2012 Montana gubernatorial election

2012 Montana gubernatorial election

← 2008 November 6, 2012 (2012-11-06) 2016 →
Turnout72.18%Decrease2.32[1]
 
Nominee Steve Bullock Rick Hill
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate John Walsh Jon Sonju
Popular vote 236,450 228,879
Percentage 48.9% 47.3%

County results
Bullock:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Hill:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Governor before election

Brian Schweitzer
Democratic

Elected Governor

Steve Bullock
Democratic

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%.[2] 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.[3] This was the last time anyone other than Greg Gianforte was the Republican nominee.

  1. ^ "Montana Voter Turnout". Montana Secretary of State - Christi Jacobsen. February 22, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  2. ^ Michael Barone, et al. The Almanac of American Politics 2014 (2013) (Kindle Locations 48242-48245).
  3. ^ Charles S. Johnson (November 6, 2012). "Networks declare Bullock winner in tight race for governor". Montana Standard.