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.

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

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)

Results
[[File:2012 Montana gubernatorial Republican primary county map.svg|thumb|250px|Primary results by county: Hill

{{legend|#d60f0f|Hill—51-60%}}

{{legend|#ff0000|Hill—41-50%}}

{{legend|#f29b8a|Hill—31-40%}}

{{legend|#f8dbd5|Hill—21-30%}} Stapleton

{{legend|#f2f2a0|Stapleton—31-40%}}

{{legend|#f8f8cc|Stapleton—21-30%}} Miller

{{legend|#006400|Miller—51-60%}}

{{legend|#59d622|Miller—41-50%}}

{{legend|#90ee90|Miller—31-40%}}

{{legend|#bfff92|Miller—21-30%}} O'Hara

{{legend|#154bef|O'Hara—51-60%}}

{{legend|#00ffff|O'Hara—31-40%}} ]]

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

Polling

 * Aggregate polls

With Bohlinger

With Bullock

With Jent

With Wanzenried

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
• Beaverhead (largest city: Dillon)

• Broadwater (largest city: Townsend)

• Carbon (largest city: Red Lodge)

• Chouteau (largest municipality: Fort Benton)

• Custer (largest city: Miles City)

• Daniels (largest city: Scobey)

• Dawson (Largest city: Glendive)

• Fallon (largest city: Baker)

• Fergus (largest city: Lewistown)

• Flathead (largest city: Kalispell)

• Golden Valley (largest city: Ryegate)

• Granite (largest city: Philipsburg)

• Jefferson (largest city: Clancy)

• Judith Basin (largest city: Stanford)

• Liberty (largest city: Chester)

• Lincoln (largest city: Libby)

• Madison (largest city: Ennis)

• McCone (largest city: Circle)

• Mineral (largest city: Superior)

• Park (largest city: Livingston)

• Phillips (largest city: Malta)

• Pondera (largest city: Conrad)

• Powell (largest city: Deer Lodge)

• Prairie (largest city: Terry)

• Ravalli (largest city: Hamilton)

• Richland (largest city: Sidney)

• Rosebud (largest city: Colstrip)

• Sanders (largest city: Thompson Falls)

• Sheridan (Largest city: Plentywood)

• Stillwater (largest city: Columbus)

• Teton (largest city: Choteau)

• Toole (largest city: Shelby)

• Treasure (largest city: Hysham)

• Valley (largest city: Glasgow)

• Wheatland (largest city: Harlowton)

• Wibaux (largest city: Wibaux)

• Yellowstone (largest city: Billings)