Polls are closed across Montana. Election workers are rolling up their sleeves and tabulating the hundreds of thousands of votes cast around the state, from Wibaux to Eureka. Here’s what we know about the outcomes of federal, statewide and district-level races, and the trio of ballot initiativ es that voters considered. This article will be updated as results come in. U.S. SENATE The contest to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines is a four-way race between Republican Kurt Alme, Democrat Alani Bankhead, independent Seth Bodnar and Libertarian Kyle Austin.  Alme has been the race’s quiet frontrunner. The former federal prosecutor and state budget director entered the race upon being asked by Daines when the incumbent decided not to seek reelection.  But the Republican has faced a well-funded challenge from Bodnar, who previously served as president of the University of Montana. The independent candidate has made a case for representing Montana while avoiding fealty to party leadership in Washington, D.C., collecting support from major Democratic figures along the way. Also seizing a share of supporters is Bankhead, a life coach and retired Air Force special investigator who has said Democrats deserve a fighter for universal healthcare and a check on the Trump administration. Austin, a Billings pharmacist, has presented himself as the “true conservative” in the race who will fight to rein in the federal government.  The race has not yet been called by the Associated Press.  WESTERN U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT (MT-01) Montana’s western district for a seat in Congress has become a competitive face-off between Aaron Flint, a conservative radio talk show host and U.S. Army Reserve veteran, and Sam Forstag, a union leader and former wildland smokejumper.  Flint, who inherited the endorsement and campaign staff of retiring Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke, has sought to rally support around job creation and immigration enforcement during a challenging midterm environment for Republicans. Forstag has campaigned as a progressive voice for the working class in a Congress he calls out of touch with voters on cost-of-living concerns. Libertarian Nick Sheedy is also running the Western District, although with a much lower profile. The race has not yet been called by the Associated Press.  EASTERN U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT (MT-02) Incumbent Republican Rep. Troy Downing has won reelection to Montana’s Eastern U.S. House District, according to the Associated Press. The news outlet called the race at 9:18 p.m., determining that there was no path to victory for Downing’s opponents after election administrators began releasing vote tallies. 38% of the vote had been counted at the time of the race call. Troy Downing A Democratic, Libertarian and independent candidate lined up to challenge Downing in the Eastern District, which has voted overwhelmingly Republican since its inception in 2022. Downing has offered an understated campaign presence, but did appear at a Kalispell rally with President Donald Trump in October. He has pledged to be a reliable conservative advocate for Montanans if elected to another term.  His opponents included Democrat Brian Miller, a Helena attorney, independent candidate Michael Eisenhauer, a Great Falls cardiologist and retired Army colonel, and Libertarian Patrick McCracken.  SUPREME COURT  Amy Eddy defeated Dan Wilson for a nonpartisan seat on the Montana Supreme Court, according to an Associated Press race call just after 11:30 p.m. With 75% of the vote counted, Eddy led Wilson by about 61% to 39%. She had held a sizable margin for most of the evening.  Amy Eddy Wilson previously ran for a seat on the Supreme Court against current Associate Justice Katherine Bidegaray in 2024. Eddy has not run for the state’s high court before.  Both candidates, currently district court judges in Kalispell, had pledged to use their legal experience to help them fairly adjudicate cases and uphold the state Constitution, but differed in how their campaigns associated with partisan spending and endorsements. Wilson had the backing of the Montana GOP and appeared as a keynote speaker at Republican functions, saying he wanted to counter what he casts as a leftward tilt of the state Supreme Court.  Eddy had acknowledged receiving funding from Democratic groups and individuals, as well as Republicans, but said she is committed to being a nonpartisan voice on the bench. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Two seats are up for election this year on the Public Service Commission, the quasi-judicial body that regulates monopoly utilities in Montana. The first represents District 5, which covers portions of the Flathead Valley and east to the edge of Great Falls and south to Helena. The other represents District 1, which covers most of eastern Montana, extending westward to Billings and Great Falls. Incumbent Republican Commissioner Annie Bukacek has served in the District 5 role since 2022, and is running against Helena-based Democrat Kevin Hamm. In District 1, Republican Jeff Pattison is running against Democrat Angeline Cheek to fill the seat of incumbent Republican commissioner Randy Pinocci, who will term out. The PSC plays a key role in determining utility costs for ratepayers, as well as regulation of data centers — both top-of-mind issues for voters this election. The races have not yet been called by the Associated Press.  CI-132: NONPARTISAN JUDICIAL ELECTIONS The Associated Press declared that Constitutional Initiative 132 had been successful late on Tuesday evening.CI-132, which amends the state Constitution to require that judicial elections remain nonpartisan, led by about 140,000 votes at the time of the call. Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts, the group behind CI-132, says that the initiative will “keep judges accountable to the people’s interests, not deep-pocketed political interests.” “Judges should be elected based on their record and qualifications, not politics,” according to the group’s website. The Montana Republican Party has been vocal in its objection to CI-132, and passed a resolution earlier this year opposing it. The resolution argues that “the Montana Supreme Court has long acted as a partisan Democrat bench” and alleges that allowing candidates to campaign with an overt political party affiliation will keep judicial elections “free, fair, and honest.” CI-133: THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PROCESS Constitutional Initiative 133, a ballot initiative about ballot initiatives and referendums, led by about 115,000 votes at the time that the Associated Press declared on Tuesday evening that it had passed.  CI-133 would require that initiative language be assessed for legality by the state within 90 days of its initial submission, and that “reasonably ample time” be allowed for the signature gathering necessary to place an initiative on the ballot. It also requires that legal challenges to initiatives must be resolved before the secretary of state’s deadline for finalizing ballots, which is 75 days before the general election.  Sarah Hamblock, a small business owner in Helena, holds a sign supporting CI-133 in September 2026. Credit: Courtesy: Montanans Decide Montanans Decide, the group supporting the initiative, had argued that ballot measures “protect the voice of the people,” and organizers have described CI-133 as a response to “attacks” on the referendum process.   Opponents said that the initiative removes needed protections and complicates a process that has otherwise been working. I-194: LIMITING CAMPAIGN SPENDING FROM ARTIFICIAL PERSONS The Associated Press said late Tuesday that Initiative 194, dubbed The Montana Plan, had successfully passed. The initiative had a roughly 115,000 vote margin at the time the outlet made the call. Initiative 194, dubbed The Montana Plan, changes state code to prohibit any incorporated entity in Montana from spending money to influence state elections. The prohibition applies to any group with a charter filed with the state, including nonprofits, unions and for-profit companies. The law will take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Signs supporting ballot initiative 194 and constitutional initiative 133, photographed on Nov. 2, 2026, in Helena. Credit: Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local/Report for America Supporters said the initiative offers a much-needed check on corporate spending and dark money, which “has flooded our political system, drowning out the voices of everyday Americans,” according to the initiative’s website. “I’m just very proud of the state of Montana and thankful for all of our volunteers and the folks just getting out and getting the work done on behalf of their friends and neighbors,” Jeff Mangan, who organized I-194, told Montana Free Press by phone Tuesday night. Opponents said the initiative would prevent local businesses from participating in the political process. The post What we know about Tuesday’s election results appeared first on Montana Free Press. ...read more read less