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| Elections in Montana |
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The 1988 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 8, 1988. Incumbent United States Senator John Melcher, who was first elected to the Senate in 1976 and was re-elected in 1982, ran for re-election. After winning the Democratic primary, he faced Yellowstone County Commissioner Conrad Burns in the general election, and a grueling campaign followed. Ultimately, Melcher was narrowly defeated in his bid for re-election by Burns, who became the first Republican Senator from Montana in 36 years since Zales Ecton lost re-election in 1952.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Melcher (incumbent) | 88,457 | 74.54 | |
| Democratic | Bob Kelleher | 30,212 | 25.46 | |
| Total votes | 118,669 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Conrad Burns | 63,330 | 84.71 | |
| Republican | Tom Faranda | 11,427 | 15.29 | |
| Total votes | 74,757 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Conrad Burns | 189,445 | 51.87% | +10.20% | |
| Democratic | John Melcher (incumbent) | 175,809 | 48.13% | −6.33% | |
| Majority | 13,636 | 3.73% | −9.06% | ||
| Turnout | 365,254 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
| Preceded by 1982 |
Montana U.S. Senate elections 1988 |
Succeeded by 1994 |
