Montana

Why are Montana's primary elections held so late in the year?

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2024

Why are Montana's primary elections held so late in the year?

Montana’s primary election is now officially in the rear-view mirror. MTPR reporter Edward O’Brien investigated a deceptively simple question from a listener about why Montana’s primaries are so late in the year.

Austin Amestoy: Welcome to The Big Why, a series from Montana Public Radio where we find out what we can discover together. I’m your host, Austin Amestoy. This is a show about listener-powered reporting. We’ll answer questions, big or small, about anything under the Big Sky. By Montanans, for Montana, this is The Big Why.

Welcome back Ed!

Edward O’Brien: Thank you, Austin! Always good to be here. Indeed, we’ve just passed a significant milestone in Montana’s election calendar this year. This makes the question Gillian Glaes posed all the more timely and poignant. In fact, Austin we’re honored to have Gillian join us in the studio today.

Welcome aboard! Great to have you here!

Gillian Glaes: Thanks, you two! It’s nice to be here.

Austin Amestoy: Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Gillian Glaes: I’m originally from Montana and grew up in Missoula. I work at the University of Montana and direct the UM’s Franke Global Leadership initiative.

Edward O’Brien: And I also understand you have a passion for history?

Gillian Glaes: I do! I’m an historian and worked in the history departments of Carroll College and the University of Montana, respectively.

Austin Amestoy: Gillian, you’ve piqued my curiosity. What did you ask the Big Why?

Gillian Glaes: I really just wanted to know, why is the Montana primary, held in June, so late on the election calendar?

Austin Amestoy: That’s a fascinating question. Gillian, since we’ve got you here in-person, I think I’ll take a step back and let you and Ed drive the story today.

Edward O’Brien: It’s a fantastic and deceptively challenging question. To be candid — I originally assumed I’d have both it answered and this episode wrapped up in a flash. I was so wrong. It stumped a lot of professional and passionate amateur Montana historians. Heard lots of neat guesses. Nothing concrete. In fact, for a while I was convinced the answer was lost to the sands of time.

Gillian Glaes: But you eventually persevered?

Edward O’Brien: Only after pulling on a few threads provided by many bright, patient and generous people.

Gillian Glaes: Ed, how did you approach my question?

Edward O’Brien: The first person I turned to was former Montana Secretary of State Bob Brown. Brown was first elected to the Montana State House in 1970 and served over two decades in the State Senate. Few Montanans have the kind of institutional political knowledge that Bob Brown has.

Gillian Glaes: What did he have to say?

Edward O’Brien: Brown told me with candor and honesty that he didn’t know why Montana’s primary is held in June! Brown, who loves Montana history, told me he did some research and put in some phone calls to friends who share that passion and everyone came up empty.

He wasn’t the only one.I contacted other historians and history professors and all were left scratching their heads.

Gillian Glaes: So, what came next??

Edward O’Brien: The Montana Historical Society. They found an intriguing reference to a bill from the 1979 legislative session titled: “Times for holding primary elections — cost of municipal election.”

Gillian Glaes: So, that must be the answer. Why June?

Edward O’Brien: Not so fast. I accessed this massive electronic file of the bill’s legislative history — gobs of stuff, hundreds of pages of information to chase that lead. But After poring through it, I realized I‘d hit a dead end. None of it even remotely seemed to address your specific question, Gillian. What’s more, many of the legislators from that time are no longer with us.

One name, however, stood out: Fred Van Valkenburg.

Gillian Glaes: The Van Valkenburg family! Will you share with our listeners who Fred Van Valkenberg is?

Edward O’Brien: Most recently, he was Missoula’s county attorney. But back in ‘79 Van Valkenburg was a young man serving his very first term in the State Senate,making a name for himself and rapidly gaining influence. I gave him a call to see if we could jog his memory.

Gillian Glaes: And?

Edward O’Brien: Didn’t ring any immediate bells. In his defense, we’re talking about some bill from nearly 45 years ago. After giving it some more thought for a few days he determined what we were looking at was a — as he put it — ‘minor and technical ‘clean up’ bill regarding elections in general.

But, during our communication, Van Valkenburg mentioned an intriguing lead from a book in his personal collection called “Atlas of Montana Elections, 1889-1976”. I knew we were onto something a few days later when Montana State University Political Science Professor Jessi Bennion responded to my cry for help, coincidentally mentioning the very same title. Sure enough, the Atlas, prized by Montana politicos, is where we finally found the answer to your question.

Courtesy of Jessie Bennion

Jessie Bennion

Jessi Bennion: It is actually just a book that goes year-by-year. It tells who won each election, what the big debates were at the time and it gives a snapshot of what the elections and the outcomes looked like at the time.

Edward O’Brien: The impetus for moving Montana’s primary to June was the 1952 presidential nomination showdown between Republicans Dwight D Eisenhower and Ohio’s conservative firebrand, Senator Robert Taft:

Video: “At Chicago, the battle for the Republican candidature is underway as Senator Taft is noisily championed by his supporters for the presidential election in November. In his hotel, Mr Eisenhower goes into conference …

Gillian Glaes: So this relates to President Eisenhower’s election in 1952? OK, I’m intrigued. Tell me more.

Edward O’Brien: Montana’s primaries bounced around the calendar throughout the 1900’s, and by ‘52 were held in late summer, actually even later than they are today. That butted them right up against the major party national presidential nomination conventions.

Gillian Glaes: That sounds like a pretty small window between the primary and the conventions.

Edward O’Brien: You are right over the target. Montana was Eisenhower country in ‘52. Yet according to the Atlas of Montana Elections, local party bosses pressured delegates to support Taft at the Republican national convention. That didn’t sit well with a cadre of state lawmakers back home. They developed a proposal to essentially put a little more space and time between Montana’s presidential preference primary and the national convention.

Edward O’Brien: Again, here’s Jessi Bennion:

Jessi Bennion: So, I think that they thought by moving the primary to June, seeing a clear election outcome in June, then the party bosses wouldn’t be able to do any shenanigans during the presidential convention.

Edward O’Brien: Apparently the proposal set off a hell of kerfuffle within the halls of the State Capitol. After the dust settled, the reformers won out and a measure was put on the ballot in 1954 to move that primary.

Gillian Glaes: Interesting. How did voters respond?

Edward O’Brien: I’d say pretty well. It passed by almost 70 percent.

Gillian Glaes: Wow, that’s amazing.

Edward O’Brien: As Bennion pointed out to me — can you imagine anything today passing by that margin? Anyway, beginning in 1956, Montana’s primaries were moved to the Tuesday after the first Monday in June.

Gillian Glaes:

That’s really interesting, because a move designed to empower Montana voters, now seems to kind of rob them of national influence in presidential politics.

Edward O’Brien: It’s a great point. Montana’s primary is near the tail end of the presidential nomination process. Iowa, New Hampshire, Super Tuesday — all those states and many more get to weigh in before we do. Bennion feels your pain, Gillian.

Jessi Bennion: The presidential race gets all the attention. It’s what fires people up. So, if Montana voters already know who the nominee is going to be, it probably de-incentivizes them from showing up at the primary.

Austin Amestoy: I just love it when we can put a nice bow on a good mystery. Gillian, Ed, thanks so much for unpacking this for us today. Great to have you on.

Gillian Glaes: Thank you so much for having me, this was a ton of fun and I really appreciate the time you took to answer my question.

Edward O’Brien: You bet, Gillian, thanks for joining us.

Austin Amestoy: Now we want to know what makes you curious about Montana. Submit your questions below. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts and help others find the show by sharing it and leaving a review. Let’s see what we can discover together!

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Montana

Evacuation orders issued as 5,000-acre wildfire burns near Roundup, Montana

Published

10 minutes ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Evacuation orders issued as 5,000-acre wildfire burns near Roundup, Montana

ROUNDUP, Mont. —
The Rehder Creek Fire is burning 16 miles southeast of Roundup has grown to about 5,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders for residents in the Bruner Mountain Area/Subdivision.

The fire started Feb. 26, the cause is unknown and containment was at 0%.

Evacuation orders are in effect for all residents in the Bruner Mountain Area/Subdivision. The Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating the evacuation orders, and 911 reverse calls have been sent out to advise people in the area.

A shelter is opening at the Roundup Community Center. Residents were told to contact Musselshell County DES for further information.

Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority. The public is asked to avoid the Fattig Creek and Rehder Road area so emergency personnel can safely and effectively perform their work.

Fire resources assigned to the incident include 40 total personnel, 11 engines, one Type 2 helicopter, three tenders and two dozers.

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Montana

February 26 recap: Missoula and Western Montana news you may have missed today

Published

12 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

February 26 recap: Missoula and Western Montana news you may have missed today

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Montana

Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) – joined by Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and 22 other Members of Congress – sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons calling for the immediate closure of Camp East Montana in El Paso. They cite urgent humanitarian concerns following multiple deaths in custody, documented unsafe conditions, and serious deficiencies in medical care.

This marks the fourth letter Congresswoman Escobar has sent to DHS and ICE leadership. The previous three letters have gone unanswered.

The letter can be found in its entirety below and here.

“Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:

We are urgently calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shut down Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.

Camp East Montana has been operational for six months, and at least three people have died at the site since December 2025: Francisco Gaspar-Andres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Victor Manuel Diaz. The El Paso County Medical Examiner has officially ruled Lunas Campos’ death a homicide, citing “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.”

Camp East Montana was constructed in a matter of weeks and opened before construction was complete and it does not have enough federal staff on-site to provide adequate oversight. Over the last several months, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, in whose district this facility is located, has sent multiple letters to DHS and ICE regarding concerns about the conditions at Camp East Montana, and has received no responses.

According to detainees, there have been constant and consistent problems at the facility since it opened, beginning with the facility’s poor construction and poor ambient temperature control. Upon opening, the drinking water at Camp East Montana tasted foul and made some detainees sick. Detainees continue to be served inadequate meals, including food that is rotten or frozen; last fall, the facility was also consistently failing to make dietary accommodations for detainees. Detainees have shared that they have sporadic access to outside spaces and recreational areas, and that their dormitory pods are cleaned only once every eight days, despite pods housing up to 72 people at a time. Laundry services are not consistent, and people are washing their clothes in the facility showers. Additionally, the facility experiences flooding and sewage backups when it rains, leading to stagnant water.

One of the biggest concerns with the Camp East Montana facility is the inadequate medical care being provided to detainees. Our offices have heard that only the most ill detainees are referred to the medical unit and that there are inconsistencies as to how soon after arriving detainees are able to undergo initial medical screenings. Detainees with chronic health issues who rely on regimented medications for their health have had difficulty accessing necessary medications, including blood pressure medication and insulin.

At least one of the deaths that occurred in ICE custody, the death of Francisco Gaspar-Andres, appears to partially be the result of poor medical care by staff at the facility. According to ICE’s own account, Gaspar-Andres sought medical attention from facility staff for increasingly serious symptoms, but was only transferred to an area hospital once his condition had severely deteriorated.

In addition to our concerns about poor medical care, we are also aware that detainees have experienced irregular access to their legal counsel, including instances of detainees having only two minutes allotted per phone call every 8 days, which is contrary to ICE’s Detention Standards on access to counsel, and that the belatedly created law library lacks adequate resources for the amount of people currently held at the facility. In January 2026, ICE announced the on-site death of Geraldo Lunas Campos “after experiencing medical distress.” ICE opened an investigation into the death, but did not provide a cause of death. However, The Washington Post later reported that another man detained at Camp East Montana had witnessed guards choking Lunas Campos when he refused to enter a segregated housing unit. Weeks later, the El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled that Lunas Campos had experienced “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression” and ruled his death a homicide.

Lunas Campos is the first detainee to die at Camp East Montana as a result of a use-of-force incident, but we are strongly concerned that he will not be the last if ICE is allowed to continue operating Camp East Montana.

ICE was given $45 billion in taxpayer dollars in the reconciliation bill, $1.2 billion of which were awarded to Acquisition Logistics, LLC, a company with no previous experience managing immigration detention facilities, to build and oversee Camp East Montana. However, in the wake of three deaths in custody so far, continued concerns about conditions at the facility, and ICE’s apparent disinterest in responding to oversight letters from Congress, we do not believe Camp East Montana is being run professionally or responsibly.

Camp East Montana must be shut down. For the safety of everyone at the facility, for an end to abuses to detainees, and for fiscal responsibility to the American people, the site cannot continue to operate. We are calling on DHS and ICE to move to immediately close operations at Camp East Montana.

We look forward to hearing from the Department promptly on this matter.

The other co-signers include Representatives Yassamin Ansari, Nanette Barragán, Yvette Clarke, Lloyd Doggett, Maxwell Frost, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Henry Johnson, Stephen Lynch, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Darren Soto, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, Gabe Vasquez, and Nydia Velázquez.

Issues: Immigration

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