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United States · Election results history · 1988 Senate · Montana
Election 1988 Results

Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.

1988 US Senate election in Montana

Conrad Burns (Republican) beat John Melcher (Democrat) in Montana in 1988, 51.9% to 48.1%, a margin of 3.7 points and 13,636 votes.

Montana changed party: in 1982 it went Democratic, for John Melcher.

Republicans led in 41 of the 56 counties as they stood then and Democrats in 15. The largest, Yellowstone, cast 50,658 votes and went to the Republican by 3.3 points. The closest was Prairie, where 12 votes separated the two parties.

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Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

Senate

CandidatePartyVotesShare
Conrad Burns won Republican 189,445 51.9%
John Melcher Democratic 175,809 48.1%
Total365,254

Every county

CountyDemocratRepublicanOthersTotalMargin
Yellowstone 24,495 48.4% 26,163 51.6% 50,658 R+3.3
Missoula 18,873 53.0% 16,731 47.0% 35,604 D+6.0
Cascade 17,248 53.1% 15,251 46.9% 32,499 D+6.1
Flathead 9,844 39.8% 14,873 60.2% 24,717 R+20.3
Lewis And Clark 11,375 48.7% 11,987 51.3% 23,362 R+2.6
Gallatin 9,402 40.5% 13,796 59.5% 23,198 R+18.9
Silver Bow 11,089 65.7% 5,779 34.3% 16,868 D+31.5
Ravalli 4,644 37.4% 7,779 62.6% 12,423 R+25.2
Lake 4,216 46.5% 4,850 53.5% 9,066 R+7.0
Hill 4,414 56.5% 3,401 43.5% 7,815 D+13.0
Park 2,425 38.2% 3,927 61.8% 6,352 R+23.6
Fergus 2,590 42.0% 3,573 58.0% 6,163 R+16.0
Lincoln 2,588 44.6% 3,216 55.4% 5,804 R+10.8
Custer 2,714 49.4% 2,782 50.6% 5,496 R+1.2
Dawson 2,389 48.3% 2,556 51.7% 4,945 R+3.4
Deer Lodge 3,059 65.7% 1,600 34.3% 4,659 D+31.3
Richland 1,865 40.3% 2,758 59.7% 4,623 R+19.3
Carbon 2,217 49.2% 2,287 50.8% 4,504 R+1.6
Valley 2,157 48.7% 2,269 51.3% 4,426 R+2.5
Sanders 1,967 46.8% 2,235 53.2% 4,202 R+6.4
Roosevelt 2,401 57.5% 1,773 42.5% 4,174 D+15.0
Big Horn 2,250 55.0% 1,843 45.0% 4,093 D+9.9
Glacier 2,188 53.7% 1,885 46.3% 4,073 D+7.4
Beaverhead 1,142 28.1% 2,918 71.9% 4,060 R+43.7
Jefferson 1,652 42.5% 2,238 57.5% 3,890 R+15.1
Rosebud 2,346 61.1% 1,494 38.9% 3,840 D+22.2
Stillwater 1,637 47.9% 1,779 52.1% 3,416 R+4.2
Chouteau 1,671 50.5% 1,637 49.5% 3,308 D+1.0
Teton 1,527 46.6% 1,749 53.4% 3,276 R+6.8
Pondera 1,488 46.8% 1,694 53.2% 3,182 R+6.5
Blaine 1,762 59.2% 1,212 40.8% 2,974 D+18.5
Madison 840 28.6% 2,095 71.4% 2,935 R+42.8
Sheridan 1,528 54.1% 1,295 45.9% 2,823 D+8.3
Powell 1,069 38.0% 1,743 62.0% 2,812 R+24.0
Toole 1,219 46.0% 1,429 54.0% 2,648 R+7.9
Phillips 1,186 47.8% 1,295 52.2% 2,481 R+4.4
Musselshell 1,043 46.9% 1,182 53.1% 2,225 R+6.2
Sweet Grass 587 33.5% 1,167 66.5% 1,754 R+33.1
Fallon 752 45.1% 917 54.9% 1,669 R+9.9
Broadwater 578 35.0% 1,072 65.0% 1,650 R+29.9
Judith Basin 716 46.3% 830 53.7% 1,546 R+7.4
McCone 661 46.0% 777 54.0% 1,438 R+8.1
Mineral 800 55.7% 636 44.3% 1,436 D+11.4
Daniels 677 48.3% 726 51.7% 1,403 R+3.5
Granite 446 33.2% 896 66.8% 1,342 R+33.5
Powder River 501 40.2% 746 59.8% 1,247 R+19.6
Liberty 524 43.3% 686 56.7% 1,210 R+13.4
Wheatland 542 46.6% 621 53.4% 1,163 R+6.8
Meagher 345 34.7% 649 65.3% 994 R+30.6
Carter 364 38.0% 594 62.0% 958 R+24.0
Prairie 451 49.3% 463 50.7% 914 R+1.3
Garfield 330 37.8% 543 62.2% 873 R+24.4
Wibaux 347 52.4% 315 47.6% 662 D+4.8
Golden Valley 230 41.7% 321 58.3% 551 R+16.5
Treasure 314 57.8% 229 42.2% 543 D+15.7
Petroleum 124 40.4% 183 59.6% 307 R+19.2

Counties as they stood in 1988; some have since been split, merged or renamed. Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Sources and how the results were checked.

Montana Senate elections we hold

YearWinnerMargin
2024 Tim Sheehy (R) R+7.1
2020 Steve Daines (R) R+10.0
2018 Jon Tester (D) D+3.6
2014 Steve Daines (R) R+17.7
2012 Jon Tester (D) D+3.7
2008 Max Baucus (D) D+45.8
2006 Jon Tester (D) D+0.9
2002 Max Baucus (D) D+31.0
2000 Conrad Burns (R) R+3.3
1996 Max Baucus (D) D+4.9
1994 Conrad R. Burns (R) R+24.7
1990 Max Baucus (D) D+38.7
1988 Conrad Burns (R) R+3.7
1984 Max Baucus (D) D+16.2
1982 John Melcher (D) D+12.8
1978 Max Baucus (D) D+11.4
1976 John Melcher (D) D+28.3
1972 Lee Metcalf (D) D+3.9
1970 Mike Mansfield (D) D+21.1
1966 Lee Metcalf (D) D+6.3
1964 Mike Mansfield (D) D+29.0
1960 Lee Metcalf (D) D+1.5
1958 Mike Mansfield (D) D+52.4
1954 James E. Murray (D) D+0.8
1952 Mike Mansfield (D) D+2.2
1948 James E. Murray (D) D+13.9
1946 Zales N. Ecton (R) R+8.1
1942 James E. Murray (D) D+0.7
1940 Burton K. Wheeler (D) D+46.9
1936 James E. Murray (D) D+27.9
1934 Burton K. Wheeler (D) D+41.4
1930 Thomas J. Walsh (D) D+22.5
1928 Burton K. Wheeler (D) D+6.4
1924 Thomas J. Walsh (D) D+10.4
1922 Burton K. Wheeler (D) D+11.8
1918 Thomas J. Walsh (D) D+5.3
1916 Henry L. Myers (D) D+7.7