Trump failed to win reelection, but he succeeded in turning Montana red.
If I hadn’t been living and breathing the politics of Montana for the last two years, I wouldn’t believe it was a battleground state in this election. When Senator Jon Tester (D.) won reelection in 2018 against a well-funded Republican opponent, I saw hope in Montana. Here, I thought, we don’t vote for just one party. We vote for the best candidate.
In 2020, I hoped that story would continue. The majority of the statewide races this year were competitive, and historically Montana has seen a lot of split party tickets and both parties in office. I’ve always loved politics, and this excited me. So as a 17-year-old student ineligible to vote, I searched for other ways to get involved in the 2020 election.
Ahead of the Republican and Democrat primaries this spring, I set out to interview a lineup of candidates from both parties alongside fellow student Gilly Sherrill. We did a deep dive into the various races; from governor to public service commissioners, from state senators to attorney general, from US representatives to superintendent of public instruction. I learned all about the various candidates and their positions.
Youth like me all around the state are actively engaged in politics and fighting for a better future. One youth activist, Luke O’Connell, said, “with more political power, which is developed through protest, coalition-building and education on political issues, young people can take hold of the government and ensure that their future is one of true equality and prosperity for all rather than a select few.”
In Montana, we understand that the presidential race is not the only thing to stress about. Quite honestly, it’s the one that will have the least immediate impact on our lives.
Often it feels like nobody pays attention to Montana, like the elections here don’t matter. Just because Montana reliably goes red in the presidential election and only carries three electoral votes does not mean the elections are not consequential. The US Senate and US Representative races were competitive. The rest of the down-ballot races seemed tight this year too.
But the story we ended up with was not the one I was hoping to tell. Rather, it’s the story of what fear tactics and big money in advertising can accomplish. It’s the story of a presidential year election with an incumbent like Donald Trump.
Montana went fully red. Trump won the state by 16%, though that wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was the sheer number of voters he carried with him, the followers who voted straight Republican down the whole ballot.
Many people believed Montana could help flip the US Senate. Popular Governor Steve Bullock (D.) ran against incumbent Steve Daines (R.), and the race shattered state fundraising records. It was rated a Toss-Up by pollsters. Daines won by more than 10%.
All of that money was funneled into attack ads, text campaigns, and flyers in the mail. These ads declared that the Democrats wanted a socialist country and would take away your guns, and associated Montana Democrats with nationally polarizing figures like Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. None of this was true, but that didn’t really matter.
The rhetoric served its purpose as it scared conservatives. I personally know people who voted straight red, but who might have been open to other candidates if they really understood their platform and ideas.
O’Connell added that“both the Democratic and Republican parties do not represent our interests, or for that matter, the interests of minorities, the working class or the interests of the population in general. On both sides of the aisle, our politicians are in the pocket of special interest groups and corporations…. In situations where our decision not to take political action can create positive changes rather than negative ones, we must consider our options more.”
So why does this matter? It should be a lesson to take into future elections. Especially in presidential election years, turnout will be up. We need to remember that this benefits both sides. If one side convinces their followers that they must stick to their party, we will see many more straight-ticket votes. This should be taken into account when polling, when developing messaging and when reaching out to voters.
It is important to educate voters about the issues in the state and the stances different candidates have taken on those issues. One should not vote for a candidate because “I’m against socialism so I’ll never vote for a Democrat,” or because “I think all Republicans are stupid.”
My interview project from this spring is just one example of what should be highlighted in the lead-up to elections. Locally produced, low budget productions. Real info about candidates’ ideas from friendly conversations. It wasn’t hard for a couple of high schoolers to do, so it should be easy for campaigns.
Montana lost part of what made it special this year. It’s hard to celebrate a Biden win when your state is about to be completely dominated by one party. This year’s elections will have a tremendous impact on what Montana’s political landscape will look like moving forward. It’s not just about the next 2 years, 4 years. It is more than that. If Montana cannot return to voting for the best candidate, then this state is in for a world of hurt.
