Gov. Greg Gianforte listens to Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, outline his subcommittee’s proposals out of the Property Tax Task Force at a meeting on Aug. 15, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)
Polls in Montana closed at 8 p.m. and the Associated Press immediately called the Montana governor’s race for Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Gianforte.
BREAKING: Republican Greg Gianforte wins reelection for governor in Montana. #APRaceCall at 10:00 p.m. EST. https://t.co/FjgpZFcJ4E
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 6, 2024
This is Gianforte’s third gubernatorial election night, and second victory. He first ran for the state’s executive office in 2016 against then-incumbent Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock, losing by roughly 19,000 votes. He ran again in 2020, after serving two terms in the U.S. House representing Montana’s at-large district, and won the governorship with 54% of the vote.
Busse is a former firearm company executive and author from Kalispell who has been an adviser for the U.S. Senate Sportsmen’s Caucus and Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and has testified in front of Congress about firearms. He has also been active in opposing fossil fuel drilling leases in the Badger-Two Medicine area near Glacier National Park.
A political newcomer, Busse, and his running mate Raph Graybill, focused their campaign on the recent hikes in property taxes across the state, and on Gianforte’s wealth and perceived unpopularity.
Meanwhile, Gianforte has touted his economic record on the campaign trail, pointing to data showing that compared to before he took office in 2020, Montanans have higher incomes, are more prosperous, and as a state, have become debt-free under his administration. He will serve another four years with current lieutenant governor Kristin Juras.