Republicans Dominate Montana Elections
Republicans dominated Montana’s elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as the party earned victories in races for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. representative In the race for governor, Greg Gianforte led with 54 percent over Mike Cooney’s 42 percent with 76 percent of the state’s votes received. Gianforte is Montana’s current U.S. representative while Cooney is Montana’s lieutenant governor. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont, kept his seat with 55 percent compared to Gov. Steve Bullock’s 45 percent.
Republican Matt Rosendale earned the U.S. representative position with 56 percent of the vote compared to Democrat Kathleen Williams’ 44 percent.
In Montana, President Donald Trump received 57 percent of the vote while former Vice President Joseph Biden had 41 percent of the vote with 76 percent reporting. Nationally, Biden was elected the country’s next president.
Roosevelt County Attorney Austin Knudsen was elected the state’s attorney general with 58 percent compared to Raph Graybill’s 42 percent.
Other state winners included Republican Christi Jacobsen for secretary of state, Republican Troy Downing for auditor, Republican Elsie Arntzen for superintendent of public instruction and Laurie McKinnon for Supreme Court justice.
Initiative 190 which sought to legalize the possession and use of limited amount of marijuana for adults over the age of 21, passed by a margin of 57 to 43 percent.
LR-130, which sought to repeal a local government unit’s authority to prevent or suppress the possession of firearms by convicted felons and minors, was being approved by a 51 to 49 percent margin with 76 percent of the state’s vote counted.
Roosevelt County voters supported Trump over Biden by a 50-47 margin and Bullock over Daines by a 53-47 margin.
In Roosevelt County for the race for U.S. representative, Williams received 52 percent of the vote compared to Rosendale’s 48 percent. Cooney was supported by 49 percent compared to Gianforte’s 46 percent.
Knudsen received 2,011 votes compared to Graybill’s 1,978 votes in the county.
Other state candidates that won in Roosevelt County included Jacobsen, Democrat Shane Morigeau for auditor, Democrat Melissa Romano for superintendent of public instruction and McKinnon.
Democrat Mike Fox received 2,225 votes for State Senate District 16 and Republican Mike Lang received 1,098 for State Senate District 17 in the county. Democrat Frank Smith received 2,267 for House District 21 and Republican Rhonda Knudsen had 1,057 votes for House District 34.
Running unopposed, county commissioner Gordon Oelkers received 1,387 votes and clerk of District Court/ superintendent of schools Jeri Toavs received 3,567 votes.
Roosevelt County votes approved Initiative 190 by 63 percent to 37 percent.
