United States Senate election in Montana, 2000

United States Senate election in Montana, 2000

1994 ← November 7, 2000 → 2006

Nominee Conrad Burns Brian Schweitzer Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 208,082 194,430 Percentage 50.6% 47.2%

County results

U.S. Senator before election Conrad Burns Republican Elected U.S. Senator Conrad Burns Republican

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.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Brian Schweitzer, farmer
• John Driscoll, former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives

Results

Democratic Party primary results[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Democratic	Brian Schweitzer	59,189	66.18%
	Democratic	John Driscoll	30,242	33.82%
Totals			89,431	100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

• Conrad Burns, incumbent U.S. Senator

Results

Republican Party primary results[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Republican	Conrad Burns (inc.)	102,125	100.00%
Totals			102,125	100.00%

Reform primary

Candidates

• Sam Rankin

Results

Reform Party primary results[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Reform	Sam Rankin	1,110	100.00%
Totals			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.^[4]

General election

Candidates

• Conrad Burns (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
• Gary Lee (Re)
• Brian Schweitzer (D), farmer

Campaign

Conrad in a poll released September 21st 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."^[5] Later that same month, while giving a speech about U.S. dependence on foreign oil to the Montana Equipment Dealers Association, he referred to Arabs as "ragheads". Burns soon apologized, saying he "became too emotionally involved" during the speech.^[6]

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".^[7] 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.^[8] Burns charged that Schweitzer favored "Canadian-style government controls"^[7] and claimed that senior citizens went to doctors to have "somebody to visit with. There's nothing wrong with them."^[8] 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.^[7][9]

Burns spent twice as much money as Schweitzer on the election^[7] and only defeated him by a slim margin, 51-47 percent, while the state voted 58-33 percent for Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush. Schweitzer went on to become governor in 2004.

Results

General election results[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Conrad Burns (inc.)	208,082	50.55%	-11.82%
	Democratic	Brian Schweitzer	194,430	47.24%	+9.61%
	Reform	Gary Lee	9,089	2.2%
Majority			13,652	3.32%	-21.43%
Turnout			411,601
	Republican hold		Swing

References

1. ^ http://sos.mt.gov/Elections/archives/2000s/2000/2000Prim/2000-PrimState.pdf
2. ^ http://sos.mt.gov/Elections/archives/2000s/2000/2000Prim/2000-PrimState.pdf
3. ^ http://sos.mt.gov/Elections/archives/2000s/2000/2000Prim/2000-PrimState.pdf
4. ^ http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_d8240cff-ebd2-5dbc-aa80-743a09693c42.html
5. ^ George Will, "...Terms Unlimited", The Washington Post, June 24, 1999
6. ^ Al Kamen, "Burns's A List: African Americans, Arabs", Washington Post, March 12, 1999.
7. ^ ^{a b c d} Michael Barone, The Almanac of American Politics 2004, National Journal Group.
8. ^ ^{a b} William Booth, "Mont. Rancher Mounts Brawny Challenge; Crusty GOP Incumbent Finds Race Tightening Against an Equally Rough-Hewn Opponent", Washington Post, October 31, 2000
9. ^ Al Kamen, "Town Getting $ 11 Million in Salve From Burns", Washington Post, May 12, 2000.
10. ^ http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2000/2000Stat.htm

Preceded by 1996

Montana U.S. Senate elections 2000

Succeeded by 2002