The 2024 Montana gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Montana, concurrently with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Primary elections took place on June 4, 2024. Incumbent Republican Governor Greg Gianforte won election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee Ryan Busse. Gianforte won by a 20% margin, which was larger than his 13% margin in 2020.

Though Montana has backed Republicans in every presidential election since 1996, the sparsely populated Mountain state maintained a Democratic tendency at the state and U.S. Senate levels well through the 2010s. This was the first gubernatorial election since 1996 that a Republican was re-elected governor of Montana. This was also the largest margin of victory in a gubernatorial election since Brian Schweitzer's 33-point re-election victory in 2008, and the largest for a Republican since Mark Racicot's aforementioned 58-point landslide re-election in 1996.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Greg Gianforte, incumbent governor (2021–present) Running mate: Kristen Juras, incumbent lieutenant governor (2021–present)

Eliminated in primary Tanner Smith, state representative (2023–present) Running mate: Randy Pinocci, member of the Montana Public Service Commission (2019–present)

Endorsements

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Ryan Busse, author and former vice president of sales at Kimber Manufacturing Running mate: Raph Graybill, former chief legal counsel to Governor Steve Bullock and nominee for Attorney General in 2020

Eliminated in primary Jim Hunt, attorney and candidate for in 2008 Running mate: Jerry Driscoll, former executive secretary of the Montana AFL-CIO

Withdrawn Shawn White Wolf, perennial candidate

Results

Libertarian primary Candidates Presumptive nominee Kaiser Leib, software engineer Running mate: Matt Campbell, transportation engineer

General election Debate HostDate & TimeLink(s)ParticipantsRyan Busse (D)Greg Gianforte (R)Nonstop LocalOctober 16, 20246:00pm MDT

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportJune 13, 2024 Inside ElectionsJuly 14, 2023 Sabato's Crystal BallJune 4, 2024 RCPJuly 13, 2024 Elections DailyJuly 12, 2023 CNalysisAugust 17, 2024

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error GregGianforte (R) RyanBusse (D) Other UndecidedMontana State UniversitySeptember 30 – October 16, 2024760 (A)± 3.56%50%31%5%14%The New York Times/Siena CollegeOctober 5–8, 2024656 (LV)± 4.3%57%35%–8%656 (RV)57%35%–9%Public Opinion Strategies (R)September 29 – October 1, 2024500 (LV)± 4.34%55%36%1%7%Fabrizio Ward (R)/David Binder Research (D)August 25–29, 2024600 (LV)± 4.0%54%38%–8%Public Opinion Strategies (R)Public Opinion Strategies (R)August 18–20, 2024500 (LV)± 4.38%53%34%4%8%Public Opinion Strategies (R)June 11–13, 2024500 (LV)± 4.4%54%33%5%8%SurveyUSAFebruary 12–15, 2024549 (LV)± 4.5%52%30%–18%

Results

By county County Greg GianforteRepublican Ryan BusseDemocratic Kaiser LeibLibertarian Margin Total Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %Beaverhead4,13971.72%1,51126.18%1212.10%2,62845.54%5,771Big Horn2,20649.56%2,11847.58%1272.85%881.98%4,451Blaine1,55551.42%1,38745.87%822.71%1685.56%3,024Broadwater3,72377.59%93019.38%1453.02%2,79358.21%4,798Carbon4,81265.46%2,37032.24%1692.30%2,44233.22%7,351Carter77491.60%536.27%182.13%72185.33%845Cascade23,33962.08%13,32435.44%9322.48%10,01526.64%37,595Chouteau1,99468.03%88830.30%491.67%1,10637.73%2,931Custer4,20372.59%1,41724.47%1702.94%2,78648.12%5,790Daniels78783.10%14014.78%202.11%64768.32%947Dawson3,55377.19%92620.12%1242.69%2,62757.07%4,603Deer Lodge2,25946.22%2,48750.88%1422.91%-228-4.66%4,888Fallon1,30287.44%15810.61%291.95%1,14476.83%1,489Fergus4,94573.79%1,60223.91%1542.30%3,34349.89%6,701Flathead41,53965.88%20,06431.82%1,4512.30%21,47534.06%63,054Gallatin32,84347.06%35,20050.44%1,7422.50%-2,357-3.38%69,785Garfield75294.83%344.29%70.88%71890.54%793Glacier1,95538.37%2,98658.61%1543.02%-1,031-20.24%5,095Golden Valley44084.94%6712.93%112.12%37372.01%518Granite1,50769.58%61328.30%462.12%89441.27%2,166Hill3,91057.65%2,66639.31%2063.04%1,24418.34%6,782Jefferson5,50766.17%2,60531.30%2112.54%2,90234.87%8,323 Judith Basin1,09080.27%23417.23%342.50%85663.03%1,358Lake9,93758.97%6,48538.49%4282.54%3,45220.49%16,850 Lewis and Clark21,67851.49%19,36045.98%1,0652.53%2,3185.51%42,103 Liberty78778.70%20420.40%90.90%58358.30%1,000Lincoln8,82075.05%2,63422.41%2982.54%6,18652.64%11,752Madison4,61171.25%1,72626.67%1352.09%2,88544.58%6,472McCone92285.13%14213.11%191.75%78072.02%1,083Meagher89476.67%24521.01%272.32%64955.66%1,166Mineral2,02671.97%70825.15%812.88%1,31846.82%2,815Missoula27,67038.00%43,37859.58%1,7622.42%-15,708-21.57%72,810Musselshell2,55585.20%36912.30%752.50%2,18672.89%2,999Park5,94750.72%5,44246.41%3362.87%5054.31%11,725Petroleum28786.97%3510.61%82.42%25276.36%330Phillips1,78681.48%36816.79%381.73%1,41864.69%2,192Pondera2,05472.07%74326.07%531.86%1,31146.00%2,850Powder River96087.59%12311.22%131.19%83776.37%1,096Powell2,41373.75%73522.46%1243.79%1,67851.28%3,272Prairie54078.49%12518.17%233.34%41560.32%688Ravalli20,74069.60%8,38728.14%6732.26%12,35341.45%29,800Richland4,32482.72%74814.31%1552.97%3,57668.41%5,227Roosevelt2,12254.62%1,65642.63%1072.75%46611.99%3,885Rosebud2,46966.86%1,12930.57%952.57%1,34036.28%3,693Sanders6,08875.68%1,71421.31%2423.01%4,37454.38%8,044Sheridan1,36572.30%46624.68%573.02%89947.62%1,888Silver Bow7,79042.74%9,86654.13%5693.12%-2,076-11.39%18,225Stillwater4,70979.58%1,07618.18%1322.23%3,63361.40%5,917Sweet Grass1,80575.78%51021.41%672.81%1,29554.37%2,382Teton2,61273.00%89124.90%752.10%1,72148.10%3,578Toole1,63280.08%35517.42%512.50%1,27762.66%2,038Treasure38485.91%4710.51%163.58%33775.39%447Valley3,00973.80%96123.57%1072.62%2,04850.23%4,077Wheatland85479.22%20318.83%211.95%65160.39%1,078Wibaux45483.61%7714.18%122.21%37769.43%543Yellowstone51,19162.95%27,95634.38%2,1742.67%23,23528.57%81,321Totals354,56958.86%232,64438.62%15,1912.52%121,92520.24%602,404

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Blaine (largest city: Chinook) Big Horn (largest city: Hardin) Lewis and Clark (largest city: Helena) Roosevelt (largest city: Wolf Point)

By congressional district Gianforte won both congressional districts.http://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::66ff2b64-826d-48a9-bbe4-08afa4c10873 District Gianforte Busse Representative 54% 43%Ryan Zinke64%33%Matt Rosendale (118th Congress)Troy Downing (119th Congress)

See also 2024 United States presidential election in Montana 2024 United States Senate election in Montana 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links Official campaign websites Ryan Busse (D) for Governor Greg Gianforte (R) for Governor Kaiser Leib (L) for Governor