The 1968 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1968. Incumbent Governor of Montana Tim Babcock, who became Governor upon the death of previous Governor Donald Grant Nutter and was elected in 1964, ran for re-election. He faced serious competition in the Republican primary from his Lieutenant Governor, but managed to comfortably win renomination. Advancing to the general election, Babcock faced Forrest H. Anderson, the Attorney General of Montana and the Democratic nominee, and independent candidate Wayne Montgomery of the New Reform Party. Ultimately, Anderson managed to defeat Babcock by a solid margin, winning his first and only term as governor. As of 2023, this is the last time an incumbent Governor of Montana lost re-election.
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| Turnout | 86.40%0.60[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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 County results Anderson: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Babcock: 40-50% 50-60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Forrest H. Anderson, Attorney General of Montana
- Eugene H. Mahoney, State Senator
- LeRoy H. Anderson, State Senator, former United States Congressman from Montana's 2nd congressional district
- Willard E. Fraser, Mayor of Billings
- Hanford K. Gallup, rancher
- Merrill K. Riddick
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Forrest H. Anderson | 39,057 | 38.36 | |
| Democratic | Eugene H. Mahoney | 35,562 | 34.93 | |
| Democratic | LeRoy H. Anderson | 16,476 | 16.18 | |
| Democratic | Willard E. Fraser | 8,525 | 8.37 | |
| Democratic | Hanford K. Gallup | 1,149 | 1.13 | |
| Democratic | Merrill K. Riddick | 1,052 | 1.03 | |
| Total votes | 101,821 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Tim Babcock, incumbent Governor of Montana
- Ted James, Lieutenant Governor of Montana
- Warren A. McMillan
- J. Wellington Fauver
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Babcock (incumbent) | 50,369 | 55.10 | |
| Republican | Ted James | 36,664 | 40.11 | |
| Republican | Warren A. McMillan | 2,994 | 3.28 | |
| Republican | J. Wellington Fauver | 1,392 | 1.52 | |
| Total votes | 91,419 | 100.00 | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Forrest H. Anderson | 150,481 | 54.11% | +5.40% | |
| Republican | Tim Babcock (incumbent) | 116,432 | 41.87% | −9.43% | |
| New Reform Party | Wayne Montgomery | 11,199 | 4.03% | ||
| Majority | 34,049 | 12.24% | +9.66% | ||
| Turnout | 278,112 | ||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | Swing | ||||
References
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