Montana's At-large congressional district
Encyclopedia
Montana
is currently represented in the US House of Representatives by one at large congressional district
. The district is currently the largest congressional district by population with nearly 1,000,000 constituents. It is also the second largest by size, after Alaska's At-large congressional district
. Since 2001, it has been represented by Republican
Denny Rehberg
.
won Montana in the 2004 Presidential election
with 59.1% of the vote, beating John Kerry
by 20 percentage points, which indicates that the district leans Republican. However, four years later John McCain
won the state by only 2.5% over Barack Obama
, and there is currently a significant Democratic
presence in the state: as of 2011 the Governor's office and both U.S. Senate seats are controlled by the Democrats, which suggests that the district could be competitive if Rehberg were to retire from office.
by members elected at-large
. From 1913 to 1919, in fact, there were two seats, still elected at-large
. In the reapportionment following the 1990 census
Montana lost one of its two seats, and its remaining member was again elected at-large.
The two at-large seats were moved to district representation in 1919, and remained until 1993, when Montana lost a seat due to redistricting
from the 1990 US Census, re-establishing the single seat At-Large district.
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
is currently represented in the US House of Representatives by one at large congressional district
Congressional district
A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...
. The district is currently the largest congressional district by population with nearly 1,000,000 constituents. It is also the second largest by size, after Alaska's At-large congressional district
Alaska's At-large congressional district
Alaska's At-large congressional district comprises the entire state of Alaska. This congressional district has the largest land area and lowest population density of any district in the United States...
. Since 2001, it has been represented by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Denny Rehberg
Denny Rehberg
Dennis R. "Denny" Rehberg is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.
Politics
President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
won Montana in the 2004 Presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
with 59.1% of the vote, beating John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
by 20 percentage points, which indicates that the district leans Republican. However, four years later John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
won the state by only 2.5% over Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, and there is currently a significant Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presence in the state: as of 2011 the Governor's office and both U.S. Senate seats are controlled by the Democrats, which suggests that the district could be competitive if Rehberg were to retire from office.
Early at-large district
From statehood in 1889, until the creation of geographic districts in 1919, Montana was represented in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by members elected at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
. From 1913 to 1919, in fact, there were two seats, still elected at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
. In the reapportionment following the 1990 census
United States Census, 1990
The Twenty-first United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 248,709,873, an increase of 9.8 percent over the 226,545,805 persons enumerated during the 1980 Census....
Montana lost one of its two seats, and its remaining member was again elected at-large.
Presidential Voting History
| Election results from presidential races | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President United States presidential election, 2008 The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365... |
McCain John McCain John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.... 49 - 47% |
| 2004 | President United States presidential election, 2004 The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator... |
Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... 59 - 38% |
1889–1919: One, then two seats
| Congress | Years | Seat A | Seat B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | Party | Electoral history | Representative | Party | Electoral history | ||
| 51st 51st United States Congress The Fifty-first United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C... |
March 4, 1889 – November 8, 1889 |
Seat created upon statehood | A second seat was added in 1913. | ||||
| November 8, 1889 – March 3, 1891 |
 Thomas H. Carter |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
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| 52nd 52nd United States Congress The Fifty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C... |
March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 |
William W. Dixon William W. Dixon William Wirt Dixon was a U.S. Representative from Montana.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dixon moved to Illinois in 1843 and to Keokuk, Iowa, in 1849.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| 53rd 53rd United States Congress The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth... |
March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895 |
Charles S. Hartman Charles S. Hartman Charles Sampson Hartman was a U.S. Representative from Montana.Born in Monticello, Indiana, Hartman attended the public schools and Wabash College in Crawfordsville.He moved to Bozeman, Montana, in January 1882.... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
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| 54th 54th United States Congress - House of Representatives :-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Adlai E. Stevenson * President pro tempore: William P. Frye - Majority leadership :* Republican Conference Chairman: John Sherman- Minority leadership :... |
March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897 |
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| 55th 55th United States Congress -House of Representatives:* Republican: 206 * Democratic: 124* Populist: 22* Silver Republican: 3* Silver: 1* Independent Republican: 1TOTAL members: 357-Leadership:-Senate:* President: Garret Hobart * President pro tempore: William P... |
March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 |
Silver Republican Silver Republican Party The Silver Republican Party was a United States political faction active in the 1890s. It was so named because it split from the Republican Party over the issues of "Free Silver" and bimetallism. The main Republican Party supported the gold standard.... |
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| 56th 56th United States Congress -House of Representatives:- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Garret Hobart , until November 21, 1899 , vacant thereafter.* President pro tempore: William P. Frye * Democratic Caucus Chairman: James K. Jones... |
March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901 |
Albert J. Campbell Albert J. Campbell Albert James Campbell was a U.S. Representative from Montana.Born in Pontiac, Michigan, Campbell attended the common schools and the State Agricultural College, Lansing . He taught school for several years, and then studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1881 and commenced practice in... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| 57th 57th United States Congress -House of Representatives:*Democratic: 151*Republican: 200 *Populist: 5*Silver : 1TOTAL members: 357-Leadership:-Senate:* President: Theodore Roosevelt , until September 14, 1901, vacant thereafter.... |
March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903 |
Caldwell Edwards Caldwell Edwards Caldwell Edwards was a U.S. Representative from Montana.Born in Sag Harbor, New York, Edwards was educated in the district schools. He worked as a salesman and bookkeeper in dry-goods stores for several years. He moved to Bozeman, Montana, in 1864 and became engaged in agricultural pursuits... |
Populist | ||||
| 58th 58th United States Congress - House of Representatives :* Republican : 209 * Democratic : 176* Silver Republican : 1TOTAL members: 386-Senate:* President: Vacant* President pro tempore: William P. Frye -Members:... |
March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1895 |
Joseph M. Dixon Joseph M. Dixon Joseph Moore Dixon was a Republican politician from Montana. He served as a Representative, Senator, and the seventh Governor of Montana. A businessman and a modernizer of Quaker heritage, Dixon was a leader of the Progressive Movement in Montana and nationally... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
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| 59th 59th United States Congress The Fifty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1905 to March 4, 1907, during the fifth and sixth... |
March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1897 |
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| 60th 60th United States Congress The Sixtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1907 to March 4, 1909, during the last two years of... |
March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1909 |
Charles N. Pray |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
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| 61st 61st United States Congress The Sixty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1911, during the first two years of... |
March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1911 |
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| 62nd 62nd United States Congress - House of Representatives :* Democratic : 230 * Republican : 162* Socialist : 1* Independent : 1TOTAL members: 394-Senate:* President: James S... |
March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913 |
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| 63rd 63rd United States Congress - House of Representatives:*Democratic : 291 *Republican : 134*Progressive : 9*Independent : 1TOTAL members: 435-Senate:*President of the Senate: Thomas R. Marshall*President pro tempore: James P. Clarke-Senate:... |
March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915 |
John M. Evans John M. Evans John Morgan Evans was a U.S. Democratic politician.He was born in Sedalia, Missouri. He was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from Montana and served from March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1921... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Elected in 1912 |  Tom StoutTom Stout Tom Stout was a U.S. Representative from Montana.Born in New London, Missouri, Stout attended the common schools, Warrenburg State Normal School, and the University of Missouri.He taught school.He studied law.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Elected in 1912 |
| 64th 64th United States Congress The Sixty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1915 to March 4, 1917, during the third and fourth... |
March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1917 |
Re-elected in 1914 | Re-elected in 1914 Retired |
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| 65th 65th United States Congress The Sixty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1917 to March 4, 1919, during the fourth and fifth... |
March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1919 |
Re-elected in 1916 Redistricted to the |
 Jeannette RankinJeannette Rankin Jeannette Pickering Rankin was the first woman in the US Congress. A Republican, she was elected statewide in Montana in 1916 and again in 1940. A lifelong pacifist, she voted against the entry of the United States into both World War I in 1917 and World War II in 1941, the only member of Congress... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Elected in 1916 Retired to run for U.S. Senate |
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The two at-large seats were moved to district representation in 1919, and remained until 1993, when Montana lost a seat due to redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
from the 1990 US Census, re-establishing the single seat At-Large district.
1993–Present: One seat
| Congress | Years | Representative | Party | Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District re-established | January 3, 1993 | |||
| 103rd 103rd United States Congress - House of Representatives :- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Dan Quayle , until January 20, 1993** Al Gore , from January 20, 1993* President pro tempore: Robert Byrd - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader: George Mitchell... |
January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 |
 Pat WilliamsJohn Patrick Williams John Patrick "Pat" Williams is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Montana during the years 1979–1997.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Redistricted from the , and re-elected in 1992 |
| 104th 104th United States Congress The One Hundred Fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1995 to January 3, 1997, during the third and... |
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 |
Re-elected in 1994 Retired |
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| 105th 105th United States Congress The One Hundred Fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997 to January 3, 1999, during the fifth and... |
January 3, 1997 – January 3, 1999 |
Rick Hill Rick Hill Richard "Rick" Hill is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Montana. He is currently a candidate for Governor of Montana in 2012.-Background:... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Elected in 1996 |
| 106th 106th United States Congress The One Hundred Sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2001, during the last two... |
January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2001 |
Re-elected in 1998 Retired |
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| 107th 107th United States Congress The One Hundred Seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 2001 to January 3, 2003, during the final... |
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003 |
 Denny RehbergDenny Rehberg Dennis R. "Denny" Rehberg is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Elected in 2000 |
| 108th 108th United States Congress The One Hundred Eighth United States Congress was the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2005, during the third and fourth years of George W. Bush's... |
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005 |
Re-elected in 2002 | ||
| 109th 109th United States Congress The One Hundred Ninth United States Congress was the legislative branch of the United States, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, from January 3, 2005 to January 3, 2007, during the fifth and sixth years of George W. Bush's presidency. House members... |
January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007 |
Re-elected in 2004 | ||
| 110th 110th United States Congress The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of... |
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009 |
Re-elected in 2006 United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2006 The 2006 United States House of Representatives election in Montana were held on November 4, 2006 to determine who will represent the state of Montana in the United States House of Representatives. Montana has one, at large district in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States... |
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| 111th 111th United States Congress The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of... |
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011 |
Re-elected in 2008 United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2008 The 2008 United States House of Representatives election in Montana will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Voters will select a single representative for the , who will run on a statewide ballot. Incumbent Representative Denny Rehberg is seeking re-election; he was originally elected in... |
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| 112th 112th United States Congress The One Hundred Twelfth United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2011, and will end on January... |
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013 |
Re-elected in 2010 United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2010 The 2010 congressional elections in Montana was held on November 2, 2010, and determined who would represent the state of Montana in the United States House of Representatives. Montana has one seat in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census... |
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