 | R | 7.6 percent
District 52 | R | 4.1 percent
District 53 | R | 54.3 percent
District 54 | R | Unopposed
District 55 | R | 49.3 percent
District 56 | R | 40.4 percent
District 57 | R | 70.1 percent
District 58 | R | 26.4 percent
District 59 | R | 41.8 percent
District 60 | D | 4.6 percent
District 61 | D | 14.3 percent
District 62 | D | Unopposed
District 63 | D | 19.1 percent
District 64 | R | 21.4 percent
District 65 | R | 0.9 percent
District 66 | D | Unopposed
District 67 | R | 37.6 percent
District 68 | R | 48.7 percent
District 69 | R | 53.5 percent
District 70 | R | 38.5 percent
District 71 | R | Unopposed
District 72 | R | 62.4 percent
District 73 | D | Unopposed
District 74 | D | Unopposed
District 75 | R | 17.3 percent
District 76 | D | Unopposed
District 77 | D | 14.7 percent
District 78 | D | 19.9 percent
District 79 | D | Unopposed
District 80 | R | 50.5 percent
District 81 | D | Unopposed
District 82 | D | Unopposed
District 83 | D | 9.1 percent
District 84 | D | 2.4 percent
District 85 | R | 46.1 percent
District 86 | R | 31.0 percent
District 87 | R | Unopposed
District 88 | R | 33.4 percent
District 89 | D | 18.6 percent
District 90 | D | 21.4 percent
District 91 | D | Unopposed
District 92 | R | 2.0 percent
District 93 | D | 8.7 percent
District 94 | D | 9.0 percent
District 95 | D | 48.1 percent
District 96 | R | 4.0 percent
District 97 | R | 19.4 percent
District 98 | D | 19.3 percent
District 99 | D | 19.4 percent
District 100 | D | 58.5 percent

## Important dates and deadlines[edit]

See also: Montana elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Montana in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016

Deadline  |  Event type  |  Event description
March 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering January 1 through February 25)–statewide candidates only
March 14, 2016 | Ballot access  |  Filing deadline for primary candidates
April 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering February 26 through March 27)–statewide candidates only
May 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering March 28 through April 26)–statewide candidates only
May 3, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering beginning of campaign through April 28)–state district candidates only
May 23, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering April 27 through May 18)–statewide candidates only
May 26, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering April 29 through May 21)–state district candidates only
May 31, 2016 | Ballot access  |  Deadline for independent, minor party and indigent candidates to submit petitions to county election officials
June 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering May 19 through May 27)–statewide candidates only
June 6, 2016 | Ballot access  |  Deadline for independent, minor party and indigent candidates to submit declarations and filing fees to the necessary filing official
June 7, 2016 | Election date  |  Primary election
June 27, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering May 28 through June 22)–statewide candidates only
June 27, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering May 22 through June 22)–state district candidates only
July 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering June 23 through June 26)–statewide candidates only
August 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering June 27 through July 27)–statewide candidates only
September 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering July 28 through August 27)–statewide candidates only
October 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering August 28 through September 26)–statewide candidates only
October 4, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering June 23 through September 29)–state district candidates only
October 24, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering September 27 through October 19)–statewide candidates only
October 27, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering September 30 through October 22)–state district candidates only
November 1, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering October 20 through October 27)–statewide candidates only
November 8, 2016 | Election date  |  General election
November 28, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering October 28 through November 23)–statewide candidates only
November 28, 2016 | Campaign finance  |  Campaign finance report due (covering October 23 through November 23)–state district candidates only
Source: Montana Secretary of State, "Candidate Information," accessed June 12, 2015
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, "Statewide Candidates: Candidate Finance Report Calendar: 2015-2016," accessed October 28, 2015

## Competitiveness[edit]

### Candidates unopposed by a major party[edit]

In 15 of the 100 districts up for election in 2016, one major party candidate ran unopposed in the general election. A total of 15 Democrats were guaranteed election in November barring unforeseen circumstances.

Two major party candidates faced off in the general election in 85 of the 100 districts up for election.

### Primary challenges[edit]

A total of 12 incumbents faced primary competition on June 7. Thirty-one incumbents did not seek re-election in 2016 and another 57 incumbents advanced past the primary without opposition. The following incumbents were defeated in the primary election:

* District 19: Incumbent Randy Pinocci was defeated by District 23 incumbent Wendy McKamey in the Republican primary.
* District 68: Incumbent Art Wittich was defeated by Bruce Grubbs in the Republican primary.

### Retired incumbents[edit]

Thirty-one incumbent representatives did not run for re-election, while 69 incumbents ran for re-election. A list of those incumbents, 12 Democrats and 19 Republicans, can be found above.

#### Impact of term limits[edit]

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Montana House of Representatives has been a term-limited state house since Montana voters approved CI-64 in 1992. C-64 created Section 8 of Article IV of the Montana Constitution, which says that Montana State Representatives cannot serve 8 or more years in any 16-year period.

There are 100 members of the Montana House of Representatives. In 2016, thirteen members, six Democrats and seven Republicans, were ineligible to run again in November.

The state representatives who were term-limited in 2016 were:

Democrats (6):

* Robert Mehlhoff
* Carolyn Pease-Lopez
* Margaret MacDonald
* Edith McClafferty
* Pat Noonan
* Chuck Hunter

Republicans (7):

* Jerry Bennett
* Keith Regier
* Roy Hollandsworth
* Lee Randall
* Tom Berry
* Jeffrey Welborn
* Mike Miller

|

### Results from 2014[edit]

See also: 2014 state legislative elections analyzed using a Competitiveness Index

There were 6,057 seats in 87 chambers with elections in 2014. All three aspects of Ballotpedia's Competitiveness Index—the number of open seats, incumbents facing primary opposition, and general elections between partisan candidates—showed poor results compared to the prior election cycle. States with elections in 2014 held fewer general elections between partisan candidates. Additionally, fewer incumbents faced primary opposition and more incumbents ran for re-election than in recent years.

Since 2010, when the Competitiveness Index was established, there had not been an even-year election cycle to do statistically worse in any of the three categories. See the following chart for a breakdown of those scores between each year.

Overall Competitiveness

|  2010  |  2012  |  2014
Competitiveness Index  | 36.2  | 35.8  | 31.4
% Open Seats  | 18.6%  | 21.2%  | 17.0%
% Incumbent with primary challenge  | 22.7%  | 24.6%  | 20.1%
% Candidates with major party opposition  | 67.3%  | 61.7%  | 57.0%

The following table details Montana's rates for open seats, incumbents that faced primary challenges, and major party competition in the 2014 general election.

Montana Legislature 2014 Competitiveness

% Open Seats  |  % Incumbent with primary challenge  |  % Candidates with major party opposition  |  Competitiveness Index  |  Overall rank
36.8%  |  23.1%  |  84.0%  |  48.0  |  5

### Historical context[edit]

See also: Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections: 1972-2014

Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.

Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.

Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.

Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.

## Campaign contributions[edit]

The following chart shows how many candidates ran for State House in Montana in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in State House races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests.[4]

Montana House of Representatives Donations

Year  | Candidates  | Amount
2014  |  245  |  $1,542,315
2012  |  234  |  $1,578,933
2010  |  237  |  $1,662,949
2008  |  239  |  $1,790,750
2006  |  240  |  $1,793,853

### State comparison[edit]

The map below shows the average contributions to 2014 candidates for state houses. The average contributions raised by state house candidates in 2014 was $59,983. Montana, at $6,295 per candidate, is ranked 42 of 45 for state house chambers with the highest average contributions. Hover your mouse over a state to see the average campaign contributions for that state’s house candidates in 2014.[4][5]

## Qualifications[edit]

Section 4 of Article 5 of the Montana Constitution states: "A candidate for the legislature shall be a resident of the state for at least one year next preceding the general election. For six months next preceding the general election, he shall be a resident of the county if it contains one or more districts or of the district if it contains all or parts of more than one county."[6]

## See also[edit]

* Montana House of Representatives
* Montana State Legislature
* State legislative elections, 2016

## External links[edit]

|  Suggest a link

|

* Montana Secretary of State - Candidate Filing
* Montana Secretary of State - Primary results

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Under Ballotpedia's competitiveness criteria, districts that have a margin of victory of less than 5 percent are considered highly competitive. Districts that have a margin of victory from 5 to 10 percent are considered mildly competitive.
2. ↑ This calculation excludes chambers that had elections where two or more members were elected in a race. These chambers are the Arizona House, the New Hampshire House, the North Dakota House, the South Dakota House, the Vermont House, the Vermont Senate, and the West Virginia House.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Excludes unopposed elections
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 followthemoney.org, "Contributions to candidates and committees in elections in Montana," accessed July 28, 2015
5. ↑ This map relies on data collected in July 2015.
6. ↑ Montana Judicial Branch, "Montana Constitution," accessed March 30, 2014

[show]

Current members of the Montana House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Wylie Galt

Representatives

District 1

Steve Gunderson (R)

District 2

Neil Duram (R)

District 3

Braxton Mitchell (R)

District 4

Matt Regier (R)

District 5

Dave Fern (D)

District 6

Amy Regier (R)

District 7

Frank Garner (R)

District 8

John Fuller (R)

District 9

Brian Putnam (R)

District 10

Mark Noland (R)

District 11

Derek Skees (R)

District 12

Linda Reksten (R)

District 13

Paul Fielder (R)

District 14

Denley Loge (R)

District 15

Marvin Weatherwax (D)

District 16

Tyson Runningwolf (D)

District 17

Ross Fitzgerald (R)

District 18

Llew Jones (R)

District 19

Wendy McKamey (R)

District 20

Fred Anderson (R)

District 21

Edward Buttrey (R)

District 22

Lola Sheldon-Galloway (R)

District 23

Scot Kerns (R)

District 24

Steven Galloway (R)

District 25

Steve Gist (R)

District 26

Jeremy Trebas (R)

District 27

Joshua Kassmier (R)

District 28

Ed Hill (R)

District 29

Dan Bartel (R)

District 30

Wylie Galt (R)

District 31

Frank Smith (D)

District 32

Jonathan Windy Boy (D)

District 33

Casey Knudsen (R)

District 34

Rhonda Knudsen (R)

District 35

Brandon Ler (R)

District 36

Bob Phalen (R)

District 37

Jerry Schillinger (R)

District 38

Kenneth Holmlund (R)

District 39

Geraldine Custer (R)

District 40

Barry Usher (R)

District 41

Rynalea Whiteman Pena (D)

District 42

Sharon Stewart-Peregoy (D)

District 43

Kerri Seekins-Crowe (R)

District 44

Larry Brewster (R)

District 45

Katie Zolnikov (R)

District 46

Bill Mercer (R)

District 47

Katharin Kelker (D)

District 48

Jessica Karjala (D)

District 49

Emma Kerr-Carpenter (D)

District 50

Mallerie Stromswold (R)

District 51

Frank Fleming (R)

District 52

Sherry Essmann (R)

District 53

Dennis Lenz (R)

District 54

Terry Moore (R)

District 55

Vince Ricci (R)

District 56

Sue Vinton (R)

District 57

Fiona Nave (R)

District 58

Seth Berglee (R)

District 59

Marty Malone (R)

District 60

Laurie Bishop (D)

District 61

Jim Hamilton (D)

District 62

Ed Stafman (D)

District 63

Alice Buckley (D)

District 64

Jane Gillette (R)

District 65

Kelly Kortum (D)

District 66

Denise Hayman (D)

District 67

Jedediah Hinkle (R)

District 68

Caleb Hinkle (R)

District 69

Jennifer Carlson (R)

District 70

Julie Dooling (R)

District 71

Kenneth Walsh (R)

District 72

Tom Welch (R)

District 73

Jim Keane (D)

District 74

Derek Harvey (D)

District 75

Marta Bertoglio (R)

District 76

Donavon Hawk (D)

District 77

Sara Novak (D)

District 78

Gregory Frazer (R)

District 79

Robert Farris-Olsen (D)

District 80

Becky Beard (R)

District 81

Mary Caferro (D)

District 82

Moffie Funk (D)

District 83

Kim Abbott (D)

District 84

Mary Dunwell (D)

District 85

Michele Binkley (R)

District 86

David Bedey (R)

District 87

Ron Marshall (R)

District 88

Sharon Greef (R)

District 89

Katie Sullivan (D)

District 90

Marilyn Marler (D)

District 91

Connie Keogh (D)

District 92

Mike Hopkins (R)

District 93

Joe Read (R)

District 94

Tom France (D)

District 95

Danny Tenenbaum (D)

District 96

Kathy Whitman (R)

District 97

Brad Tschida (R)

District 98

Willis Curdy (D)

District 99

Mark Thane (D)

District 100

Andrea Olsen (D)

Republican Party (67)

Democratic Party (33)

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