This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for Congress in Montana was March 11, 2024.
Sixteen candidates, including five Democrats and 11 Republicans, are running for Montana’s two U.S. House districts. That’s eight candidates per district, higher than the 7.5 candidates who ran in 2022 but the same as the eight candidates who ran in 2020.
Here are some other highlights from this year’s filings:
- The 16 candidates running this year are a decade-high. Fifteen candidates ran in 2022, eight in 2020, seven in 2018, two in 2016, and seven in 2014.
- One seat is open this year, meaning an incumbent is not running for re-election.
- Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-2nd) is not running for re-election because he is retiring from public office.
- Thirteen candidates—four Democrats and nine Republicans—are running for the open 2nd Congressional District, the most candidates running for a seat this year.
- Three primaries—one Democratic and two Republican—are contested this year. Four primaries were contested in 2022, two primaries were contested in 2020, and one was in 2018.
- Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-1st) is the only incumbent facing a primary challenger this cycle.
- Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in both districts, meaning no seats are guaranteed to either party.
Montana and four other states—Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota—are holding primary elections on June 4.
In Montana, the winner of a primary election is the candidate who receives the highest number of votes cast for that office, even if they do not win a majority of votes cast.
