Montana United States Senate election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 United States Senate election in Montana was held November 7, 2006. The filing deadline was March 23; the primary was held on June 6. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Conrad Burns
was running for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Democrat Jon Tester
.
in a close race, 51% to 48%. Burns was re-elected 62.4% to 37.6%, over Jack Mudd in the so called Republican Revolution
year of 1994. In 2000, Burns faced the well-financed Brian Schweitzer
whom he beat 50.6% to 47.2%.
In 2000, George W. Bush carried Montana 58% to 33% in the race for President, but Burns won by 3.4%. Since the direct election of Senators began in 1913, Burns is only the second Republican Montana has elected to the U.S. Senate. Also, for thirty-two straight years, 1952 to 1984, Montana elected only Democratic Senators.
Burns' involvement in the Jack Abramoff
scandal made him vulnerable. A SurveyUSA poll released in March 2006 found that 38% of Montanans approved of him, while 52% disapproved of him. Polls against leading Democratic candidates had him below his challengers.
. In July 2006, the Rasmussen report viewed Burns as the "second most vulnerable Senator seeking re-election this year (Pennsylvania’s Rick Santorum
was still the most vulnerable)."
Senator Conrad Burns
of Montana
faced a strong challenge from Brian Schweitzer
in 2000, being re-elected by 3.4% in a state that went for Bush twice by margins of over 20%. This, combined with the increasing strength of the state Democratic party and accusations of ethical issues related to the Jack Abramoff
scandal
, made this a highly competitive race.
On July 27, Burns was forced to apologize after he confronted out of state firefighters who were preparing to leave Montana after helping contain a summer forest fire and directly questioned their competence and skill; Burns was strongly criticized.
On August 31, in a letter faxed to the office of Montana governor Brian Schweitzer
, Burns urged the governor, a Democrat, to declare a fire state of emergency and activate the Montana Army National Guard for firefighting. Schweitzer had already declared such a state of emergency on July 11 — thus, activating the Montana Army National Guard. He issued a second declaration on August 11. James Pendleton, a Burns spokesman, said the senator was "pretty sure" Schweitzer had already issued such a disaster declaration, but just wanted to make sure. "The genesis of the letter was just to make sure that all the bases were covered," Pendleton said. "This is not a political football. It’s just a cover-the-bases letter and certainly casts no aspersions on the governor."
conceded defeat.
Just before 11:00 AM (MST) on November 8, Jon Tester was declared Senator-elect for Montana in USA Today
. At 2:27 PM EST on November 8, CNN projected that Jon Tester would win the race.
Under Montana law, if the margin of defeat is more than 0.25% but less than 0.5%, the losing candidate can request a recount if they pay for it themselves. However, this election did not qualify for a recount because the margin was larger than 0.5%. Burns conceded the race on November 9, and congratulated Tester on his victory.
The race was the closest Senate election of 2006 in terms of absolute vote difference; the closest race by percentage difference was the Virginia senate election
.
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
was running for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by Democrat Jon Tester
Jon Tester
Jon Tester is the junior U.S. Senator for Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as President of the Montana Senate.-Early life, education, and farming career:...
.
Background
Burns was first elected as a United States Senator from Montana in 1988, when he defeated Democratic incumbent John MelcherJohn Melcher
John Melcher is an American politician of the Democratic Party who represented Montana as a member of the United States House of Representatives, and as a United States Senator from 1977 until 1989.-Early life:...
in a close race, 51% to 48%. Burns was re-elected 62.4% to 37.6%, over Jack Mudd in the so called Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
year of 1994. In 2000, Burns faced the well-financed Brian Schweitzer
Brian Schweitzer
Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is its 23rd and current governor, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of above 60...
whom he beat 50.6% to 47.2%.
In 2000, George W. Bush carried Montana 58% to 33% in the race for President, but Burns won by 3.4%. Since the direct election of Senators began in 1913, Burns is only the second Republican Montana has elected to the U.S. Senate. Also, for thirty-two straight years, 1952 to 1984, Montana elected only Democratic Senators.
Burns' involvement in the Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
scandal made him vulnerable. A SurveyUSA poll released in March 2006 found that 38% of Montanans approved of him, while 52% disapproved of him. Polls against leading Democratic candidates had him below his challengers.
Candidates
- Jon TesterJon TesterJon Tester is the junior U.S. Senator for Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as President of the Montana Senate.-Early life, education, and farming career:...
, PresidentPresident of the SenateThe President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is the speaker of other assemblies.The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is second in line...
of the Montana State Senate - John MorrisonJohn Morrison (Montana Politician)John Morrison is a Montana attorney, businessman, and political leader. He served as the elected Montana State Auditor, Insurance Commissioner and Securities Commissioner from 2001-2009. In 2006, he was a candidate for the U.S. Senate...
, Montana State Auditor - Paul Richards, Montana State RepresentativeMontana House of RepresentativesThe Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years.-Composition of the House:...
- Robert Candee, farmer
- Ken Marcure, activist
Campaign
On May 31, 2006, Richards, citing the closeness of the race, and his own position (third) in the polls, withdrew from the race, and threw his support to Tester.Morrison started off strong in the race for the Democratic nomination for Senator, collecting $1.05 million as of the start of 2006, including $409,241 in the last three months of 2005. but Morrison’s advantages in fundraising and name identification did not translate into a lead in the polls. Later, the race was called a "deadlock," but Tester continued to gather momentum.Results
Candidates
- Conrad BurnsConrad BurnsConrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
, incumbent U.S. Senator - Bob Keenan, Montana State Senator
- Bob Kelleher, perennial candidate
- Daniel Lloyd Neste Huffman, businessman
Results
Candidates
- Conrad BurnsConrad BurnsConrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
(R), incumbent U.S. Senator - Stan Jones (L), activist
- Jon TesterJon TesterJon Tester is the junior U.S. Senator for Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as President of the Montana Senate.-Early life, education, and farming career:...
(D), State Senator
Campaign
The race was expected to be close, due to Burns' previous narrow winning margins and recent political scandal involving him personally; Republican incumbents everywhere were facing more challenging races in 2006 due to the waning popularity of Congress and the leadership of President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. In July 2006, the Rasmussen report viewed Burns as the "second most vulnerable Senator seeking re-election this year (Pennsylvania’s Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
was still the most vulnerable)."
Senator Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
faced a strong challenge from Brian Schweitzer
Brian Schweitzer
Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is its 23rd and current governor, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of above 60...
in 2000, being re-elected by 3.4% in a state that went for Bush twice by margins of over 20%. This, combined with the increasing strength of the state Democratic party and accusations of ethical issues related to the Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
scandal
Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on Indian casino gambling interests for an estimated $85 million in fees. Abramoff and Scanlon...
, made this a highly competitive race.
On July 27, Burns was forced to apologize after he confronted out of state firefighters who were preparing to leave Montana after helping contain a summer forest fire and directly questioned their competence and skill; Burns was strongly criticized.
On August 31, in a letter faxed to the office of Montana governor Brian Schweitzer
Brian Schweitzer
Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is its 23rd and current governor, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of above 60...
, Burns urged the governor, a Democrat, to declare a fire state of emergency and activate the Montana Army National Guard for firefighting. Schweitzer had already declared such a state of emergency on July 11 — thus, activating the Montana Army National Guard. He issued a second declaration on August 11. James Pendleton, a Burns spokesman, said the senator was "pretty sure" Schweitzer had already issued such a disaster declaration, but just wanted to make sure. "The genesis of the letter was just to make sure that all the bases were covered," Pendleton said. "This is not a political football. It’s just a cover-the-bases letter and certainly casts no aspersions on the governor."
Polling
| Source | Date | Tester (D) | Burns (R) | Jones (L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnPoint Polling and Research | November 6, 2006 | 49% | 44% | |
| USA Today/Gallup | November 4, 2006 | 50% | 41% | |
| Rasmussen | November 3, 2006 | 50% | 46% | |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC-McClatchy | November 3, 2006 | 47% | 47% | 1% |
| Reuters/Zogby | October 31, 2006 | 47% | 46% | 2% |
| Rasmussen | October 29, 2006 | 51% | 47% | |
| Harstad Strategic (D) | October 25, 2006 | 48% | 42% | |
| Mason-Dixon/McClatchy-MSNBC | October 24, 2006 | 46% | 43% | |
| Montana State University-Billings | October 19, 2006 | 46% | 35% | |
| Rasmussen | October 18, 2006 | 48% | 46% | |
| Rasmussen | October 11, 2006 | 49% | 42% | |
| Reuters/Zogby | October 5, 2006 | 46% | 42% | |
| Mason-Dixon | October 1, 2006 | 47% | 40% | 3% |
| Rasmussen | September 20, 2006 | 50% | 43% | |
| Rasmussen | September 13, 2006 | 52% | 43% | |
| Gallup | September 5, 2006 | 48% | 45% | |
| Lake Research (D) | August 10, 2006 | 44% | 37% | |
| Rasmussen | August 10, 2006 | 47% | 47% | |
| Rasmussen | July 11, 2006 | 50% | 43% | |
| Lake Research (D) | June 20-26, 2006 | 43% | 42% | |
| Mason Dixon | May 28, 2006 | 45% | 42% | |
| Rasmussen | May 16, 2006 | 48% | 44% | |
| Ayres McHenry & Associates (R) | May 2, 2006 | 48% | 42% | |
| Rasmussen | April 15, 2006 | 44% | 47% | |
| Rasmussen | March 20, 2006 | 46% | 43% | |
| Rasmussen | February 13, 2006 | 46% | 46% | |
| Rasmussen | January 11, 2006 | 45% | 45% | |
| Mason Dixon | December 24, 2005 | 35% | 49% | |
| Rasmussen | September 8, 2005 | 38% | 51% | |
| Mason Dixon | May, 2005 | 26% | 50% |
Results
Due to errors with polling machines the Montana count was delayed well into Wednesday 8 November. The race was too close to call throughout the night and many pundits predicted the need for a recount. After a very close election, on November 9, incumbent Conrad BurnsConrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
conceded defeat.
Just before 11:00 AM (MST) on November 8, Jon Tester was declared Senator-elect for Montana in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. At 2:27 PM EST on November 8, CNN projected that Jon Tester would win the race.
Under Montana law, if the margin of defeat is more than 0.25% but less than 0.5%, the losing candidate can request a recount if they pay for it themselves. However, this election did not qualify for a recount because the margin was larger than 0.5%. Burns conceded the race on November 9, and congratulated Tester on his victory.
The race was the closest Senate election of 2006 in terms of absolute vote difference; the closest race by percentage difference was the Virginia senate election
Virginia United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator George Allen ran for re-election to a second term, but lost to Democrat Jim Webb.-Background:...
.
External links
- Jon Tester's official campaign site
- Conrad Burns' official campaign site
- "Montana Senator in Fight of Political Life," Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, October 15, 2006 - Robert 'Bob' Candee's official campaign site
- Stan Jones' official campaign site
- Bob Keenan's official campaign site
- John Morrison's official campaign site
- Paul Richards' official campaign site
- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee page on this election