2020 Montana Attorney General election
November 3, 2020
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Knudsen: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Graybill: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% No data | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Montana |
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The 2020 Montana Attorney General election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the Attorney General of the U.S. state of Montana. Incumbent Republican Montana Attorney General Tim Fox was re-elected in 2016 with 67.7% of the vote. Fox was term-limited and was ineligible to run for re-election. Fox decided to run for the Governor of Montana election, losing the nomination to Greg Gianforte.[1] Austin Knudsen defeated Jon Bennion in the Republican primary and defeated Democrat Raph Graybill in the general election by over 17 points.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Austin Knudsen, Roosevelt County Attorney, and former speaker of the Montana House of Representatives[2]
Eliminated in primary
- Jon Bennion, chief deputy Attorney General[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Austin Knudsen | 116,113 | 59.8% | |
| Republican | Jon Bennion | 78,161 | 40.2% | |
| Total votes | 194,274 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Raph Graybill, chief legal counsel to Governor Steve Bullock[3]
Eliminated in primary
- Kimberly Dudik, state representative[4]
Withdrawn
Declined
- John Morrison, former Montana State Auditor[7]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Raph Graybill | 79,772 | 57.1% | |
| Democratic | Kimberly Dudik | 59,963 | 42.9% | |
| Total votes | 139,735 | 100.0% | ||
Green primary
Candidates
Disqualified
- Roy Davis[8]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green | Roy Davis | 748 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 748 | 100.0% | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[9] | Tossup | June 25, 2020 |
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of October 14, 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate (party) | Total receipts | Total disbursements | Cash on hand |
| Raph Graybill (D) | $725,288 | $650,110 | $75,178 |
| Austin Knudsen (R) | $400,167 | $359,831 | $40,336 |
| Source:[10] | |||
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Austin Knudsen (R) |
Raph Graybill (D) |
Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raph Graybill[11][1][A] | Released September 3, 2020 | – | – | 38% | 38% | 20% |
![[1]](https://preview.redd.it/kmzm17l14zk51.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=165f3194fb48ec03c25cd414026d4b899f898930){kind=link}
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Austin Knudsen | 348,322 | 58.51% | 9.16 | |
| Democratic | Raph Graybill | 247,025 | 41.49% | 9.16 | |
| Total votes | 595,347 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
| County[12] | Austin Knudsen Republican |
Raph Graybill Democratic |
Margin | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| Beaverhead | 3,957 | 70.46% | 1,659 | 29.54% | 2,298 | 40.92% | 5,616 |
| Big Horn | 2,182 | 45.72% | 2,591 | 54.28% | -409 | -8.57% | 4,773 |
| Blaine | 1,426 | 46.00% | 1,674 | 54.00% | -248 | -8.00% | 3,100 |
| Broadwater | 3,139 | 77.76% | 898 | 22.24% | 2,241 | 55.51% | 4,037 |
| Carbon | 4,591 | 65.49% | 2,419 | 34.51% | 2,172 | 30.98% | 7,010 |
| Carter | 773 | 91.37% | 73 | 8.63% | 700 | 82.74% | 846 |
| Cascade | 22,932 | 58.57% | 16,219 | 41.43% | 6,713 | 17.15% | 39,151 |
| Chouteau | 1,912 | 65.06% | 1,027 | 34.94% | 885 | 30.11% | 2,939 |
| Custer | 4,226 | 72.70% | 1,587 | 27.30% | 2,639 | 45.40% | 5,813 |
| Daniels | 782 | 78.20% | 218 | 21.80% | 564 | 56.40% | 1,000 |
| Dawson | 3,714 | 77.94% | 1,051 | 22.06% | 2,663 | 55.89% | 4,765 |
| Deer Lodge | 2,096 | 43.35% | 2,739 | 56.65% | -643 | -13.30% | 4,835 |
| Fallon | 1,343 | 89.00% | 166 | 11.00% | 1,177 | 78.00% | 1,509 |
| Fergus | 4,874 | 75.81% | 1,555 | 24.19% | 3,319 | 51.63% | 6,429 |
| Flathead | 39,327 | 66.62% | 19,709 | 33.38% | 19,618 | 33.23% | 59,036 |
| Gallatin | 32,654 | 47.30% | 36,382 | 52.70% | -3,728 | -5.40% | 69,036 |
| Garfield | 751 | 93.88% | 49 | 6.13% | 702 | 87.75% | 800 |
| Glacier | 1,849 | 32.73% | 3,801 | 67.27% | -1,952 | -34.55% | 5,650 |
| Golden Valley | 425 | 84.49% | 78 | 15.51% | 347 | 68.99% | 503 |
| Granite | 1,428 | 68.89% | 645 | 31.11% | 783 | 37.77% | 2,073 |
| Hill | 3,996 | 55.94% | 3,147 | 44.06% | 849 | 11.89% | 7,143 |
| Jefferson | 5,313 | 65.75% | 2,768 | 34.25% | 2,545 | 31.49% | 8,081 |
| Judith Basin | 1,065 | 79.78% | 270 | 20.22% | 795 | 59.55% | 1,335 |
| Lake | 9,591 | 58.23% | 6,881 | 41.77% | 2,710 | 16.45% | 16,472 |
| Lewis and Clark | 21,292 | 50.78% | 20,634 | 49.22% | 658 | 1.57% | 41,926 |
| Liberty | 786 | 73.39% | 285 | 26.61% | 501 | 46.78% | 1,071 |
| Lincoln | 8,766 | 75.73% | 2,809 | 24.27% | 5,957 | 51.46% | 11,575 |
| Madison | 4,195 | 69.59% | 1,833 | 30.41% | 2,362 | 39.18% | 6,028 |
| McCone | 956 | 85.59% | 161 | 14.41% | 795 | 71.17% | 1,117 |
| Meagher | 849 | 77.53% | 246 | 22.47% | 603 | 55.07% | 1,095 |
| Mineral | 1,722 | 71.10% | 700 | 28.90% | 1,022 | 42.20% | 2,422 |
| Missoula | 27,700 | 39.30% | 42,789 | 60.70% | -15,089 | -21.41% | 70,489 |
| Musselshell | 2,421 | 85.31% | 417 | 14.69% | 2,004 | 70.61% | 2,838 |
| Park | 6,133 | 53.64% | 5,301 | 46.36% | 832 | 7.28% | 11,434 |
| Petroleum | 306 | 88.44% | 40 | 11.56% | 266 | 76.88% | 346 |
| Phillips | 1,927 | 81.65% | 433 | 18.35% | 1,494 | 63.31% | 2,360 |
| Pondera | 2,032 | 68.49% | 935 | 31.51% | 1,097 | 36.97% | 2,967 |
| Powder River | 977 | 87.86% | 135 | 12.14% | 842 | 75.72% | 1,112 |
| Powell | 2,376 | 74.91% | 796 | 25.09% | 1,580 | 49.81% | 3,172 |
| Prairie | 585 | 81.48% | 133 | 18.52% | 452 | 62.95% | 718 |
| Ravalli | 19,484 | 69.06% | 8,728 | 30.94% | 10,756 | 38.13% | 28,212 |
| Richland | 4,740 | 83.47% | 939 | 16.53% | 3,801 | 66.93% | 5,679 |
| Roosevelt | 2,017 | 50.39% | 1,986 | 49.61% | 31 | 0.77% | 4,003 |
| Rosebud | 2,503 | 67.03% | 1,231 | 32.97% | 1,272 | 34.07% | 3,734 |
| Sanders | 5,689 | 75.37% | 1,859 | 24.63% | 3,830 | 50.74% | 7,548 |
| Sheridan | 1,469 | 73.30% | 535 | 26.70% | 934 | 46.61% | 2,004 |
| Silver Bow | 7,482 | 40.35% | 11,061 | 59.65% | -3,579 | -19.30% | 18,543 |
| Stillwater | 4,486 | 79.37% | 1,166 | 20.63% | 3,320 | 58.74% | 5,652 |
| Sweet Grass | 1,891 | 77.63% | 545 | 22.37% | 1,346 | 55.25% | 2,436 |
| Teton | 2,632 | 71.68% | 1,040 | 28.32% | 1,592 | 43.36% | 3,672 |
| Toole | 1,586 | 75.85% | 505 | 24.15% | 1,081 | 51.70% | 2,091 |
| Treasure | 382 | 83.59% | 75 | 16.41% | 307 | 67.18% | 457 |
| Valley | 3,089 | 73.46% | 1,116 | 26.54% | 1,973 | 46.92% | 4,205 |
| Wheatland | 815 | 77.47% | 237 | 22.53% | 578 | 54.94% | 1,052 |
| Wibaux | 496 | 84.93% | 88 | 15.07% | 408 | 69.86% | 584 |
| Yellowstone | 52,192 | 62.99% | 30,661 | 37.01% | 21,531 | 25.99% | 82,853 |
| Totals | 348,322 | 58.51% | 247,025 | 41.49% | 101,297 | 17.01% | 595,347 |
References
- ^ Dennison, Mike (January 24, 2019). "Attorney General Fox launches gubernatorial bid". KRTV. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ Drake, Phil (May 20, 2019). "Austin Knudsen enters race for attorney general". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ a b DeMarco, Margaret (May 8, 2019). "Great Falls native kicks off campaign for Montana Attorney General". KRTV Great Falls. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ Cates-Carney, Corin (December 17, 2018). "Rep Kimberly Dudik Announces Bid For Attorney General's Office". Montana Public Radio. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ "KALISPELL ATTORNEY JOINS ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE". Daily Inter Lake. September 14, 2019. Archived from the original on September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ Drake, Phil (October 8, 2019). "Cossitt drops from 2020 attorney general race". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ Dennison, Mike (October 23, 2019). "Montana 2020: Former state auditor considers bid for AG or Supreme Court". Missoula News Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^ Dennison, Mike (August 19, 2020). "Green Party candidates to remain off Montana ballot this November". Missoula Current. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
- ^ "An Updated Look at Handicapping the 2020 Attorney General Elections". The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- ^ "Attorney General". The Montana Free Press guide. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ Raph Graybill
- ^ a b Stapleton, Corey (November 3, 2020). "2020 STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION CANVASS" (PDF). Secretary of State of Montana. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2025. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
Notes
- ^ Poll conducted for Graybill's campaign
External links
Official campaign websites