Exclusive Poll: Montana State Auditor Troy Downing Leads in Second District Republican Primary

Troy Downing
Troy Downing/Facebook

Montana State Auditor Troy Downing leads in the race to replace retiring Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) in the state’s second congressional district, according to a poll that Breitbart News exclusively obtained.

“Momentum is on our side, as Montana wants a pro-wall, pro-gun, pro-America leader in Congress. We have the conservative message, the accomplished record, and the resources to win this race. I know with the help of patriots throughout the country and across Montana, we will send Donald Trump the partner he needs in Congress to secure our border, get our economy back on track, and Make America Great Again,” Downing told Breitbart News.

Downing is a combat veteran and a businessman. As the state’s auditor, Downing says he has “defended state residents from fraud, worked to lower costs for families, taken on criminals preying on the vulnerable, and promoted economic development while protecting the state’s natural resources.”

A poll for Montana’s second congressional district, which Guidant Polling and Strategy (GPS) conducted, found that Downing leads at 38 percent in the primary election, Denny Rehberg places second at 26 percent, Elsie Arntzen is at ten percent, and 27 percent remain undecided.

MT-02 Polling Memo[24] by Breitbart News on Scribd

The survey also suggested that Downing’s favorability has grown since January; 48 percent of Republican primary voters have a positive view of the Montana state auditor, while only 12 percent have a negative view. In January, his favorability was at 30 percent, meaning that he has experienced an 18-point boost with only six weeks until the Montana primary.

This poll mirrors another poll that Cygnal conducted, which found that Downing led at 21.2 percent.

Downing put out an ad on April 16 titled “Deserve Better,” about how he would stop the “woke” agenda being pushed in schools:

The GPS polling memo concluded, “With six weeks to go until Montana’s primary election, Downing enters the home stretch of the campaign in a strong position to defeat lobbyist Denny Rehberg.”

Guidant Polling and Strategy surveyed 400 likely Republican primary voters in Montana’s second congressional district between April 14 and 17, 2024. The margin of error for the poll is ± 4.9 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval.

Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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