2016 Montana Democratic presidential primary

2016 Montana Democratic presidential primary

June 7, 2016 (2016-06-07)

Candidate Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton Home state Vermont New York Delegate count 11 10 Popular vote 65,156 55,805 Percentage 51.56% 44.16%

Election results by county. Sanders   40 – 50%   50 – 60%   60 – 70% Clinton   40 – 50%   50 – 60%   60 – 70% Tie   40 – 50%

The 2016 Montana Democratic presidential primary was held on June 7 in the U.S. state of Montana as one of the Democratic Party's primaries ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The Democratic Party's primaries in California, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota were held the same day, as were Republican primaries in the same five states, including their own Montana primary. Additionally, the Democratic Party held North Dakota caucuses the same day.

Opinion polling

See also: Statewide opinion polling for the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries

Poll source	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	Other
Official Primary results	June 7, 2016	Bernie Sanders 51.6%	Hillary Clinton 44.2%		No Preference 4.3%
Gravis Marketing Margin of error: 3% Sample size: 1,035	February 24–25, 2015	Hillary Clinton 42.2%	Elizabeth Warren 34.3%	Joe Biden 5.9%	Jim Webb 2.9%, Mark Warner 2%, Martin O'Malley 1%, Unsure 11.8%
Public Policy Polling Margin of error: ± 5% Sample size: 381	November 15–17, 2013	Hillary Clinton 47%	Brian Schweitzer 26%	Elizabeth Warren 8%	Joe Biden 6%, Andrew Cuomo 3%, Cory Booker 1%, Martin O'Malley 1%, Kirsten Gillibrand 0%, Mark Warner 0%, Someone Else/Undecided 7%
Public Policy Polling Margin of error: ± 5.6% Sample size: 316	June 21–23, 2013	Hillary Clinton 52%	Brian Schweitzer 17%	Joe Biden 9%	Cory Booker 3%, Elizabeth Warren 3%, Andrew Cuomo 1%, Kirsten Gillibrand 1%, Martin O'Malley 0%, Mark Warner 0%, Someone Else/Undecided 13%
Public Policy Polling Margin of error: ± 5.1% Sample size: 371	February 15–17, 2013	Hillary Clinton 58%	Brian Schweitzer 22%	Joe Biden 9%	Elizabeth Warren 5%, Andrew Cuomo 3%, Martin O'Malley 1%, Deval Patrick 1%, Kirsten Gillibrand 0%, Mark Warner 0%, Someone Else/Undecided 5%
		Brian Schweitzer 35%	Joe Biden 28%	Elizabeth Warren 13%	Mark Warner 5%, Andrew Cuomo 4%, Kirsten Gillibrand 1%, Martin O'Malley 1%, Deval Patrick 0%, Someone Else/Undecided 13%
		Brian Schweitzer 46%	Elizabeth Warren 18%	Andrew Cuomo 12%	Mark Warner 3%, Martin O'Malley 2%, Kirsten Gillibrand 1%, Deval Patrick 1%, Someone Else/Undecided 18%

Results

See also: Results of the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries

Montana Democratic primary, June 7, 2016
Candidate	Popular vote		Estimated delegates
	Count	Percentage	Pledged	Unpledged	Total
Bernie Sanders	65,156	51.56%	11	1	12
Hillary Clinton	55,805	44.16%	10	5	15
No preference	5,415	4.28%	0	0	0
Uncommitted	—		0	0	0
Total	126,376	100%	21	6	27
Source:

Analysis

Heading into the final batch of primaries on June 7, Montana was generally seen as a state Bernie Sanders would win, being largely whiter and more rural and less densely populated than the country at-large. Sanders has also generally performed well in the Pacific Northwest. Having put Barack Obama over the top mathematically in its Democratic Primary in 2008, Montana again voted against Hillary Clinton in 2016.

While Clinton won in the cities of Great Falls and Billings (where she had dispatched her husband earlier that month), Sanders won in Helena and Missoula and swept most of the rural counties of the state. However, that same day Clinton won large victories in California, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota and was able to claim the Democratic nomination.