2000 United States Senate election in Montana
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County results Burns: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% Schweitzer: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Elections in Montana |
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The 2000 United States Senate election in Montana was held November 7, 2000. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Conrad Burns won re-election to a third term. As of 2024[update], this is the last time that a Republican has won Montana's class 1 Senate seat.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Brian Schweitzer, farmer and former United States Department of Agriculture employee
- John Driscoll, former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Brian Schweitzer | 59,189 | 66.18 | |
Democratic | John Driscoll | 30,242 | 33.82 | |
Total votes | 89,431 | 100.00 |
Republican primary
Candidates
- Conrad Burns, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Conrad Burns (incumbent) | 102,125 | 100.00 | |
Total votes | 102,125 | 100.00 |
Reform primary
Candidates
- Sam Rankin
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Reform
|
Sam Rankin | 1,110 | 100.00 | |
Total votes | 1,110 | 100.00 |
Though Sam Rankin won the Reform Party's nomination for the United States Senate, he dropped out of the race over the summer and was replaced by Gary Lee.[2]
General election
Candidates
- Conrad Burns (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
- Gary Lee (Re)
- Brian Schweitzer (D), farmer and former United States Department of Agriculture employee
Campaign
Burns, in a poll released September 21, was leading Schweitzer 48% to 39%[citation needed] that went down from 49% in November 1999[citation needed]. Schweitzer had his polls go up by 11 points.
Burns faced a surprisingly difficult reelection campaign in 2000. In February 1999, he announced that he would break his 1988 promise to only hold office for two terms, claiming "Circumstances have changed, and I have rethought my position."
Burns faced Brian Schweitzer, a rancher from Whitefish, Montana. While Burns attempted to link Schweitzer with presidential candidate Al Gore, whom Schweitzer never met, Schweitzer "effectively portrayed himself as nonpolitical".[5] Schweitzer primarily challenged Burns on the issue of prescription drugs, organizing busloads of senior citizens to take trips to Canada and Mexico for cheaper medicine.[6] Burns charged that Schweitzer favored "Canadian-style government controls"[5] and claimed that senior citizens went to doctors to have "somebody to visit with. There's nothing wrong with them."[6] Burns also faced trouble regarding deaths from asbestos in Libby, Montana. While he initially supported a bill to limit compensation in such cases, he withdrew his support for the bill, under public criticism, and added $11.5 million for the town to an appropriations bill.[5][7]
Burns spent twice as much money as Schweitzer on the election
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 10, 2000
- Complete video of debate, October 16, 2000
- Complete video of debate, October 21, 2000
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Conrad Burns (incumbent) | 208,082 | 50.55% | -11.82% | |
Democratic | Brian Schweitzer | 194,430 | 47.24% | +9.61% | |
Reform
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Gary Lee | 9,089 | 2.2% | ||
Majority | 13,652 | 3.32% | -21.43% | ||
Turnout | 411,601 | ||||
Republican hold | Swing | {{{swing}}} |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Blaine (largest city: Chinooko)
- Cascade (largest city: Great Falls)
- Hill (largest city: Havre)
- Lewis and Clark (largest city: Helena)
- Rosebud (largest city: Colstrip)
- Big Horn (largest city: Hardin)
- Glacier (largest city: Cut Bank)
- Roosevelt (largest city: Wolf Point)
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Reform candidate blasts corporations". Billingsgazette.com. October 13, 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
- ^ George Will, "...Terms Unlimited", The Washington Post, June 24, 1999
- ^ Al Kamen, "Burns's A List: African Americans, Arabs", The Washington Post, March 12, 1999.
- ^ a b c d Michael Barone, The Almanac of American Politics 2004, National Journal Group.
- ^ a b William Booth, "Mont. Rancher Mounts Brawny Challenge; Crusty GOP Incumbent Finds Race Tightening Against an Equally Rough-Hewn Opponent", The Washington Post, October 31, 2000
- ^ Al Kamen, "Town Getting $ 11 Million in Salve From Burns", The Washington Post, May 12, 2000.
- ^ "2000 ELECTION STATISTICS". Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
External links
- Official campaign websites (Archived)