Montana has two congressional districts: the First (MT-01) covering the western part of the state and the Second (MT-02) covering the central and eastern portions. Both U.S. House seats are currently held by Republicans, and both of Montana’s U.S. Senators are Republicans as well. The two-district map took effect with the 2022 elections after the 2020 Census returned a second seat to the state.
Montana’s First District (MT-01)
MT-01 covers western Montana. Its major counties include Missoula, Gallatin, and Flathead, and its largest cities are Missoula, Bozeman, Kalispell, and Butte. As a rough guide, communities west of the Continental Divide fall in this district.
Representative: Ryan Zinke (R). Zinke has represented MT-01 since January 3, 2023. He previously served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2017 to 2019 and represented Montana’s former at-large district from 2015 to 2017. He lives in Whitefish.1Montana.gov. Congressional Delegation In the 119th Congress he sits on the Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.2Representative Ryan Zinke. Committees and Caucuses
Montana’s Second District (MT-02)
MT-02 covers the central and eastern expanse of the state, stretching from the Rocky Mountain Front east to the North Dakota border. It is one of the largest congressional districts by land area in the contiguous United States. Its major population centers are Billings (the state’s largest city), Great Falls, and Helena, the state capital. Yellowstone, Cascade, and Lewis and Clark counties all fall in this district.
Helena’s placement in MT-02 is worth noting if you remember the older map: when Montana last had two districts in the 1980s, Helena and Lewis and Clark County sat in the western district. The 2020 commission moved the line so that Helena is now in the eastern district.
Representative: Troy Downing (R). Downing has represented MT-02 since January 3, 2025. Before his election to Congress he served as Montana’s State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. His district office is in Helena.3Representative Troy Downing. Helena District Office In the 119th Congress he serves on the Financial Services Committee and the Small Business Committee.4Representative Troy Downing. Committees and Caucuses
Montana’s U.S. Senators
Montana’s two Senate seats are held by Republicans Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, giving the state an all-Republican congressional delegation.1Montana.gov. Congressional Delegation
- Steve Daines is a Class II Senator serving since 2015. His current term expires January 3, 2027, so his seat is on the 2026 ballot.5U.S. Senate. Class II – Senators Whose Terms of Service Expire in 2027
- Tim Sheehy is a Class I Senator who took office in January 2025. His term expires January 3, 2031.6U.S. Senate. Class I – Senators Whose Terms of Service Expire in 2031
How To Find Your District
The U.S. House maintains a zip code lookup at ziplook.house.gov. The Continental Divide works as a rough rule of thumb: west of it is usually MT-01, central and eastern Montana is usually MT-02. The line gets less intuitive around Helena and along the divide itself, so checking your specific address is worth doing.
Why Montana Has Two Districts Again
Montana had two House seats until 1993, when the 1990 Census results cost the state one of them. For the next three decades a single at-large representative covered all of Montana. The 2020 Census counted the state’s apportionment population at 1,084,225 — roughly 10 percent growth over 2010 — which was enough to earn the second seat back.7State of Montana Newsroom. Montana Regains Second Congressional Seat With 2020 Census The Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission, an independent five-member body, approved the current congressional map in November 2021, splitting the state into two districts of roughly 542,000 residents each.8Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission. MDAC – Developing Legislative Districts for Montana
2026 Elections
Both House seats are on the ballot every two years, and Daines’s Senate seat is on the ballot in 2026 as well. The candidate filing period for 2026 runs from February 17 through 5 p.m. on March 4.9Official Montana Secretary of State Website – Christi Jacobsen. Best of Luck to All – Secretary Christi Jacobsen Opens 2026 Candidate Filing Period The primary is Tuesday, June 2, 2026, and the general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.10Montana Secretary of State. 2026 Candidate Calendar
Montana does not require voters to register with a political party, but primary ballots are partisan: you pick one party’s ballot at the polling place. All registered voters may participate in the general election regardless of party.