On the eve of the presidential debate, one of the most consequential Senate races is not even being talked about. Well, unless you live in the state. It is not a swing state by any stretch of the term. However, a Democrat can win there. In fact, Montana Democrats have had some high profile candidates come out of the state.
On November 3rd, my friends in the great state of Montana will decide three things. Who is going to be their next U.S. Senator and Who is going to be their next Governor? More importantly, Montana may decide who is going to have control of the United States Senate. One could say “ Oh that’s preposterous, there is no way a red state like Montana can decide this”. Think of it this way, Doug Jones loses in Alabama, Hickenlooper wins in colorado, Mark Kelly wins in Arizona, Cal Cunnigham wins in North Carolina and Sarah Gideon wins in Maine puts the Senate at 50-50.
Montana U.S Senate Race.
Sen. Steve Daines (R) (i)
As always we’re going to start with the incumbent. Republican Senator Steve Daines who is just finishing up his first term in the upper chamber. Before that, Daines was first elected to Montana - at large U.S. House district two years prior to running for senate. His electoral history hasn’t been that spectacular. He even lost a statewide election as Roy Brown’s running mate for Lt. Governor.
Worked in management for Procter & Gamble, 1984-97. Worked for seven years in Iowa City, Iowa, and six years in Hong Kong and mainland China helping to start factories there and in production, marketing and sales. Moved back to Bozeman in 1997.* He also served as Vice President of Right Now Technologies. A company founded by Congressman Greg Gianforte. *
Daines is the Chair of the subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, and Natural Resources. He also sits on the Finance, Appropriations, and Homeland Security Committees.
Legislation that Daines has sponsored that was signed into law.
S. 1282 A bill to redesignate certain clinics of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Montana.*
S. 490. A bill to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the Gibson Dam
This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon request, to extend for up to six years the time period during which construction must commence on the Gibson Dam Hydroelectric Project located on the Sun River in Lewis, Clark, and Teton Counties, Montana. *
S. 117 Alex Diekmann Peak Designation Act of 2017
This bill designates as the "Alex Diekmann Peak" the 9,765-foot peak located 2.2 miles west-northwest of Finger Mountain on the western boundary of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness in Montana.
The Challenger
Gov. Steve Bullock (D)
I n 2008 then-attorney Steve Bullock ran for State AG in Montana and won by a margin of 52%. In that office, he took on Burlington Northern Railroad for not living up to a 1984 agreement. He also got Fed Ex to pay $2.3 million to settle a dispute with Montana over the classification of its FedEx Ground delivery drivers as independent contractors and not employees *
In 2012, he ran for Governor of Montana and won by a very narrow margin against Republican Rick Hill and re-elected by a slightly larger margin in 2016 against now congressman Greg Gianforte.
Bullock signed a hand full of Healthcare bills into law as Governor. Labeled a centrist. He is not for a medicare for all plan supported by many Democrats.
*Senate Bill 270, The Prescription Price Protection Act,
Prohibits pharmacy benefits managers from requiring pharmacies to charge consumers more in copayments than it costs to make a drug.
* Senate Bill 83
Holds accountable pharmacy benefit managers by applying protections to their billing practices and preventing surprise fees
* House Bill 660
Sets up mobile crisis team units to improve rural communities’ ability to respond to mental health crises
House Bill 696
Provides grants for suicide prevention work by the Native Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition and the Governors/Mayor’s Challenge suicide prevention initiative focused on service members, veterans, and their families.
Healthcare was not his only priority as Governor. Bullock signed SB175 to fund public schools. He also secured the first-ever state investment in publicly-funded, high-quality early childhood education. The funding created the STARS Preschool pilot program, which is now providing 300 of Montana’s four-year-olds with access to preschool in 17 communities across the state.*
And Lastly, He also signed some sweeping bipartisan criminal justice bills into law. The bills ranged from replacing appointed volunteers with full-time hired members on the Board of Pardons and Parole, creating a domestic violence offender intervention program, making available grants to help counties create pre-trial services and prosecution diversion programs. *
House Bill 133
The most wide-sweeping change to Montana’s criminal laws that came out of the package, eliminating jail time for certain misdemeanors, reducing maximum sentences for some felonies
Conclusion
After tonight’s debate. It is clear that Daines is in trouble. According to a poll conducted by the New York Times. Daine’s lead over Bullock is within only one point. More importantly, that same poll showed that 96% of Democrats are voting for Bullock while only 86% of Republicans are voting for Daines. The other number to watch out for is that Bullock leads independent voters 44%-40%. In 2016 Trump easily carried the state of Montana but Bullock was re-elected Governor of the state.
P.S.
Thank you to everyone who read and commented on my diary on QAnon. It was a great discussion on rather its a cult or not.