# Montana's 2nd congressional district

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.
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. 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.
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.

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | McCain 52% - 45% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 61% - 32% |
| 2016 | Governor | Gianforte 49% - 47% |
| 2016 | Attorney General | Fox 73% - 27% |
| 2018 | Senate | Rosendale 50% - 46% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 62% - 35% |
| 2020 | Senate | Daines 60% - 40% |
| 2020 | Governor | Gianforte 59% - 37% |
| 2020 | Attorney General | Knudsen 63% - 37% |
| 2020 | Secretary of State | Jacobsen 65% - 35% |
| 2020 | Auditor | Downing 61% - 34% |
| 2024 | President | Trump 63% - 34% |

## Composition

The second district includes all of the following counties, with the exception of Pondera, which it shares with the 1st. Pondera County communities in the 1st district include Brady, Conrad, and Midway Colony.
| # | County | Seat | Population |
| 3 | Big Horn | Hardin | 12,751 |
| 5 | Blaine | Chinook | 6,899 |
| 7 | Broadwater | Townsend | 8,032 |
| 9 | Carbon | Red Lodge | 11,419 |
| 11 | Carter | Ekalaka | 1,418 |
| 13 | Cascade | Great Falls | 84,900 |
| 15 | Chouteau | Fort Benton | 5,847 |
| 17 | Custer | Miles City | 11,985 |
| 19 | Daniels | Scobey | 1,633 |
| 21 | Dawson | Glendive | 8,810 |
| 25 | Fallon | Baker | 2,994 |
| 27 | Fergus | Lewistown | 11,772 |
| 33 | Garfield | Jordan | 1,211 |
| 37 | Golden Valley | Ryegate | 835 |
| 41 | Hill | Havre | 16,276 |
| 43 | Jefferson | Boulder | 13,048 |
| 45 | Judith Basin | Stanford | 2,093 |
| 49 | Lewis and Clark | Helena | 75,011 |
| 51 | Liberty | Chester | 1,974 |
| 55 | McCone | Circle | 1,676 |
| 59 | Meagher | White Sulphur Springs | 2,071 |
| 65 | Musselshell | Roundup | 5,308 |
| 67 | Park | Livingston | 17,903 |
| 69 | Petroleum | Winnett | 554 |
| 71 | Phillips | Malta | 4,249 |
| 73 | Pondera | Conrad | 6,125 |
| 75 | Powder River | Broadus | 1,743 |
| 79 | Prairie | Terry | 1,112 |
| 83 | Richland | Sidney | 11,173 |
| 85 | Roosevelt | Wolf Point | 10,319 |
| 87 | Rosebud | Forsyth | 8,160 |
| 91 | Sheridan | Plentywood | 3,498 |
| 95 | Stillwater | Columbus | 9,173 |
| 97 | Sweet Grass | Big Timber | 3,763 |
| 99 | Teton | Choteau | 6,430 |
| 101 | Toole | Shelby | 6,133 |
| 103 | Treasure | Hysham | 772 |
| 105 | Valley | Glasgow | 7,474 |
| 107 | Wheatland | Harlowton | 2,057 |
| 109 | Wibaux | Wibaux | 910 |
| 111 | Yellowstone | Billings | 170,843 |

## List of members representing the district

| 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 | 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 | 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 – January 3, 2025 | 118th | Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 2022. Retired. |
| Troy Downing (Helena) | Republican | January 3, 2025 – present | 119th | Elected in 2024. |

## Recent election results
### 2022

2022 Montana's 2nd congressional district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Matt Rosendale (incumbent) | 120,899 | 56.6 |
| | Independent | Gary Buchanan | 46,917 | 22.0 |
| | Democratic | Penny Ronning | 42,905 | 20.1 |
| | Libertarian | Sam Rankin | 2,975 | 1.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 213,696 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2024

2024 Montana's 2nd congressional district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Troy Downing | 181,832 | 66.0 |
| | Democratic | John Driscoll | 93,713 | 34.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 275,545 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |