1978 United States Senate election in Montana
|
|
| | | Nominee | Max Baucus | Larry R. Williams | | Party | Democratic | Republican | Popular vote | 160,353 | 127,589 | Percentage | 55.69% | 44.31% | |
County results Baucus: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Williams: 50–60% 60–70% |
U.S. senator before election Paul G. Hatfield Democratic | Elected U.S. Senator Max Baucus Democratic | |
Elections in Montana |
---|
|
|
|
|
|
The 1978 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 7, 1978. Following the death of United States Senator Lee Metcalf on January 12, 1978, Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul G. Hatfield was appointed to serve for the remainder of Metcalf's term. Hatfield opted to run for a full term, but was overwhelmingly defeated in the Democratic primary by U.S. Representative Max Baucus of the 1st congressional district. Baucus advanced to the general election, where he was opposed by the Republican nominee, author Larry R. Williams. Baucus ended up defeating Williams by a solid margin to win his first term in the Senate, and, following Hatfield's resignation on December 12, 1978, he began serving his first term in the Senate.[citation needed]
Despite the death of Metcalf, this was not a special election, as one for the year 1978 was already planned as a normal Senate election. Additional information needed
Democratic primary
Candidates
Results
Democratic Party primary results[1] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Max Baucus | 87,085 | 65.25% |
| Democratic | Paul G. Hatfield (incumbent) | 25,789 | 19.32% |
| Democratic | John Driscoll | 18,184 | 13.62% |
| Democratic | Steve Shugrue | 2,404 | 1.80% |
Total votes | 133,462 | 100.00% |
Republican primary
Candidates
Results
Republican Primary results[1] Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Larry R. Williams | 35,479 | 61.66% |
| Republican | Bill Osborne | 16,436 | 28.57% |
| Republican | Clancy Rich | 5,622 | 9.77% |
Total votes | 57,537 | 100.00% |
General election
Results
United States Senate election in Montana, 1978[2] Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Democratic | Max Baucus | 160,353 | 55.69% | +3.74% |
| Republican | Larry R. Williams | 127,589 | 44.31% | -3.74% |
Majority | 32,764 | 11.38% | +7.48% |
Turnout | 287,942 | | |
| Democratic hold | Swing | | |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Report of the Official Canvass of the Vote Cast at the Primary Election Held in the State of Montana, June 6, 1978". Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
- ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1978" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved July 2, 2014.