Rankin, a devout suffragette and activist, is notable for being the first woman elected to Congress when she won in 1916, with her first vote being against declaring war on Germany. She opted to run for Senate in 1918 following the switch from at-large elections to separate districts, which she lost. After winning a second nonconsecutive term in 1940, Rankin became infamous for being the sole vote against declaring war on Imperial Japan the day after Pearl Harbor. Two days later, on December 10th, 1941, Rankin abstained from voting to declare war on Germany and Italy. Facing significant condemnation for her 'no' vote, Rankin opted not to run for re-election in 1942.

Further Analysis Coming Soon!

As of 2025, this is the last time Democrats won this seat.

Further Analysis Coming Soon!

While Democrats fared well during the first couple decades of the 21st century, by the 2020's Montana was firmly red not only at the top of the ballot, but downballot as well. However, there were a few Democrats who managed to survive in increasingly hostile territory. One such example was Mark Sweeney, who was elected to represent Montana's 39th district in the State Senate in 2020 as Trump won his district by ~12%. Tragically, Sweeney's tenure was short, as he died unexpectedly in early 2022.

As a result of Sweeney's death, SD-39 saw a special election in November to finish the rest of the term.  

Further Analysis Coming Soon!

Further Analysis Coming Soon!

Further Analysis Coming Soon!