Bullock was first elected governor of Montana in 2012 and was sworn in as the state's 24th governor on January 7, 2013. He won re-election in 2016 and was sworn into a second term on January 2, 2017.

On January 5, 2009, Steve Bullock was sworn into office as the state attorney general. As the state's chief lawyer and law enforcement officer, he led the Montana Department of Justice, including the Forensic Science Laboratory, the Montana Highway Patrol, the Division of Motor Vehicles, the Office of Gambling Control, the Office of Legal Services, and the Division of Criminal Investigation, in addition to the department's information technology staff.