Montana Democratic Party

The party typically meets in Butte.^[2]

Recent years

In 2017 during a special election for a Congressional seat, state party officials "grew frustrated" according to the New York Times when national Democratic Party officials Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi were implored by Democratic Senator Jon Tester to with-hold from spending national party money on his rival Rob Quist, the Democratic nominee in Montana, without success. Quist ultimately lost the seat to Republican Greg Gianforte.^[3]

In January 2020, Sandi Luckey, previously the state party treasurer for the Democratic party, was elected executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. Robyn Driscoll was party chair at that time.^[4] The state party announced in May 2020 that it was creating a Steering Committee for the Blue Bench Program, and that it would have three of those positions dedicated permanently for Native American leaders. The Blue Bench Program recruited and developed local candidates to run for office.^[5] At that time, the state party's voting delegates largely consisted of legislative leadership, Democrats in statewide elected office, and leaders in Democratic Central Committees for state countries. The party had no delegate votes assigned specifically for Native Americans, and three voting delegates at state conventions who were Native Americans.^[6] The Associated Press reported in June 2020 that the state party voted to establish tribal committees to represent the Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Fort Peck, Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy's, Blackfeet and Flathead reservations and the Little Shell-Chippewa tribes, and the committees would operate "like county central committees, whose delegates vote on the party's platform, rules and officers and nominate candidates for special elections." Luckey, still the state party executive director, said the move made the Montana Democratic Party the first US state country to formally create a formal role based on population for Native Americans.^[6]

In February 2022, Democratic senator Jon Tester criticized the larger state party for not doing more to appeal to and engage with "Middle America," clarifying he meant the area between the Appalachians the Rocky Mountains.^[7]

In June 2022 NPR reported that Montana had two U.S. House districts for the first time since 1992, and while the Montana Democratic Party had three candidates in that month's primary, it hadn't had representation in the U.S. House since 1994.^[8] In August 2022, Montana Democrats meeting in Butte announced a new platform, largely statements of principal, such as supporting abortion rights and declaring a "state of climate emergency." New policy objectives included restoring the Judicial Nominating Commission, recently eliminated by Republicans, and establishing a panel to examine atrocities at the state's former boarding schools for Native Americans. The state party's executive director remained Sheila Hogan, at the only Democrat in statewide or federal office at the time was Senator Jon Tester.^[9]

The Montana Democratic Party currently hold none of the six statewide offices and a minority of the seats in both the Montana Senate and Montana House of Representatives. They hold one of the state's U.S. Senate seats.

Member of Congress

U.S. Senate

• 
  Senior U.S. Senator Jon Tester

Statewide offices

• None

Legislative leaders

16 Members of the Montana Senate

32 Members of the Montana House of Representatives

Presidential

Gubernatorial

Montana Democratic Party gubernatorial election results

Election	Gubernatorial candidate	Votes	Vote %	Result
1889	Joseph Toole	19,735	50.96%	Won Y
1892	Timothy E. Collins	17,650	39.96%	Lost N
1896	Robert Burns Smith	36,688	70.99%	Won Y
1900	Joseph Toole	31,419	49.24%	Won Y
1904	Joseph Toole	35,377	53.79%	Won Y
1908	Edwin L. Norris	32,282	47.34%	Won Y
1912	Sam V. Stewart	25,381	31.81%	Won Y
1916	Sam V. Stewart	85,683	49.36%	Won Y
1920	Burton K. Wheeler	74,875	40.26%	Lost N
1924	John E. Erickson	88,801	51.02%	Won Y
1928	John E. Erickson	113,635	58.52%	Won Y
1932	John E. Erickson	104,949	48.50%	Won Y
1936	Roy E. Ayers	115,310	50.94%	Won Y
1940	Roy E. Ayers	119,453	48.64%	Lost N
1944	Leif Erickson	89,224	43.18%	Lost N
1948	John W. Bonner	124,267	55.73%	Won Y
1952	John W. Bonner	129,369	49.04%	Lost N
1956	Arnold Olsen	131,488	48.63%	Lost N
1960	Paul Cannon	125,651	44.89%	Lost N
1964	Roland Renne	136,862	48.71%	Lost N
1968	Forrest H. Anderson	150,481	54.11%	Won Y
1972	Thomas Lee Judge	172,523	54.12%	Won Y
1976	Thomas Lee Judge	195,420	61.70%	Won Y
1980	Ted Schwinden	199,574	55.37%	Won Y
1984	Ted Schwinden	266,578	70.34%	Won Y
1988	Thomas Lee Judge	169,313	46.13%	Lost N
1992	Dorothy Bradley	198,421	48.65%	Lost N
1996	Judy Jacobson	84,407	20.83%	Lost N
2000	Mark O'Keefe	193,131	47.08%	Lost N
2004	Brian Schweitzer	225,016	50.44%	Won Y
2008	Brian Schweitzer	318,670	65.47%	Won Y
2012	Steve Bullock	236,450	48.90%	Won Y
2016	Steve Bullock	255,933	50.25%	Won Y
2020	Mike Cooney	250,860	41.56%	Lost N

• Political party strength in Montana
• Montana Libertarian Party
• Montana Republican Party

• Montana Democratic Party