The 2012 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2012, to elect the governor of Montana. Incumbent Democratic governor Brian Schweitzer was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term.
Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock won the Democratic primary with 87% of the vote and former U.S. representative Rick Hill won the Republican primary with 34% of the vote. In the general election, Bullock won by 7,571 votes, taking 48.9% of the vote to Hill's 47.3%. With a margin of 1.6%, this election was the second-closest race of the 2012 gubernatorial election cycle, behind only the election in Puerto Rico. Due to the close margin, media outlets did not call the race for Bullock until the next day. This was the last time anyone other than Greg Gianforte was the Republican nominee.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
*Running mate: John Walsh, Brigadier general and former adjutant general in the Montana National Guard
- Heather Margolis, Montana representative for community service organization ServeNext
*Running mate: Steve Nelsen, founder of the Montana Conservation Corps
Withdrew
Declined
Polling
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Bob Fanning, retired businessman
*Running mate: Joel Boniek, former state representative
*Former running mate: Chuck Baldwin, pastor and Constitution Party nominee for president in 2008 (dropped out February 2012)
*Running mate: Jon Sonju, state senator
*Running mate: Ryan Zinke, state senator
- Jim Lynch, former Montana Department of Transportation director
*Running mate: Al Olszewski, orthopedic surgeon and Carroll College Trustee
*Running mate: Bill Gallagher, Public Service Commissioner
*Running mate: Scott Swingley, private investigator and former trooper in the Montana Highway Patrol
*Running mate: Bob Keenan, former president of the Montana Senate
Withdrew
Declined
Polling
Results
General election
Candidates
*Running mate: John Walsh, brigadier general and former adjutant general in the Montana National Guard
*Running mate: Jon Sonju, state senator
- Ron Vandevender (Libertarian), businessman
*Running mate: Marc Mulcahy
Debate
Predictions
Polling
Aggregate polls<br />
With Bohlinger
With Bullock
With Jent
With Wanzenried
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Notes
References
External links
Official campaign websites (Archived)