Political party strength in Montana
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2020) |
The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Montana:
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- State Treasurer
- State Auditor
- Superintendent of Public Instruction
The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:
- State Senate
- State House of Representatives
- State delegation to the United States Senate
- State delegation to the United States House of Representatives
For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.
Pre-statehood (1864–1889)
[edit]| Year | Executive offices | Territorial Legislature | U.S. Congress | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Senate | House | Delegate | |
| 1864 | Sidney Edgerton (R) | [?] | no such office | |
| 1865 | Thomas Francis Meagher (D)[a] | Samuel McLean (D) | ||
| 1866 | Green C. Smith (D) | |||
| 1867 | James M. Cavanaugh (D) | |||
| 1868 | James Tufts (R)[a] | |||
| 1869 | James Mitchell Ashley (R) | |||
| Wiley Scribner (R)[a] | ||||
| 1870 | Benjamin F. Potts (R) | |||
| 1871 | William H. Clagett (R) | |||
| 1872 | ||||
| 1873 | Martin Maginnis (D) | |||
| … | ||||
| 1882 | ||||
| 1883 | John Schuyler Crosby (R) | |||
| 1884 | B. Platt Carpenter (R) | |||
| 1885 | Samuel Thomas Hauser (D) | Joseph Toole (D) | ||
| 1886 | ||||
| 1887 | Preston Leslie (D) | |||
| 1888 | ||||
| 1889 | Benjamin F. White (R) | Thomas H. Carter (R)[b] | ||
1889–1976
[edit]| Year | Executive offices | State Legislature | United States Congress | Electoral votes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Lt. Governor | Secretary of State |
Attorney General |
Treasurer | Auditor | Supt. of Pub. Inst. |
Senate | House | Senator (Class I) |
Senator (Class II) |
House | ||
| 1889 | Joseph Toole (D) | John E. Rickards (R) | Louis Rotwitt (R) | Henri J. Haskell (R) | Richard O. Hickman (R) |
Edwin A. Kenney (R) |
John Gannon |
8D, 8R[c][1] | 25R, 25D[d][1] | Wilbur F. Sanders (R) | Thomas C. Power (R) | Thomas H. Carter (R)[b] |
|
| 1890 | |||||||||||||
| 1891 | 10D, 6R | 28R, 27D | William W. Dixon (D) | ||||||||||
| 1892 | Harrison/ Reid (R) 
| ||||||||||||
| 1893 | John E. Rickards (R) | Alexander Campbell Botkin (R) |
Frederick W. Wright (R) | Andrew B. Cook (R) |
Eugene A. Steere (R) |
9D, 7R | 26D, 26R, 3Pop[e] |
vacant[f] | Charles S. Hartman (R) | ||||
| 1894 | |||||||||||||
| 1895 | 13R, 5D, 2Pop, 1Fus |
44R, 14Pop, 3D |
Lee Mantle (R)[g] | Thomas H. Carter (R) | |||||||||
| 1896 | Lee Mantle (SvR) | 2 – Bryan/ Sewall (D/Sv) 1 – Bryan/ Watson (Pop)
| |||||||||||
| 1897 | Robert Burns Smith (D) | Archibald E. Spriggs (D) | Thomas S. Hogan (Pop) | C. B. Nolan (D) | Timothy E. Collins (D) | Thomas W. Poindexter Jr. (D) |
Evans A. Carleton (R) |
12R, 8D, 3Pop |
42D, 18Pop, 8R | ||||
| 1898 | |||||||||||||
| 1899 | 17D, 6R, 1Pop |
57D, 9R, 4SvR |
William A. Clark (D)[h] | Albert J. Campbell (D) | |||||||||
| 1900 | vacant | Bryan/ Stevenson (D)
| |||||||||||
| 1901 | Joseph Toole (D)[i] | Frank G. Higgins (D) | George M. Hayes (D) | James Donovan (D) | A. H. Barret (D) | James H. Calderhead (Pop) |
W. W. Welch (D) |
14D, 9R, 1Pop |
28D, 23R, 8Lab, 6Pop, 5ID[j] |
Paris Gibson (D) | William A. Clark (D) | Caldwell Edwards (Pop) | |
| 1902 | |||||||||||||
| 1903 | 14D, 12R | 47R, 11Lab, 8D, 6A-T |
Joseph M. Dixon (R) | ||||||||||
| 1904 | Roosevelt/ Fairbanks (R) 
| ||||||||||||
| 1905 | Edwin L. Norris (D) | Abraham N. Yoder (R)[k] | Albert J. Galen (R) | James H. Rice (R) | Henry R. Cunningham (R) |
Wilfred E. Harmon (R) |
16R, 10D | 38R, 24D, 7Lab, 3A-T |
Thomas H. Carter (R) | ||||
| 1906 | |||||||||||||
| 1907 | 18R, 9D | 57R, 16D | Joseph M. Dixon (R) | Charles Nelson Pray (R) | |||||||||
| 1908 | Edwin L. Norris (D)[l] | Benjamin F. White (R)[a] | Taft/ Sherman (R)
| ||||||||||
| 1909 | William Allen (R) | Elmer E. Esselstyn (R) | 17R, 10D | 38D, 33R | |||||||||
| 1910 | |||||||||||||
| 1911 | C. M. McCoy |
16R, 12D | 42D, 32R | Henry L. Myers (D) | |||||||||
| 1912 | Thomas M. Swindlehurst (D) | Wilson/ Marshall (D)
| |||||||||||
| 1913 | Sam V. Stewart (D) | W. W. McDowell (D) | Adelbert M. Alderson (D) | Daniel M. Kelly (D) | William C. Rae (D) | William Keating (D) |
Henry A. Davee (D) |
17D, 13R, 2Prog |
49D, 20R, 16Prog, 1Sv |
Thomas J. Walsh (D)[k] | 2D | ||
| 1914 | |||||||||||||
| 1915 | Joseph Poindexter (D) | 19R, 16D, 5Prog, 1I[m] |
55D, 36R, 3Sv, 1I | ||||||||||
| 1916 | |||||||||||||
| 1917 | Charles T. Stewart (R)[n] | Sam C. Ford (R) | H. L. Hart (R) | Rufus G. Poland (D) |
May Trumper (R) |
28R, 13D | 49D, 46R | 1D, 1R | |||||
| 1918 | |||||||||||||
| 1919 | George P. Porter (R) |
31R, 12D | 65R, 33D | ||||||||||
| 1920 | Harding/ Coolidge (R)
| ||||||||||||
| 1921 | Joseph M. Dixon (R) | Nelson Story Jr. (R) | Wellington D. Rankin (R) | J. W. Walker | 41R, 13D | 98R, 9D, 1I | 2R | ||||||
| 1922 | |||||||||||||
| 1923 | O. H. Junod (R) | 38R, 16D | 56R, 44D | Burton K. Wheeler (D) | 1D, 1R | ||||||||
| 1924 | Coolidge/ Dawes (R)
| ||||||||||||
| 1925 | John E. Erickson (D)[o] | W. S. McCormack (R) | L. A. Foot (R) | Wilfred E. Harmon (R) | 39R, 16D, 1FL |
66R, 34D, 2FL | |||||||
| 1926 | |||||||||||||
| 1927 | Robert N. Hawkins (D)[p] | 40R, 15D, 1FL |
61R, 39D, 2FL | ||||||||||
| William Powers[p] | |||||||||||||
| 1928 | John W. Mountjoy (D) | Hoover/ Curtis (R)
| |||||||||||
| 1929 | Frank A. Hazelbacker (R) | William E. Harmon (R) | F. E. Williams (R) | Elizabeth Ireland (R) |
39R, 16D, 1FL |
69R, 33D | |||||||
| 1930 | |||||||||||||
| 1931 | 41R, 15D | 59R, 43D | |||||||||||
| 1932 | Roosevelt/ Garner (D)
| ||||||||||||
| 1933 | Frank Henry Cooney (D) | Sam W. Mitchell (D)[k] | Raymond T. Nagle (D) | James Brett (D) | John J. Holmes (D) |
33R, 22D, 1I | 72D, 30R | John E. Erickson (D)[g] | 2D | ||||
| Frank Henry Cooney (D)[q][k] | Tom Kane (R)[a] | ||||||||||||
| 1934 | |||||||||||||
| 1935 | Ernest T. Eaton (R)[a] | 28D, 27R, 1I[r] | 69D, 33R | James E. Murray (D) | |||||||||
| 1936 | Elmer Holt (D)[s] | William R. Pilgeram (D)[a] | Enor K. Matson (D) | ||||||||||
| 1937 | Roy E. Ayers (D) | Hugh R. Adnair (D) | Harrison J. Freebourn (D) | Ray Shannon (D) | Ruth Reardon (D) |
29D, 27R | 81D, 21R | ||||||
| 1938 | |||||||||||||
| 1939 | 31D, 25R | 58D, 44R | 1D, 1R | ||||||||||
| 1940 | Roosevelt/ Wallace (D)
| ||||||||||||
| 1941 | Sam C. Ford (R) | Ernest T. Eaton (R) | John W. Bonner (D) | Thomas E. Carey (D) | Elizabeth Ireland (R) |
35R, 21D | 55D, 47R | ||||||
| 1942 | Howard M. Gullickson (D) | ||||||||||||
| 1943 | R. V. Bottomly (D) | 37R, 19D | 51R, 39D | 2D | |||||||||
| 1944 | T. H. MacDonald (R) | Roosevelt/ Truman (D)
| |||||||||||
| 1945 | George P. Porter (R) | 39R, 17D | 53R, 37D | 1D, 1R | |||||||||
| 1946 | |||||||||||||
| 1947 | 41R, 15D | 58R, 31D, 1ID | Zales Ecton (R) | ||||||||||
| 1948 | Truman/ Barkley (D)
| ||||||||||||
| 1949 | John W. Bonner (D) | Paul Cannon (D) | Arnold Olsen (D) | Neil Fisher (D)[k] | Mary M. Condon (D) |
31R, 23D, 2I | 54D, 36R | ||||||
| 1950 | Alta E. Fisher (D) | ||||||||||||
| 1951 | John E. Henry (R) | 28R, 26D, 2I | 49R, 41D | ||||||||||
| 1952 | Eisenhower/ Nixon (R)
| ||||||||||||
| 1953 | J. Hugo Aronson (R) | George M. Gosman (R) | Charles L. Sheridan (R)[k] | 36R, 20D | 62R, 32D | Mike Mansfield (D) | |||||||
| 1954 | Edna Hinman (R) | ||||||||||||
| 1955 | 33R, 23D | 49D, 45R | |||||||||||
| 1956 | S. C. Arnold (R)[g] | ||||||||||||
| 1957 | Paul Cannon (D) | Frank Murray (D) | Forrest H. Anderson (D) | Horace Casey (D) | Harriet Miller (R) |
31D, 25R | 59D, 35R | 2D | |||||
| 1958 | |||||||||||||
| 1959 | 38D, 17R, 1I | 61D, 31R, 2I | |||||||||||
| 1960 | Nixon/ Lodge (R)
| ||||||||||||
| 1961 | Donald G. Nutter (R)[k] | Tim Babcock (R) | Edna Hinman (R) | 54R, 40D | Lee Metcalf (D)[k] | 1D, 1R | |||||||
| 1962 | Tim Babcock (R)[l] | David F. James (R)[a] | E. V. "Sonny" Omholt (R) | ||||||||||
| 1963 | 35D, 21R | 57R, 37D | |||||||||||
| 1964 | Johnson/ Humphrey (D)
| ||||||||||||
| 1965 | Ted James (R) | Henry H. Anderson (D) | Harriet Miller (D) | 32D, 24R | 56D, 38R | ||||||||
| 1966 | |||||||||||||
| 1967 | 30D, 25R | 64R, 40D | |||||||||||
| 1968 | Nixon/ Agnew (R)
| ||||||||||||
| 1969 | Forrest H. Anderson (D) | Thomas Lee Judge (D) | Robert L. Woodahl (R) | Alex B. Stephenson (R) | Dolores Colburg (D) |
58R, 46D | 2D | ||||||
| 1970 | |||||||||||||
| 1971 | 55R, 49D | 1D, 1R | |||||||||||
| 1972 | |||||||||||||
| 1973 | Thomas Lee Judge (D) | Bill Christiansen (D) | Hollis Connors (R) | 27D, 23R | 54D, 46R | ||||||||
| 1974 | |||||||||||||
| 1975 | 30D, 20R | 67D, 33R | 2D | ||||||||||
| 1976 | Ford/ Dole (R)
| ||||||||||||
1977–present
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Acting.
- ^ a b Delegate from Montana Territory until November 8, when Carter was elected U.S. Representative upon Montana statehood.
- ^ With a Republican Lt. Governor, the GOP organized the chamber. There was no President Pro Tempore that session.
- ^ There were five contested seats from Silver Bow County, and due to a lack of a contested election resolution mechanism, the Republicans and Democrats each organized their own House with the contested members of both parties from Silver Bow joining their respective parties in those chambers, and both sent bills to the Senate.
- ^ A coalition of Democrats and Populists elected a Populist, Thomas Matthews, as Speaker and organized the chamber.
- ^ Legislature failed to elect a Senator at the beginning of the 53rd United States Congress.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Initially appointed to fill a vacancy.
- ^ Resigned May 15, 1900 to avoid claim of election fraud.
- ^ Resigned due to declining health.
- ^ A coalition of Democrats, Labor, Populists, and Independent Democrats chose a Democrat, Frank Corbett, as Speaker, and organized the chamber.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Died in office.
- ^ a b As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term, and was later elected in his own right.
- ^ A coalition of Republicans and Progressives elected a Republican, John Edwards, as President Pro Tempore and organized the chamber.
- ^ Impeached and then resigned.
- ^ Resigned so that his successor could appoint him to the United States Senate.
- ^ a b c Resigned.
- ^ As lieutenant governor, filled unexpired term.
- ^ A bipartisan coalition elected a Republican, Ernest T. Eaton, as President Pro Tempore, and organized the chamber on a bipartisan basis. In practice, Eaton served as President of the Senate, and as such Lt. Governor, as the previous one, Frank Cooney was serving as Governor. After session, Eaton resigned, and the position of President of the Senate and Lt. Governor was filled by Democrat Elmer Holt.
- ^ As President of the State Senate, filled unexpired term. The Speaker of the House, William Pilgeram, took up his previous position of Lt. Governor.
- ^ a b c Party control granted to governor's party in the event of a tied house of the legislature.
- ^ Resigned February 6, 2014 in anticipation of being appointed United States Ambassador to China.
- ^ By statute, in the event of a tie chamber, the party of the Governor receives the Speakership. However, the committees and administration of the chamber and its committees were organized on a 50-50 basis, with an equal number of chairmen and members of both parties.[2]
- ^ By statute, in the event of a tie chamber, the party of the Governor receives the Presidency. However, the committees and administration of the chamber and its committees were organized on a 50-50 basis, with an equal number of chairmen and members of both parties.[2]
- ^ Resigned to take a presidential appointment to the International Boundary Commission.
- ^ a b Elected on bipartisan ticket.
- ^ Constitution Party member caucused with Republicans.
- ^ Resigned March 2017 to become the United States Secretary of the Interior.
References
[edit]- ^ a b [1] Archived 2017-07-02 at the Wayback Machine Majority and Minority Party Numbers 1889 - Present
- ^ a b Loepp, Daniel (1999). Sharing the Balance of Power: An Examination of Shared Power in the Michigan House of Representatives, 1993-94. University of Michigan Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-472-09702-9.