Petroleum, Montana — Presidential Election Results
Petroleum, Montana has voted Republican in 7 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). In 2024, it was 56.4 pts more Rep. than Montana overall.
Jump to year: 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024
Full Election History, 2000–2024
| Year | Winner | Party | Votes | Vote Share | Margin | Total Votes Cast | Swing | Vs. Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | George W. Bush | Republican | 254 | 83.0% | 71.2 pts (218 votes) | 306 | — | 47.9 pts more Rep. |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Republican | 228 | 78.1% | 59.2 pts (173 votes) | 292 | +14.0 pts | 40.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2008 | John McCain | Republican | 227 | 75.7% | 53.0 pts (159 votes) | 300 | +7.2 pts | 51.4 pts more Rep. |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney | Republican | 240 | 80.5% | 64.1 pts (191 votes) | 298 | -12.2 pts | 52.0 pts more Rep. |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Republican | 278 | 86.3% | 77.0 pts (248 votes) | 322 | -14.4 pts | 58.3 pts more Rep. |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 298 | 85.6% | 74.4 pts (259 votes) | 348 | +3.7 pts | 60.1 pts more Rep. |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 284 | 87.7% | 76.2 pts (247 votes) | 324 | -0.1 pts | 56.4 pts more Rep. |
Population Context
Total Census Bureau population estimate for the county that year, and recorded votes as a share of that total population. This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
| Year | County Population | Votes Cast (% of Population) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 493 | 62.1% of population |
| 2004 | 519 | 56.3% of population |
| 2008 | 481 | 62.4% of population |
| 2012 | 504 | 59.1% of population |
| 2016 | 491 | 65.6% of population |
| 2020 | 502 | 69.3% of population |
| 2024 | 525 | 61.7% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Petroleum shifted 1.8 points toward the Republican candidate, based on recorded county returns. This reflects the vote totals in this dataset only; no claim is made here about the causes of that shift.
Margin Over Time
Democratic candidate's margin (percentage points, two-party vote share). Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.
Bellwether Status
Petroleum has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Montana's own statewide winner in 7 of 7 (100%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other Montana Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Petroleum voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Petroleum has voted Democratic in 0 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 7 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Petroleum?
Petroleum's closest recorded margin was in 2008, when John McCain (Republican) won by 53.9 points (159 votes) out of 300 total votes cast.
Has Petroleum ever flipped between parties?
Not in the 2000-2024 record on this page -- Petroleum has voted for the same party in every recorded presidential election in that span.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Petroleum?
The widest margin on record for Petroleum was in 2016, when Donald Trump (Republican) won by 80.5 points.
How many votes were cast in Petroleum relative to its population?
In 2024, 324 votes were recorded in Petroleum against a total population of 525 (61.7% of the total population). This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.
Is Petroleum a presidential bellwether county?
Petroleum has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Montana's own statewide winner in 7 of 7 (100%).