In a record voter turnout, on Tuesday, for a primary election, Republicans and Democrats set up the contests for the general election in November.
As of Wednesday morning, Bret Rutherford, Yellowstone County Elections Officer, reported having counted a total of 52,255 ballots, in the first ever, all-mail federal primary election. “We completely blew past the record,” said an amazed Rutherford. The old record was set in 2016 with 43,000 people voting.
On Saturday they had 47,000 ballots, said Rutherford, so Monday and Tuesday were busy days with a lot of people dropping off ballots – just as they had been instructed to do. An all-mail election was held in order to better conform to social distancing requirements of the COVID-19 crisis.
By the time they include provisional ballots, Rutherford said they would probably be at 53,000. There were quite a few provisional ballots, which are ballots that had some kind of error. The voter will be given an opportunity to correct the problem through Monday. The provisional ballots will all be counted on Monday at 3 pm.
Statewide voter turnout was almost 55 percent.
Election results show that Democrat Governor Steve Bullock will go head –to- head in challenging Republican incumbent US Representative Steve Daines, for his seat. Republicans gave the nod to Matt Rosendale against five contenders, while Democrats supported Kathleen Williams for the other US House seat.
Republican Greg Gianforte, currently a US Congressional Representative, will go up against Democrat incumbent Lt. Governor Mike Cooney in vying for the Governorship of Montana.
Republican turn-out in Yellowstone County dwarfed that of the Democrats, with 32,710 Republican ballots cast and 19,370 Democrat ballots cast of the total 52,255. The Green Party had 175 ballots.
While Republican President Donald Trump stood unchallenged garnering 29,171 votes of the 31,755 Republican votes cast for President, Democrat challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden defeated, with 14,880 votes, ballot contenders Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Yellowstone County Republican voters joined the rest of the state in pushing forward Christi Jacobson as their candidate for Secretary of State, who will vie against the Democrat’s unchallenged candidate, Bryce Bennett.
For Montana Attorney General the Democrats supported Raph Graybill, while the Republicans put forward, Austin Knudsen.
Republican challenger Troy Downing swept past his contenders in Yellowstone County for State Auditor, to confront Democrat Shane Morigeau.
Democrat Melissa Romano will challenge Republican incumbent Elsie Arntzen for Superintendent of Public Instruction, both of whom were uncontested in the Primary.
Republican incumbent Tony O’Donnell won out for Public Service Commission for District 2 over challengers, and will vie against Democrat candidate Valerie McMurtry in the General Election.
Republican County Commission incumbent John Ostlund was unchallenged and will go up against Democrat Darryl S. Wilson in November.
Across the state there were a number of Republican upsets of incumbents.
In Yellowstone County, in the race for State Senate District 26, Republican Chris Friedel edged out controversial incumbent Rodney Garcia, 1,522 to 1,148. Friedel will go up against Democrat incumbent Margie MacDonald, who was unchallenged in the Primary.
And, also in an upset, Republican candidate incumbent Tom Richmond, Sen. District 28, was defeated by Brad Molnar, 2,732 to 1,536. The Democrats had no Primary candidate for Montana Senate District 28.
