akashic
1876–2024
Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Lewis and Clark County·Montana

Lewis and Clark County votes the way the country votes.

Montana's capital county, now trending red after decades as a swing anchor

18762024·38 elections
Lewis and Clark County, Montana · Montanabw · Wikimedia Commons
Latest
R+6
in 2024
Archetype
Bellwether
since the recent cycles
Population
73,464
2024 ACS
Most similar
Albany County
WY · similarity 0.90
32 precincts · 42,023 votes cast
Trump · R+6
Margin
Turnout
Harris +50
Trump +50
Real precinct boundaries. Hover for vote totals.
YearWonMarginDemocraticRepublicanTotal
2024R
−5.7%
19,08521,47942,023
2020R
−3.9%
19,74321,40942,265
2016R
−6.8%
14,47816,89535,296
2012R
−3.6%
15,62016,80333,318
2008D
+6.5%
17,11414,96632,873
2004R
−12.7%
12,71716,49429,843
2000R
−18.7%
9,98215,09127,269
1996R
−0.5%
11,53511,66526,547
1992D
+6.7%
11,1179,35126,179
1988D
+4.2%
11,93210,94623,334
1984R
−21.2%
8,76813,56922,626
1980R
−25.0%
6,81512,12821,212
1976R
−11.0%
8,11810,15518,517
1972R
−26.8%
6,08110,71917,316
1968R
−18.4%
5,3797,97914,115
1964D
+9.9%
7,5066,15513,687
1960R
−9.4%
6,0087,26013,285
1956R
−28.8%
4,3977,95912,356
1952R
−25.3%
4,5637,66312,246
1948R
−4.2%
4,7455,17410,176
1944D
+2.8%
4,7374,4829,258
1940D
+9.8%
5,8144,76210,683
1936D
+30.5%
5,6142,9518,725
1932D
+12.1%
4,7143,6718,596
1928R
−15.0%
3,2784,4417,744
1924R
−22.7%
1,8693,4336,875
1920R
−28.0%
2,4134,3486,913
1916D
+11.5%
4,3373,4237,962
1912D
+10.2%
1,5051,0624,335
1908D
+0.7%
2,0622,0334,430
1904R
−21.0%
1,5432,5054,588
1900D
+14.8%
2,7632,0434,861
1896D
+57.5%
3,9391,0575,016
1892D
+1.5%
2,0932,0145,280
1888
No data
1884
No data
1880
No data
1876
No data
Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
American
100.0%
Irish
0.5%
Sample size too small to break out by ancestry reliably.
Multiple ancestry combinations reported; no single grouping above 1%.
Sample size too small to break out by ancestry reliably.
American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander combined.
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
0.0%
speak English only
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Catholic & Orthodox
12.6%
Other Christian
11.2%
Mainline Protestant
4.8%
Pentecostal & Holiness
3.7%
Methodist
1.2%
Baptist
0.9%
Non-Christian
0.4%
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 65.2% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

Home to Helena and a sizable state-government workforce, Lewis and Clark voted within single digits in several recent cycles before settling at R+5.7 in 2024 — a narrower margin than most Montana counties but a notable shift from its earlier swing-county status.

The Democratic margin in Lewis and Clark County has rarely exceeded fifty-seven points in modern history; the Republican margin has rarely exceeded twenty-nine points. 2024 delivered the county to the Republican candidate by six points.

Lewis and Clark County's demographics resemble the country more than they resemble most counties. A 91% non-Hispanic-white share, a 8% poverty rate, and a median household income of $78,237 — all within the broad national range. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Albany County and Klickitat County.