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Brian Schweitzer

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Brian Schweitzer
Prior offices:
Governor of Montana
Years in office: 2005 - 2013
Education
Bachelor's
Colorado State University, 1978
Graduate
Montana State University, 1980
Personal
Religion
Christian: Catholic
Profession
Farmer/Rancher

Brian David Schweitzer (born September 4, 1955) was theDemocraticGovernor ofMontana from 2005 to 2013.

Schweitzer was prevented by term limits from seeking re-election in 2012. He was succeeded byAttorney General of MontanaSteve Bullock (D), who won election onNovember 6, 2012.

Biography

Emaileditor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Schweitzer was born in Havre, Montana. He earned his bachelor's degree in international agronomy from Colorado State University in 1978 and his master's degree in soil science from Montana State University in 1980. In 1986, Schweitzer started a ranching and irrigation business.[1][2]

PresidentBill Clinton (D) appointed Schweitzer to theU.S. Department of Agriculture as a member of the Montana USDA Farm Service Agency Committee.[2]

Education

  • M.S., Soil Science, Montana State University, 1980
  • B.S., International Agronomy, Colorado State University, 1978[2]

Political career

Montana Governor (2005-2013)

After incumbent Governor Judy Martz announced she would not run for re-election in 2004, Schweitzer announced that he would run for governor withJohn Bohlinger.[3][2]

Schweitzer won the general election by a margin of 50% to 46% over Montana Secretary of State Bob Brown.[4]

Schweitzer campaigning in Billings, Montana

Posthumous pardons

On May 3, 2006, Schweitzer granted posthumous pardons to 78 people convicted of sedition during World War I.The New York Times called Montana's Sedition Act "among the harshest in the country".[5][6]

Election tampering

In July 2008, Schweitzer gave a speech in Philadelphia to the American Association for Justice, formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, during which he suggested that he had tampered with the 2006 U.S. Senate election in Montana to helpJon Tester (D) win. According toThe Missoulian, the governor later said that it was all a joke.[7]

Presidential preference

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Schweitzer endorsedMartin O'Malley for the Democrat primary in the 2016 U.S.presidential election.[8]

See also:Endorsements for Martin O'Malley
2016 Presidential Endorsements by Influencer Individuals
NameCandidateDateSource
Republican Party Colin PowellDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonOctober 2016Newsday
Democratic PartyDeRay McKessonDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonOctober 2016The Washington Post
Republican PartyMichael ChertoffDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonOctober 2016Bloomberg.com
IndependentLarry PresslerDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonAugust 2016The Hill
Republican PartyGeorge P. BushRepublican PartyDonald TrumpAugust 2016CNN
IndependentMichael BloombergDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJuly 2016The Hill
IndependentJesse VenturaLibertarian PartyGary JohnsonJuly 2016CNBC
Republican PartyWilliam G. MillikenDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonAugust 2016Detroit Free Press
Republican PartyMeg WhitmanDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonAugust 2016Reuters
Democratic PartyAl GoreDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJuly 2016CNN
Republican PartyJeff DeWitRepublican PartyDonald TrumpJanuary 2016The Arizona Republic
Democratic PartyJoe BidenDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJune 2016Politico
Democratic PartyBarack ObamaDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJune 2016CNN
Republican PartyNewt GingrichRepublican PartyDonald TrumpMay 2016CBS News
Republican PartyRoger F. Villere Jr.Republican PartyDonald TrumpMay 2016Republican Party of Louisiana
Democratic PartySteve BeshearDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonMay 2016The Courier-Journal
Republican Party Sheldon AdelsonRepublican PartyDonald TrumpMay 2016Politico
Democratic PartyKathleen SebeliusDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonFebruary 2016CBS News
Republican PartyScott BrownRepublican PartyDonald TrumpFebruary 2016Boston Herald
Republican PartyLincoln AlmondRepublican PartyJeb BushJanuary 2016Bloomberg
Republican PartyAnn Marie BuerkleRepublican PartyCarly FiorinaNovember 2015Syracuse.com
Democratic PartyEric HolderDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJanuary 2016Politico
Republican PartyTony PerkinsRepublican PartyTed CruzJanuary 2016The Huffington Post
Republican PartyJon KylRepublican PartyMarco RubioJanuary 2016The Arizona Republic
Republican PartyNorm ColemanRepublican PartyJeb BushJanuary 2016Minnesota Public Radio
Democratic PartyLucy FloresDemocratic PartyBernie SandersNovember 2015Cleveland.com
Republican PartySarah PalinRepublican PartyDonald TrumpJanuary 2016The New York Times
Republican PartyEric CantorRepublican PartyJeb BushNovember 2015CNN
Democratic PartyBrian SchweitzerDemocratic PartyMartin O'MalleyOctober 2015CNN Politics
Democratic PartyNina TurnerDemocratic PartyBernie SandersNovember 2015Cleveland.com
Democratic PartyGabrielle GiffordsDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonJanuary 2016CNN
Republican PartyPeter BragdonRepublican PartyChris ChristieJanuary 2016New Hampshire Union Leader
Republican PartyBob Vander PlaatsRepublican PartyTed CruzDecember 2015ABC News
Republican PartyPaul SingerRepublican PartyMarco RubioOctober 2015The New York Times
Republican PartyFrank VanderSlootRepublican PartyMarco RubioNovember 2015Politico
Republican PartyKenneth GriffinRepublican PartyMarco RubioDecember 2015The New York Times
Democratic PartyJulian CastroDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonOctober 2015MSNBC
Democratic PartyTom VilsackDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonAugust 2015MSNBC
Democratic PartyTom PerezDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonDecember 2015Politico
Democratic PartyPeter FranchotDemocratic PartyHillary ClintonOctober 2015Baltimore Sun

Elections

2012

See also:Montana gubernatorial election, 2012

Due toterm limits, Schweitzer was not able to run for a third consecutive term in 2012.Attorney GeneralSteve Bullock (D) won election onNovember 6, 2012.

2008

On November 4, 2008, Schweitzer won re-election as Governor on a ticket withJohn Bohlinger.[9]

Governor/Lt. Governor of Montana, 2008
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngBrian Schweitzer/John BohlingerIncumbent65.5%318,670
    Republican Roy Brown/Steve Daines32.5%158,268
    Libertarian Stan Jones/Michael Baker2%9,796
Total Votes486,734

2004

On November 2, 2004, Schweitzer won election as Governor on a ticket withJohn Bohlinger.[10]

Governor/Lt. Governor of Montana, 2004
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngBrian Schweitzer/John Bohlinger50.4%225,016
    Republican Bob Brown/Dave Lewis46%205,313
    Green Bob Kelleher/Colleen Little Thunder1.9%8,393
    Libertarian Stanley Jones/Mike Kaszula1.7%7,424
Total Votes446,146

Campaign finance summary

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See also

External links


Footnotes

  1. ↑Mt.gov, "Biography: Governor Brian Schweitzer," accessed September 14, 2012
  2. ↑2.02.12.22.3MontanaTech, "Biography of Brian Schweitzer," 2016
  3. ↑Missoulian.com, "Martz won't seek re-election," August 14, 2003
  4. ↑CNN.com, "Schweitzer wins Montana governorship," November 3, 2004
  5. ↑USA Today, "Montana governor to pardon 78 convicted during WWI," May 3, 2006
  6. ↑The New York Times, "Pardons granted 88 Years After Crimes of Sedition," May 3, 2006
  7. ↑Missoulian.com, "Schweitzer under fire for remark," September 17, 2008
  8. ↑CNN Politics, "Former Montana governor backs Martin O'Malley for president," October 23, 2015
  9. ↑Montana Secretary of State, "2008 Statewide General Election Results," accessed June 8, 2021
  10. ↑Montana Secretary of State, "2004 Statewide General Election Results," accessed December 1, 2011
Political offices
Preceded by
Judy Martz		Montana Governor
2005 - 2013		Succeeded by
Steve Bullock (D)
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