We Called It: Fewer Ticket Splitters in Montana This Election
Ross Strauser with KJJR Radio in Kalispell really wanted to get me on the record. He wanted me to make some predictions the weekend before the 2020 elections here in Montana.
I realized after I went back and listened to the interview that I didn't make a prediction when it comes to the presidential race. I told him how I don't like making predictions, but that one prediction I would make is that we would have fewer "ticket splitters" in Montana than ever before. Historically, Montanans have been ticket splitters meaning, they would vote for a Republican in one race, and a Democrat in another.
This year, I told Strauser, the battle lines are so clearly drawn that I felt we would see fewer ticket splitters than ever before. I also added that it would be a "very good night" for the Montana GOP. Montana's Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) would win the US Senate race. State Auditor Matt Rosendale (R-MT) would win the US House seat. And Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-MT) would very easily win the governor's race. (Click here and scroll to the 11:18 mark for the audio on predictions.)
Our friends at Montana Public Radio also picked up on the lack of ticket splitters in their post-election coverage. Here's an excerpt from their final Campaign Beat episode of the year:
Sally Mauk And it does seem like, Rob, that Montanans voted straight ticket in this election. I mean, the fact that Republicans won every single seat in the statewide offices does suggest that people just voted Republican for everything and didn't look necessarily at the individual races.
Rob Saldin Absolutely. That old Montana tradition that we've talked about a number of times of splitting your ticket, it looks like that may be at an end, or at least it's not what happened this time.
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