Montana gubernatorial election, 2004
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The 2004 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2004 for the post of Governor of Montana.
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
Brian Schweitzer defeated
Montana Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Montana is one of the elected constitutional officers of executive branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The current Secretary of State is Christi Jacobsen. Organization The Secretary of State's Office is composed of fi ...
and Republican nominee Bob Brown with 50.4% of the vote against 46%. Schweitzer formed a ticket with a Republican running mate, choosing state legislator
John Bohlinger John Bohlinger, Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 33rd Lieutenant Governor of Montana from 2005 to 2013. He ran for the office as a Republican on a bipartisan ticket headed by Democratic guber ...
for the lieutenant governorship.


Democratic primary


Candidates

* Brian Schweitzer, rancher, former United States Department of Agriculture employee, nominee for the United States Senate in
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
**Running mate:
John Bohlinger John Bohlinger, Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 33rd Lieutenant Governor of Montana from 2005 to 2013. He ran for the office as a Republican on a bipartisan ticket headed by Democratic guber ...
, former
State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
(1993–1999) and
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 ...
(1999–2005) * John Vincent, former
State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
(1975–1990), former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives (1985–1986; 1989–1990) and former Mayor of
Bozeman Bozeman is a city and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2020 census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it the fourth-largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of th ...
(1994–1995) **Running mate: Mary Sexton, Teton County Commissioner Brian Schweitzer, a rancher from Whitefish, began campaigning for the Democratic nomination over a year before the primary. He had narrowly lost the
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 ...
race to
Conrad Burns Conrad Ray Burns (January 25, 1935 – April 28, 2016) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Montana and later was a lobbyist. He was only the second Republican popularly elected to represent Montana in the Senate ...
in
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
. In February 2004 he announced that liberal Republican State Senator
John Bohlinger John Bohlinger, Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 33rd Lieutenant Governor of Montana from 2005 to 2013. He ran for the office as a Republican on a bipartisan ticket headed by Democratic guber ...
would be his running mate for the post of
lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
. This would be the first bipartisan gubernatorial team since the Montana Constitution was amended in 1972 to require governors and lieutenant governors to run as a team. In March 2004, John Vincent, a former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives, entered the race and criticized Schweitzer for taking both sides on some issues. In the end Schweitzer easily won the Democratic primary. Three days after the primary Schweitzer addressed the Montana Democratic Convention; he gave a bear hug to his defeated rival and said he would bring a new kind of leadership to Montana.


Republican primary


Candidates

* Bob Brown, Secretary of State of Montana (2001–2005), former
State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
(1970–1974) and former
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 ...
(1974–1996) **Running mate: Dave Lewis,
State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
(2001–2005) * Pat Davison, conservative businessman **Running mate: David Mihalic, former Superintendent of Glacier National Park (1994–1999) and Yosemite National Park (1999–2002) for the National Park Service and former adviser to Marc Racicot * Ken Miller, former
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 ...
(1995–2003) and former Montana Republican Party Chairman (2001–2003) **Running mate: Wayne Buchanan, former executive secretary for the Montana Board of Public Education * Tom Keating, former
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 ...
(1981–2001) **Running mate: Matt Brainard, Montana Public Service Commissioner and former
State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...
(1995–2001) Incumbent Governor
Judy Martz Judith Helen Martz (née Morstein; July 28, 1943 – October 30, 2017) was an American Republican Party politician, businesswoman, and Olympian speed skater who served as the 22nd governor of Montana from 2001 to 2005. She was the first and only ...
had a difficult term of office with her approval ratings as governor going as low as 20%. In August 2003 she announced she would not run for re-election as she wanted to spend more time with her family. Lieutenant Governor
Karl Ohs Karl Ohs (November 18, 1946 – November 25, 2007) was the 28th Lieutenant Governor of the state of Montana serving under Judy Martz. Background Karl Ohs was born in Malta, Montana, the son of a Swedish immigrant. He was a Montana rancher an ...
was expected to enter the Republican primary race but decided not to. Montana Secretary of State Bob Brown, conservative businessman Pat Davison and former State Senators Ken Miller and Tom Keating competed for the nomination. Brown was seen as the favorite in the primary but was attacked by Pat Davison for being "liberal on taxes". Brown was the only one of the candidates who refused to sign a pledge not to raise taxes as he said he wanted to keep all options open as governor.


General election


Campaign

In mid summer polls showed Schweitzer had a 10-point lead over Brown, but by October the gap had closed to only 4 percent. Schweitzer campaigned with plans to lift Montana from its position at the bottom of all 50 states in wages. He called for new uses to be found for crops like mint and for small businesses to pool in purchasing health care. He also supported opening the border with Canada to allow consumers to get cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. Brown said that the Democrats harmed business growth and job creation. He touted his government experience including 26 years in the Montana legislature and accused Schweitzer of taking hypocritical stands. Schweitzer won the election to become the first Democrat in 20 years to win an election for governor. According to the exit polls Schweitzer obtained two-thirds of the vote from over 65s and from independent voters. This was despite President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
winning Montana very easily over John Kerry.


Predictions


Statewide results


References


See also

{{United States general elections, 2004 Montana Gubernatorial
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...