Montana All Red in 2020 General Election
While we don't know who will be our President this morning after Election Day, we do know how Montanans voted in the 2020 General Election, and it was all red. According to the Associated Press, Montanans elected:
- Republican Greg Gianforte for Governor
- Republican Steve Daines for Senator
The following are leading and look to be likely winners with nearly 70% of the vote in:
- Republican Matt Rosendale for District 1 House of Representatives (56% of the vote)
- Christi Jacobsen for Secretary of State (59% of the vote)
- Republican Austin Knudsen for Attorney General (58% of the vote)
- Republican Troy Downing for State Auditor (55% of the vote)
- Republican Elsie Arntzen for State Superintendent of Public Instruction (51% of the vote)
Donald Trump received 56% of Montanan's votes giving the president the state's 3 Electoral Votes.
Gianforte's win will give Montana its first Republican governor in 16 years. Here's what Gianforte had to say after finding out he would be Montana's next governor.
Steve Daines defeated current Montana Governor Steve Bullock, who was criticized by many Montanans before the election for his mandates and directives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Fox News, over $150 million was spent in the race between Daines & Bullock.
Here's what Senator Steve Daines had to say in his acceptance speech after winning last night.
Montanans also passes two ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana use. According to Associated Press, CI-118 allows for the legislature or a citizen initiative to establish a minimum legal age for the possession, use, and purchase of marijuana, similar to the regulation of alcohol in the state constitution.
I-190 creates rules for marijuana use, including a 20% tax and the option for individual counties to prohibit dispensaries.
CI-118 amended the Montana Constitution to allow the state to set the minimum buying age to 21.
Both measures needed to pass for recreational use to become legal.
For more Montana initiatives, referendums, and amendment results click here.