Montana Government

Updated: February 2, 2026

The United States, through the Louisiana Purchase, acquired much of the territory that would become Montana in 1803. The purchase included the region of west-central North America between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, about 885,000 square miles (2,301,000 square kilometers) of what was then largely unexplored land. President Thomas Jefferson paid Napoleon Bonaparte $15 million for the area-about three cents an acre, nearly twice the entire federal budget at the time. Thirteen states or parts of states were later carved from the Louisiana Purchase: Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Montana. The Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery expedition (1804-1806) conducted the first organized U.S. exploration into this region, traveling extensively through what is now Montana.

Montana was admitted to the Union, or became a state, on November 8, 1889, by presidential proclamation, as the 41st state. Before statehood, Congress created Montana Territory in May 1864. In December of that year, the first territorial legislative assembly met in a dirt-roofed cabin in Bannack City, and Virginia City was selected as the territorial capital. The capital later moved to Helena. Montana remained a territory for 25 years. In 1894, Helena out-polled Anaconda to become the permanent state capital, the result of a famous "War of the Copper Kings" between copper magnates Marcus Daly and William A. Clark.

The original state constitution was ratified in 1889. By the late 1960s, that document was considered outdated, so Montana voters called for a constitutional convention. One hundred elected delegates met in 1972 to rewrite the constitution, and voters later approved the new Montana Constitution. The 1972 Constitution sets up Montana's three-branch government and includes strong protections such as the right to a clean and healthful environment, open government, and a system of quality public education.

Legislative Branch

The Montana Legislature is the state's lawmaking branch. It has 50 senators and 100 representatives, each elected from a single-member district. Representatives serve 2-year terms, and senators serve 4-year terms, with term limits that generally allow up to 8 consecutive years in each chamber. The Legislature meets in Helena in regular biennial sessions for up to 90 legislative days in odd-numbered years. Special sessions can be called in between if important issues arise.

Executive Branch

Montana is governed by its constitution, and its laws are administered by its executive branch officers and various boards and commissions. Statewide elected executive officers include the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and State Auditor, all serving 4-year terms. Under the constitution, the executive branch is organized into a limited number of main departments (such as education, transportation, and natural resources), which help carry out state laws and programs.

As of 2026, Greg Gianforte serves as Governor of Montana, and Kristen Juras serves as Lieutenant Governor. They work with other executive officials and department heads to manage the day-to-day business of state government and to implement laws passed by the Legislature.

Local Government

There are 56 counties, more than 120 incorporated cities and towns, and two consolidated city-county governments in Montana (Butte-Silver Bow and Anaconda-Deer Lodge). Some local governments use the "commission-manager" form of government, in which a hired city manager runs daily operations, while many others use the "commission-executive" or "mayor-council" form. Most counties retain the traditional three-member "commission" form of county government.

Judicial Branch

Judicial decisions are made by a system of courts headed by the Montana Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has a chief justice and six associate justices, elected in nonpartisan elections to 8-year terms. Beneath the Supreme Court are the District Courts, which serve all 56 counties and are organized into multiple judicial districts with elected district judges serving 6-year terms. There are also numerous municipal courts and justice courts that handle city ordinances, traffic cases, and small claims.

Copies of the Montana Constitution are available from state offices and can also be read online, allowing citizens and students to learn more about how their state government works.

• Official text (HTML) from the Montana Legislature: https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0000/chapters_index.html
• Official PDF of the 1972 Constitution (current version) from the Montana Judicial Branch: https://courts.mt.gov/External/library/docs/72constit.pdf
• Constitution table of contents (HTML) with links to each article: https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca_toc/CONSTITUTION.htm
• University of Montana's Montana Constitution site (article-by-article with commentary): https://www.umt.edu/montana-constitution/

Federal Representation

Like every state, Montana has as many presidential electoral votes as it has members of Congress-two U.S. senators plus two U.S. House members-so Montana currently has four electoral votes in presidential elections (it gained a second House seat after the 2020 Census).

Updated: February 2, 2026