2008 Montana Democratic presidential primary

2008 Montana Democratic presidential primary

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Candidate Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Party Democratic Democratic Home state Illinois New York Popular vote 103,174 74,889 Percentage 56.56% 41.05%

County results   Barack Obama   Hillary Clinton

Elections in Montana
Federal government Presidential elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Presidential primaries Democratic 2004 2008 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2012 2016 2020 U. S. Senate elections 1890 1895 1899 1901 1905 1907 1911 1913 1916 1918 1922 1924 1928 1930 1934 1936 1940 1942 1946 1948 1952 1954 1958 1960 1964 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1982 1984 1988 1990 1994 1996 2000 2002 2006 2008 2012 2014 2018 2020 2024 2026 U. S. House elections 1889 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 Special elections Senate 1895 1901 1934 House 2nd 1945 2nd 1969 AL 2017
State government General elections 2010 2016 2020 Gubernatorial elections 1889 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Secretary of State elections 2020 Attorney General elections 2020 State Senate elections 2020 State House elections 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
Ballot measures 2004 Initiative 96 2012 Referendum 121 2016 Initiative 182 2020 Initiative 190
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The 2008 Montana Democratic presidential primary took place on June 3, 2008, with 16 delegates at stake. Along with South Dakota, it was one of the last two elections in the 2008 Democratic Party Presidential Primary. The winner in Montana's at-large congressional district was awarded all of that district's delegates, which totaled 10 (the district was split into Western and Eastern halves). Another six delegates were awarded to the statewide winner, Barack Obama. The 16 delegates represented Montana at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Eight other unpledged delegates, known as superdelegates, also attended the convention.

At the same time as he lost the South Dakota Democratic Primary, Barack Obama won the Montana Democratic Primary and simultaneously secured enough delegates to clinch the Democratic Party's nomination for President over Hillary Clinton.

Turnout[]

According to the Secretary of State of Montana, at the time of the primary, Montana had 630,658 registered voters from a 2007 population of 957,861 in 56 counties.^[1][2] Turnout was estimated to be at 28.80 percent.

Polling[]

Results[]

Early on the day of the primary, hours before polls closed, the Associated Press projected Barack Obama's nomination for the presidency. The projection was based on the declarations of a large number of Democratic superdelegates, as well as exit polls of voters in South Dakota and Montana. However, the AP calculated that Obama would be the presumptive Democratic nominee even if he lost the primaries in both South Dakota and Montana simply because he was so far ahead in the delegate count.^[3][4]

Analysis[]

Like many Western states, Montana was handily won by Barack Obama, although Hillary Clinton did considerably better here than in many other states in the area. According to exit polls, 91 percent of voters in the Montana Democratic Primary were Caucasians and they opted for Obama by a margin of 56-41 percent. Obama swept all age groups, socioeconomic classes and educational attainment ladders except senior citizens ages 65 and over who supported Clinton by a margin of 57-40. Obama won all ideological groups and voters from both major parties as well as Independents. Regarding religion, Clinton won Protestants by a margin of 52-45 while Obama won Roman Catholics by a margin of 52-46, other Christians by a margin of 56-41, and atheists/agnostics by a margin of 75-24.

Obama did well all throughout the state of Montana. His best performance was in Big Horn County which contains Native American reservations, where he received 78.09 percent, and Gallatin County, which contains Bozeman, the home of Montana State University. He was able to rack up the numbers by winning the more populous counties of Yellowstone County, which contains Billings, as well as Missoula County which contains left-leaning Missoula. Clinton performed best in some of the lesser populated and far more conservative rural counties in Eastern Montana, but also performed strongly in Silver Bow County, which contains Butte, as well as Deer Lodge County which contains Anaconda.

See also[]

• 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries
• 2008 Montana Republican presidential caucuses and primary

References[]