List of United States senators from Montana
Montana was admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889, and elects U.S. senators to classes 1 and 2 . Its current U.S. senators are Democrat Jon Tester (serving since 2007) and Republican Steve Daines (serving since 2015), making it one of five states to have a United States Senate delegation split between Republican and Democratic caucusing senators. Max Baucus is the state's longest serving senator, serving from 1978 to 2014.
List of senators
Class 1
Class 1 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2000 , 2006 , 2012 , and 2018 . The next election will be in 2024 .
C
Class 2
Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2002 , 2008 , 2014 , and 2020 . The next election will be in 2026 .
#
Senator
Party
Dates in office
Electoral history
T
T
Electoral history
Dates in office
Party
Senator
#
Vacant
Nov 8, 1889 – Jan 1, 1890
Montana elected its first senators two months after admission to the Union.
1
51st
1
Montana elected its first senators two months after admission to the Union.
Nov 8, 1889 – Jan 2, 1890
Vacant
1
Wilbur F. Sanders
Republican
Jan 1, 1890 – Mar 3, 1893
Elected in 1890 .
Lost re-election.
Elected in 1890 .
Retired.
Jan 2, 1890 – Mar 3, 1895
Republican
Thomas C. Power
1
52nd
Vacant
Mar 3, 1893 – Jan 16, 1895
Legislature failed to elect.
2
53rd
2
Lee Mantle
Republican
Jan 16, 1895 – Mar 3, 1899
Elected to finish vacant term .
Lost renomination.
54th
2
Elected in Jan 1895 .[1]
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1895 – Mar 3, 1901
Republican
Thomas H. Carter
2
Silver Republican
55th
3
William Clark
Democratic
Mar 4, 1899 – May 15, 1900
Elected in 1899 .
Resigned to avoid claim of election fraud.
3
56th
Vacant
May 15, 1900 – Mar 7, 1901
Clark was appointed to continue his term, but did not qualify.
57th
3
Elected in 1901 .
Retired.
Mar 4, 1901 – Mar 3, 1907
Democratic
William Clark
3
4
Paris Gibson
Democratic
Mar 7, 1901 – Mar 3, 1905
Elected to finish Clark's term .[2] [3]
Retired.
58th
5
Thomas H. Carter
Republican
Mar 4, 1905 – Mar 3, 1911
Elected Jan 16, 1905 .[4]
Lost re-election.
4
59th
60th
4
Elected Jan 16, 1907 .[5]
Lost re-election as a Progressive .
Mar 4, 1907 – Mar 3, 1913
Republican
Joseph M. Dixon
4
61st
6
Henry L. Myers
Democratic
Mar 4, 1911 – Mar 3, 1923
Elected Mar 2, 1911 .
5
62nd
63rd
5
Elected Jan 14, 1913 .
Mar 4, 1913 – Mar 2, 1933
Democratic
Thomas J. Walsh
5
64th
Re-elected in 1916 .
Retired.
6
65th
66th
6
Re-elected in 1918 .
67th
7
Burton K. Wheeler
Democratic
Mar 4, 1923 – Jan 3, 1947
Elected in 1922 .
7
68th
69th
7
Re-elected in 1924 .
70th
Re-elected in 1928 .
8
71st
72nd
8
Re-elected in 1930 .
Died.[6]
Mar 2, 1933 – Mar 13, 1933
Vacant
73rd
Appointed to continue Walsh's term.
Lost nomination to finish Walsh's term.
Mar 13, 1933 – Nov 6, 1934
Democratic
John E. Erickson
6
Elected to finish Walsh's term .[7]
Nov 7, 1934 – Jan 3, 1961
Democratic
James E. Murray
7
Re-elected in 1934 .
9
74th
75th
9
Re-elected in 1936 .
76th
Re-elected in 1940 .
Lost renomination.
10
77th
78th
10
Re-elected in 1942 .
79th
8
Zales Ecton
Republican
Jan 3, 1947 – Jan 3, 1953
Elected in 1946 .
Lost re-election.
11
80th
81st
11
Re-elected in 1948 .
82nd
9
Mike Mansfield
Democratic
Jan 3, 1953 – Jan 3, 1977
Elected in 1952 .[8]
12
83rd
84th
12
Re-elected in 1954 .
Retired.
85th
Re-elected in 1958 .
13
86th
87th
13
Elected in 1960 .[9]
Jan 3, 1961 – Jan 12, 1978
Democratic
Lee Metcalf
8
88th
Re-elected in 1964 .
14
89th
90th
14
Re-elected in 1966 .
91st
Re-elected in 1970 .
Retired.
15
92nd
93rd
15
Re-elected in 1972 .
Died.
94th
10
John Melcher
Democratic
Jan 3, 1977 – Jan 3, 1989
Elected in 1976 .
16
95th
Jan 12, 1978 – Jan 22, 1978
Vacant
Appointed to finish Metcalf's term.
Lost nomination to full term.
Resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
Jan 22, 1978 – Dec 14, 1978
Democratic
Paul G. Hatfield
9
Dec 14, 1978 – Dec 15, 1978
Vacant
Appointed early to finish Metcalf's term, having already been elected to the next term.[10]
Dec 15, 1978 – Feb 6, 2014
Democratic
Max Baucus
10
96th
16
Elected in 1978 .
97th
Re-elected in 1982 .
Lost re-election.
17
98th
99th
17
Re-elected in 1984 .
100th
11
Conrad Burns
Republican
Jan 3, 1989 – Jan 3, 2007
Elected in 1988 .
18
101st
102nd
18
Re-elected in 1990 .
103rd
Re-elected in 1994 .
19
104th
105th
19
Re-elected in 1996 .
106th
Re-elected in 2000 .
Lost re-election.
20
107th
108th
20
Re-elected in 2002 .
109th
12
Jon Tester
Democratic
Jan 3, 2007 – present
Elected in 2006 .
21
110th
111th
21
Re-elected in 2008 .
Announced retirement, then resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to China .
112th
Re-elected in 2012 .
22
113th
Feb 6, 2014 – Feb 9, 2014
Vacant
Appointed to finish Baucus's term.
Ran for election to full term, but withdrew.
Feb 9, 2014 – Jan 3, 2015
Democratic
John Walsh
11
114th
22
Elected in 2014 .
Jan 3, 2015 – present
Republican
Steve Daines
12
115th
Re-elected in 2018 .
23
116th
117th
23
Re-elected in 2020 .
118th
To be determined in the 2024 election .
24
119th
120th
24
To be determined in the 2026 election .
#
Senator
Party
Years in office
Electoral history
T
C
T
Electoral history
Years in office
Party
Senator
#
Class 1
Class 2
See also
References
^ Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, ed. (1904). "The Province and the States: A History of the Province of Louisiana Under France and Spain, And of the Territories and States of the United States Formed Therefrom" (Vol. VI ed.). Madison, Wisconsin : Western Historical Association. p. 457.
^ Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Paris Gibson" . Great Falls Tribune . Retrieved August 28, 2011 .
^ "Gibson, Paris, (1830 - 1920)" . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . United States Congress. Retrieved August 28, 2011 .
^ The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1906 . New York : The Press Publishing Co. New York World . 1905. p. 108 .
^ The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1908 . New York : The Tribune Association . 1908. p. 259.
^ Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Sen. Thomas J. Walsh" . Great Falls Tribune . Retrieved August 26, 2011 .
^ Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Sen. James E. Murray" . Great Falls Tribune . Retrieved August 29, 2011 .
^ Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Mike Mansfield" . Great Falls Tribune . Retrieved August 28, 2011 .
^ Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Sen. Lee Metcalf" . Great Falls Tribune . Retrieved August 28, 2011 .
^ Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Sen. Max Baucus" . Great Falls Tribune . Retrieved August 29, 2011 .