The 2004 United States presidential election in Montana took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose three representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Montana was won by incumbent President George W. Bush by a 20.5% margin of victory. Prior to the election, all 12 news organizations considered this a state Bush would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state.

Primaries 2004 Montana Democratic presidential primary

Campaign Predictions There were 12 news organizations who made state-by-state predictions of the election. Here are their last predictions before election day.

+SourceRankingD.C. Political ReportCook Political ReportResearch 2000Zogby InternationalWashington PostWashington DispatchWashington TimesThe New York TimesCNNNewsweekAssociated PressRasmussen Reports

Polling Only a few pre-election polls were taken here. Bush won each one of them with a double-digit margin and with at least 54% of the vote. The final 3 polling average showed him leading 55% to 35%.

Fundraising Bush raised $385,635. Kerry raised $145,679.

Advertising and visits Neither campaign advertised or visited this state during the fall campaign.

Analysis Bush's key to victory was winning the highly populated Yellowstone County with 60% along with the majority of other counties. Kerry only won six counties in the state, including swinging Missoula County and his best performance in the Democratic stronghold of Deer Lodge County.

Results 2004 United States presidential election in MontanaPartyCandidateVotesPercentageElectoral votes Republican George W. Bush (incumbent) 266,063 59.07% 3 Democratic John Kerry 173,710 38.56% 0 Independent Ralph Nader 6,168 1.37% 0 Constitution Michael Peroutka 1,764 0.39% 0 Libertarian Michael Badnarik 1,733 0.38% 0 Green David Cobb 996 0.22% 0 Write Ins. - 11 0.00% 0 Totals 450,445 100.00% 6 Voter turnout (Voting age population) 64.2%

By county CountyGeorge W. BushRepublicanJohn KerryDemocraticVarious candidatesOther partiesMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Beaverhead3,06772.30%1,10326.00%721.70%1,96446.30%4,242Big Horn2,02847.04%2,21551.38%681.58%-187-4.34%4,311Blaine1,42451.45%1,30046.97%441.59%1244.48%2,768Broadwater1,77875.47%53322.62%451.90%1,24552.85%2,356Carbon3,34262.81%1,84734.71%1322.48%1,49528.10%5,321Carter62387.87%7610.72%101.41%54777.15%709Cascade19,02856.87%13,70140.95%7302.18%5,32715.92%33,459Chouteau1,91365.49%94632.39%622.12%96733.10%2,921Custer3,29765.31%1,63032.29%1212.40%1,66733.02%5,048Daniels76468.28%32629.13%292.59%43839.15%1,119Dawson2,88464.32%1,49433.32%1062.36%1,39031.00%4,484Deer Lodge1,72537.97%2,70059.43%1182.60%-975-21.46%4,543Fallon1,17879.01%28919.38%241.61%88959.63%1,491Fergus4,42572.22%1,58225.82%1201.96%2,84346.40%6,127Flathead26,01967.27%11,58729.96%1,0722.77%14,43237.31%38,678Gallatin22,39256.20%16,40541.18%1,0452.62%5,98715.02%39,842Garfield59090.08%527.94%131.98%53882.14%655Glacier1,82840.07%2,64157.89%932.04%-813-17.82%4,562Golden Valley39675.86%11922.80%71.34%27753.06%522Granite1,14471.28%40425.17%573.55%74046.11%1,605Hill3,50552.65%2,99745.02%1552.33%5087.63%6,657Jefferson3,84465.51%1,88132.06%1432.44%1,96333.45%5,868Judith Basin94473.41%32225.04%201.56%62248.37%1,286Lake7,24557.61%4,96039.44%3712.95%2,28518.17%12,576Lewis and Clark16,49455.27%12,71742.61%6322.12%3,77712.66%29,843Liberty73471.06%28127.20%181.74%45343.86%1,033Lincoln5,88969.70%2,32027.46%2402.84%3,56942.24%8,449Madison2,86872.92%98324.99%822.08%1,88547.93%3,933McCone79169.57%32028.14%262.29%47141.43%1,137Meagher69871.74%24725.39%282.88%45146.35%973Mineral1,24267.61%54229.50%532.89%70038.11%1,837Missoula23,98945.73%26,98351.44%1,4822.83%-2,994-5.71%52,454Musselshell1,66374.01%53823.94%462.05%1,12550.07%2,247Park4,77158.06%3,19938.93%2483.02%1,57219.13%8,218Petroleum22878.08%5518.84%93.08%17359.24%292Phillips1,67777.28%45621.01%371.71%1,22156.27%2,170Pondera1,85364.79%95633.43%511.78%89731.36%2,860Powder River85683.19%15414.97%191.85%70268.22%1,029Powell1,99370.42%76126.89%762.69%1,23243.53%2,830Prairie54674.18%18124.59%91.22%36549.59%736Ravalli13,27966.84%6,14430.93%4442.23%7,13535.91%19,867Richland3,11072.19%1,12026.00%781.81%1,99046.19%4,308Roosevelt1,76243.74%2,19554.49%711.76%-433-10.75%4,028Rosebud1,98255.29%1,52042.40%832.32%46212.89%3,585Sanders3,46167.16%1,50229.15%1903.69%1,95938.01%5,153Sheridan1,15956.87%84641.51%331.62%31315.36%2,038Silver Bow6,38139.67%9,30757.86%3962.46%-2,926-18.19%16,084Stillwater3,09073.34%1,02524.33%982.33%2,06549.01%4,213Sweet Grass1,50976.10%44522.44%291.46%1,06453.66%1,983Teton2,23266.45%1,04731.17%802.38%1,18535.28%3,359Toole1,58368.50%69029.86%381.64%89338.64%2,311Treasure34872.20%12125.10%132.70%22747.10%482Valley2,47661.62%1,43135.61%1112.76%1,04526.01%4,018Wheatland70672.11%25025.54%232.35%45646.57%979Wibaux40772.68%14425.71%91.61%26346.97%560Yellowstone40,90361.71%24,12036.39%1,2631.90%16,78325.32%66,286Totals266,06359.07%173,71038.56%10,6722.37%92,35320.51%450,445

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Missoula (Largest city: Missoula)

By congressional district Due to the state's low population, only one congressional district is allocated. This district, called the at-large district, because it covers the entire state, and thus is equivalent to the statewide election results. District Bush Kerry RepresentativeAt-large 59.1% 38.6%Denny Rehberg

Electors

Technically the voters of Montana cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Montana is allocated 3 electors because it has 1 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 3 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and their running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 3 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than their candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 13, 2004, to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All three were pledged for Bush/Cheney. Jack Galt Thelma Baker John Brenden

See also United States presidential elections in Montana Presidency of George W. Bush

References