2002 United States House of Representatives election in Montana
November 5, 2002
 
Nominee Denny Rehberg Steve Kelly
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 214,100 108,233
Percentage 64.62% 32.67%
County results
Rehberg:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Kelly:      50–60%
U.S. Representative before election

Denny Rehberg
Republican

 Elected U.S. Representative

Denny Rehberg
Republican

The 2002 United States House of Representatives election in Montana was held on November 5, 2002 to determine who will represent the state of Montana in the United States House of Representatives. Montana has one at-large district in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census, due to its low population. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.

Republican Denny Rehberg, the former lieutenant governor of Montana, sought re-election to a second term in the United States House of Representatives, winning the party's renomination unopposed in the June 4 primary. Two Democrats — rancher Robert Candee and small business owner Steve Kelly — sought their party's nomination; Kelly ultimately prevailed with 74 percent of the vote in the primary. In the general election, Rehberg won with almost 65 percent of the vote to Kelly's 33 percent, while Libertarian Mike Fellows received nearly 3 percent.

Background

Kelly, the Democratic nominee, had previously run for office as both an independent and a Republican, in 1994 running as an independent candidate for the US House and earning 9 percent of the vote, and in 1998 running as a candidate in the Republican primary for Gallatin County Commissioner. Kelly observed that his independent candidacy eight years earlier had displeased some Democrats, who felt that he pulled votes from the Democratic nominee; however, Kelly observed that the Democrat still won the race, so he was not a spoiler.[1]

Democratic primary

Candidates

  • Robert Candee, rancher[1]
  • Steve Kelly, businessman and 1994 independent candidate for Congress[1]

Results

Democratic primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Steve Kelly 40,441 74.28%
Democratic Robert Candee 14,003 25.72%
Total votes 54,444 100.0%

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Denny Rehberg (incumbent) 83,617 100%
Total votes 83,617 100.0%

General election

Campaign

Rehberg won the endorsement of the Montana Teamsters Union, the first time in Montana history that the union endorsed a Republican statewide candidate.[3] The candidates' first debate was held on June 22, at the annual convention of the Montana Newspaper Association.[4]

Results

Montana At-large congressional district election, 2002[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Denny Rehberg (inc.) 214,100 64.62
Democratic Steve D. Kelly 108,233 32.67
Libertarian Mike Fellows 8,988 2.71
Total votes 331,321 100.00
Republican hold

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Aftermath

Kelly would go on to be the Green nominee for Senate in 2018, although he would be removed from the ballot prior to Election Day.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gransberry, Jim (April 30, 2002). "Demo Hopeful Shoots for Upset". Billings Gazette. Archived from the original on August 4, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Brown, Bob (June 4, 2002). "2002 Statewide Primary Canvass" (PDF). Montana Secretary of State. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  3. ↑ "State: Historic First: Teamsters Endorse Rehberg For Congress". Montana Republican Party. Archived from the original on August 8, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  4. ↑ Jamison, Michael (June 23, 2002). "House debate focuses on economy". The Missoulian. Archived from the original on August 3, 2002. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  5. ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 25.
  6. ↑ Cates-Carney, Corin (July 10, 2018). "Montana Green Party Removed From November Ballots". Montana Public Radio. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
Preceded by
2000 elections		 United States House elections in Montana
2002		 Succeeded by
2004 elections
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