The 2002 United States Senate election in Montana was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator
Max Baucus won re-election to a fifth term.
Democratic primary
Candidates
*
Max Baucus, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
*
Mike Taylor,
Montana State Senator
*
Brad Johnson, businessman
* John McDonald
* Melvin Hanson
Results
General election
Candidates
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Max Baucus (D), incumbent U.S. Senator
*
Stan Jones (L)
*
Bob Kelleher
Robert "Bob" Kelleher (March 30, 1923 – May 29, 2011), was an American attorney and perennial candidate. Starting in 1964, Kelleher ran for public office 16 times, at various times for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic, Green Par ...
(G), attorney
*
Mike Taylor (R),
Montana State Senator
Campaign
The 2002 Montana elections got national attention when Baucus's opponent,
state senator
A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
Description
A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
Mike Taylor, accused Baucus of having implied that Taylor was
gay in a campaign ad. The ad was paid for by the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, though designed by the Baucus campaign. The ad, which alleged that Taylor had
embezzled
Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...
funds from the
cosmetology school
Cosmetology (from Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''-logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, non-permanent hair removal such as ...
he once owned, showed footage from the early 1980s of Taylor massaging another man's face while wearing a tight suit with an open shirt. Taylor dropped out of the race and Baucus won with 63 percent of the vote.
Debates
Complete video of debate September 16, 2002
Predictions
Results
See also
*
2002 United States Senate elections
The 2002 United States Senate elections featured a series of fiercely contested elections that resulted in a victory for the Republican Party, which gained two seats and thus a narrow majority from the Democratic Party in the United States Senat ...
References
{{United States elections, 2002
Montana
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...