Montana's 2nd congressional district

Summary

Montana's second congressional district is a congressional district in the United States House of Representatives that was apportioned after the 2020 United States census. The first candidates ran in the 2022 elections for a seat in the 118th United States Congress.

Montana's 2nd congressional district
Map
Montana's 2nd congressional district covers central and eastern Montana. Points indicate major cities in the district, sorted by population:
1. Billings 2. Great Falls 3. Helena
Representative
  Matt Rosendale
RGlendive
Population (2022)553,536
Median household
income
$69,884[1]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+16[2]

Geographically, the district is the second-largest by land area, after Alaska's at-large congressional district, and the largest by land area in the contiguous United States. It is also the largest district in the U.S. to not contain an entire state.

From 1913 to 1993, Montana had two congressional seats. From 1913 to 1919, those seats were elected statewide at-large on a general ticket. After 1919, however, the state was divided into geographical districts. The 2nd covered the eastern part of the state, including Billings, Glendive, Miles City, and other towns. After 1993, the second seat was eliminated and the remaining seat was elected at-large.

After the release of the 2020 United States census results, Montana regained its 2nd congressional district.[3] On November 12, 2021, Montana's Districting and Apportionment Commission approved a new congressional map in which the 2nd congressional district would cover the eastern portion of Montana, in a configuration similar to the 1983–1993 map. However, the state capital, Helena, which had historically been in the 1st district, was drawn into the 2nd district.[4]

Except for the city of Helena and some Native American areas like Big Horn County and part of longtime national bellwether Blaine County, the district is powerfully Republican. Overall, it is the third-most-Republican district in the West, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+16, and it voted for Donald Trump by nearly 27 percentage points in the 2020 presidential election.

Statewide election results edit

Year Office Results
2020 President[5] Trump 62.2% – 35.3%

List of members representing the district edit

Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history
District established March 4, 1919
 
Carl W. Riddick
(Lewistown)
Republican March 4, 1919 –
March 3, 1923
66th
67th
Elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
 
Scott Leavitt
(Great Falls)
Republican March 4, 1923 –
March 3, 1933
68th
69th
70th
71st
72nd
Elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Lost re-election.
 
Roy E. Ayers
(Lewistown)
Democratic March 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1937
73rd
74th
Elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Retired to run for Governor of Montana.
 
James F. O'Connor
(Livingston)
Democratic January 3, 1937 –
January 15, 1945
75th
76th
77th
78th
79th
Elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Died.
Vacant January 15, 1945 –
June 5, 1945
79th
 
Wesley A. D'Ewart
(Wilsall)
Republican June 5, 1945 –
January 3, 1955
79th
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
Elected to finish O'Connor's term.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
 
Orvin B. Fjare
(Big Timber)
Republican January 3, 1955 –
January 3, 1957
84th Elected in 1954.
Lost re-election.
 
LeRoy H. Anderson
(Conrad)
Democratic January 3, 1957 –
January 3, 1961
85th
86th
Elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
 
James F. Battin
(Billings)
Republican January 3, 1961 –
February 27, 1969
87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
Elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Resigned to become judge of the U.S. District Court of Montana.
Vacant February 27, 1969 –
June 24, 1969
91st
 
John Melcher
(Forsyth)
Democratic June 24, 1969 –
January 3, 1977
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
Elected to finish Battin's term.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
 
Ron Marlenee
(Scobey)
Republican January 3, 1977 –
January 3, 1993
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
Elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Redistricted to the at-large district and lost re-election.
District eliminated January 3, 1993
District re-established January 3, 2023
 
Matt Rosendale
(Glendive)
Republican January 3, 2023 –
present
118th Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 2022.
Retiring at the end of term.

Recent election results edit

2022 edit

 
Results of the 2022 election by county
2022 Montana's 2nd congressional district election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Matt Rosendale (incumbent) 120,899 56.57% N/A
Independent Gary Buchanan 46,917 21.96% N/A
Democratic Penny Ronning 42,905 20.08% N/A
Libertarian Sam Rankin 2,975 1.39% N/A
Total votes 213,696 100.00%
Republican hold

See also edit

References edit

General
  1. ^ "My Congressional District".
  2. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Merica, Dan; Stark, Liz (April 26, 2021). "Census Bureau announces 331 million people in US, Texas will add two congressional seats". CNN. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  4. ^ Dietrich, Eric (November 12, 2021). "How Montana got its new congressional map". Montana Free Press. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  5. ^ "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts". Daily Kos. September 29, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  6. ^ "2022 GENERAL ELECTION - UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE - 2ND DISTRICT". Secretary of State of Montana. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
Specific
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present