Brian Schweitzer
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| Brian Schweitzer | |
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23rd Governor of Montana
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 |
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| Lieutenant | John Bohlinger |
| Preceded by | Judy Martz |
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| Born | September 4, 1955 Havre, Montana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Nancy H. Schweitzer |
| Profession | Rancher, Agribusiness |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Brian David Schweitzer (born September 4, 1955) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is a Democrat and the current governor of Montana, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest gubernatorial approval ratings in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of around 70 percent.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Schweitzer was born in Havre, Montana. He was the fourth of six children born to a German-Russian father, Adam, and an Irish mother, Kay. Schweitzer earned his Bachelor of Science degree in international agronomy from Colorado State University in 1978 and a Master of Science in soil science from Montana State University in 1980. Upon finishing school, he worked as an irrigation developer on projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. He spent several years working in Libya [2] and Saudi Arabia and speaks Arabic.[3]
He returned to Montana in 1986 to launch a ranching and irrigation business in Whitefish. Schweitzer married Nancy Hupp in 1982; they began a family after returning to Montana and have three children: Ben, Khai, and Katrina.
Bill Clinton appointed Schweitzer to the United States Department of Agriculture as a member of the Montana USDA Farm Service Agency committee, where he worked for seven years. While working for the USDA, he was appointed to the Montana Rural Development Board (1996) and the National Drought Task Force (1999).
[edit] Political career
In 2000, Schweitzer ran for U.S. Senate against the Republican incumbent Conrad Burns, losing by the surprisingly small margin of 51 to 47 percent. When incumbent Governor Judy Martz announced she would not run for re-election in 2004, Schweitzer announced his candidacy. His running mate was John Bohlinger, a Republican state senator. He won the general election by a margin of 50 to 46 percent over Montana Secretary of State Bob Brown. Both while campaigning and as governor, Schweitzer became known for an easygoing and folksy public persona. The governor's dog, a Border Collie named Jag, regularly accompanies him on work days at the Capitol, as well as some other official occasions.[4] Schweitzer's reputation led him to be mentioned by many political pundits as being among the top candidates for Vice President under Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, in the 2008 presidential election.
[edit] Political positions
In March 2005, Schweitzer suggested that Montana's National Guard troops be recalled from service in Iraq to assist firefighting during Montana's wildfire season. He has also gained national attention lately for his focus on converting Montana's vast coal reserves into fuel, which he has said is one way to wean America off of foreign oil. Schweitzer has been interviewed by 60 Minutes (first aired on February 26, 2006),[5] and Charlie Rose (March 7, 2007) regarding his work in this field.
Schweitzer is against gun control[4] and a vehement critic of the REAL ID legislation.[6]
[edit] Governorship
On May 3, 2006, Schweitzer granted posthumous pardons to 78 persons convicted of sedition during World War I for making comments that were critical of the war. These were the first posthumous pardons in Montana history, but the convictions had become notorious in recent years because Montana's sedition law had been one of the broadest and harshest of its time: one man went to prison for calling food rationing "a joke," while others were targeted because they refused to physically kiss a U.S. flag or to buy Liberty Bonds. At a public ceremony attended by family members of the pardon recipients, Schweitzer said "[i]n times when our country is pushed to our limits, those are the times when it is most important to remember individual rights."[7][8]
As Governor, he is an active member of the Democratic Governors Association. He is currently serving as DGA Vice Chairman, and previously served as Finance Chairman, and Recruitment Chairman for the organization.
[edit] Electoral history
| Montana gubernatorial election 2004 | |||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Brian Schweitzer | 225,016 | 50.4 | ||
| Republican | Bob Brown | 205,313 | 46.0 | ||
| Green | Bob Kelleher | 8,393 | 1.9 | ||
| Libertarian | Stanley R. Jones | 7,424 | 1.7 | ||
| Montana U.S. Senate election 2000 | |||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Republican | Conrad Burns | 208,082 | 50.6 | ||
| Democratic | Brian Schweitzer | 194,430 | 47.2 | ||
| Reform | Gary Lee | 9,089 | 2.2 | ||
[edit] References
- ^ SurveyUSA - 50 State Governor 10/19 Sort By State
- ^ Dickinson, Tim (December 15, 2005), “Schweitzer on Iraq”, Rolling Stone, <http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/nataffdaily/story/8957654/schweitzer_on_iraq>
- ^ Crummy, Karen E. (November 25, 2006), “Dems look to Big Sky”, The Denver Post, <http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_4723163>
- ^ a b There's electoral gold in those hills. The Economist (2006-10-26). Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
- ^ Diesel Power Magazine (December 2006 issue)
- ^ Montana Governor on 'Real ID' Act. National Public Radio (2008-03-07). Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
- ^ "Montana governor to pardon 78 convicted during WWI", USA Today.com, May 3, 2006.
- ^ "Pardons granted 88 Years After Crimes of Sedition", NY Times.com, May 3, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer official state site
- National Governors Association - Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer biography
- Follow the Money - Brian Schweitzer 2004 campaign contributions
- On the Issues - Brian Schweitzer issue positions and quotes
- Project Vote Smart - Governor Brian D. Schweitzer (MT) profile
- Schweitzer Bohlinger official campaign site
- 2004 campaign website
- 2008 Montana Governor Race at 2008RaceTracker.com
| Preceded by Judy Martz |
Governor of Montana 2005–present |
Incumbent |
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