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The 2002 United States Senate election in Montana was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Max Baucus won re-election to a fifth term.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Max Baucus, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Max Baucus (incumbent) | 66,713 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 66,713 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Melvin Hanson
- Brad Johnson, businessman
- John McDonald
- Mike Taylor, Montana State Senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Taylor | 48,169 | 60.16% | |
| Republican | Brad Johnson | 14,252 | 17.80% | |
| Republican | John McDonald | 10,116 | 12.63% | |
| Republican | Melvin Hanson | 7,536 | 9.41% | |
| Total votes | 80,073 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Candidates
- Max Baucus, incumbent U.S. Senator (Democratic)
- Stan Jones (Libertarian)
- Bob Kelleher, attorney (Green)
Withdrew
- Mike Taylor, State Senator (Republican) (withdrew October 10)
Campaign
The 2002 Montana elections drew national attention when Baucus's opponent, state senator Mike Taylor, accused Baucus of having implied that Taylor was gay in a campaign ad. The ad was paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, though designed by the Baucus campaign. The ad, which alleged that Taylor had embezzled funds from the cosmetology school he once owned, showed footage from the early 1980s of Taylor massaging another man's face while wearing a tight suit with an open shirt. Taylor dropped out of the race and Baucus won with 63 percent of the vote.
Debates
- Complete video of debate, September 16, 2002
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe D | November 4, 2002 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Max Baucus (incumbent) | 204,853 | 62.74% | +13.18% | |
| Republican | Mike Taylor | 103,611 | 31.73% | −12.96% | |
| Libertarian | Stan Jones | 10,420 | 3.19% | N/A | |
| Green | Bob Kelleher | 7,653 | 2.34% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 326,537 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Beaverhead (largest city: Dillon)
- Broadwater (largest city: Townsend)
- Carter (largest city: Ekalaka)
- Daniels (largest city: Scobey)
- Fallon (largest city: Baker)
- Fergus (largest city: Lewistown)
- Flathead (largest city: Kalispell)
- Garfield (largest city: Jordan)
- Golden Valley (largest city: Ryegate)
- Granite (largest city: Philipsburg)
- Jefferson (largest city: Clancy)
- Judith Basin (largest city: Stanford)
- Liberty (largest city: Chester)
- Lincoln (largest city: Libby)
- Madison (largest city: Ennis)
- McCone (largest city: Circle)
- Meagher (largest city: White Sulphur Springs)
- Musselshell (largest city: Roundup)
- Park (largest city: Livingston)
- Petroleum (largest city: Winnett)
- Phillips (largest city: Malta)
- Pondera (largest city: Conrad)
- Powder River (largest city: Broadus)
- Powell (largest city: Deer Lodge)
- Prairie (largest city: Terry)
- Ravalli (largest city: Hamilton)
- Richland (largest city: Sidney)
- Gallatin (largest city: Bozeman)
- Lake (largest city: Polson)
- Roosevelt (largest city: Wolf Point)
- Chouteau (largest municipality: Fort Benton)
- Sanders (largest city: Thompson Falls)
- Stillwater (largest city: Columbus)
- Sweet Grass (largest city: Big Timber)
- Teton (largest city: Choteau)
- Toole (largest city: Shelby)
- Treasure (largest city: Hysham)
- Valley (largest city: Glasgow)
- Wheatland (largest city: Harlowton)
- Wibaux (largest city: Wibaux)
See also
References
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 11, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - Gransbery, Jim (October 10, 2002). "Taylor quits Senate race in Montana". Billings Gazette. Archived from the original on December 5, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
- "Senate Races". www.centerforpolitics.org. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on November 18, 2002. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- "2002 ELECTION STATISTICS". Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
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