Montana Braces for Record Candidate Turnout in 2024

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Montana’s Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen reached out to KGVO News after the first day of filing to run for office in the 2024 primary and general elections for local state and federal seats.

Jacobsen said there were at least two candidates lined up outside her door on Thursday morning hoping to be the first to file.

Secretary of State Jacobsen had Candidates Lining up to File for Office

“We launched candidate filing yesterday (Thursday) and it was just an awesome day,” began Secretary Jacobsen. “We had a couple of people lined up outside our doors at 7:30 in the morning, and we opened the doors for in-person candidate filing at eight. The first two candidates that filed in person were Senator Becky Beard and Commissioner Brad Johnson, who was running for the U.S. Senate.”

Jacobsen said just about every local, state, and federal office was represented on the first day of filing.

Jacobsen said there were Filings for Federal, State, and Local Offices

“We have the congressional seats,” she said. “We've also got the U.S. Senate seat, the U.S. House seats. We had statewide candidates file, and then, of course, the district court judges. We've had many, many, many legislative seats; about half of the (Montana) Senate is up this time, and then all of the (State) House legislative seats are up as well. We had over 330 filings total in 2022, and we anticipate we're going to have even more than that in 2024.”

Jacobsen said she and the Governor also Marked Another Year of Record Business Growth

The Secretary of State also oversees Montana business licensing, and Secretary Jacobsen said she expects another banner year for new business growth in Montana.

“On the business side of things, we have a ‘heat map’,” she said. “We publish economic data based on where all of the new businesses are starting, so you can check out and see where the new businesses are opening. We anticipate that 2024 will also have a record number year of new businesses in the state. So we have a lot of really great information and are happy to share that with all of Montana.”

Jacobsen and Governor Greg Gianforte recently celebrated another record year of new business filings for 2023.