2012 Montana gubernatorial election

The 2012 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2012, to elect the Governor of Montana. Incumbent Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term.

Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock won the Democratic primary with 87% of the vote and former U.S. Representative Rick Hill won the Republican primary with 34% of the vote. In the general election, Bullock won by 7,571 votes, taking 48.9% of the vote to Hill's 47.3%. With a margin of 1.6%, this election was the second-closest race of the 2012 gubernatorial election cycle, behind only the election in Puerto Rico. Due to the close margin, media outlets did not call the race for Bullock until the next day.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Steve Bullock, Montana Attorney General

• Running mate: John Walsh, Brigadier general and former adjutant general in the Montana National Guard

• Heather Margolis, Montana representative for community service organization ServeNext

• Running mate: Steve Nelsen, founder of the Montana Conservation Corps

Withdrew

• Larry Jent, state senator

Declined

• John Bohlinger, Lieutenant Governor of Montana
• Carl Borgquist, president of Grasslands Renewable Energy of Bozeman
• Dave Wanzenried, state senator
• Pat Williams, former U.S. Representative

Polling

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

• Bob Fanning, retired businessman

• Running mate: Joel Boniek, former state representative
• Former running mate: Chuck Baldwin, pastor and Constitution Party nominee for president in 2008 (dropped out February 2012)

• Rick Hill, former U.S. Representative

• Running mate: Jon Sonju, state senator

• Neil Livingstone, terrorism and national security analyst

• Running mate: Ryan Zinke, state senator

• Jim Lynch, former Montana Department of Transportation director

• Running mate: Al Olszewski, orthopedic surgeon and Carroll College Trustee

• Ken Miller, former state senator and former chairman of the Montana Republican Party

• Running mate: Bill Gallagher, Public Service Commissioner

• Jim O'Hara, Chouteau County Commissioner

• Running mate: Scott Swingley, private investigator and former trooper in the Montana Highway Patrol

• Corey Stapleton, former state senator

• Running mate: Bob Keenan, former President of the Montana Senate

Withdrew

• Jeff Essmann, Majority Leader of the Montana Senate
• Drew Turiano, real estate investor

Declined

• Denny Rehberg, U.S. Representative (ran for the U.S. Senate)

Polling

Results

General election

Candidates

• Steve Bullock (D), Montana Attorney General

• Running mate: John Walsh, Brigadier general and former adjutant general in the Montana National Guard

• Rick Hill (R), former U.S. Representative

• Running mate: Jon Sonju, state senator

• Ron Vandevender (Libertarian), businessman

• Running mate: Marc Mulcahy

Debate

• Complete video of debate, C-SPAN, October 10, 2012

Predictions

Polling

Aggregate polls

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

References

External links

• Elections and Government – Montana Secretary of State

Official campaign websites (Archived)

• Steve Bullock for Governor
• Rick Hill for Governor
• Ron Vandevender for Governor