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The2000 United States Senate election in Montana was held on November 7, 2000. IncumbentRepublican U.S. SenatorConrad Burns won re-election to a third term. This was the last time until2024 where Republicans won the Class 1 Senate seat from Montana.
Brian Schweitzer, theDemocratic Party nominee, would be elected governorfour years later.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brian Schweitzer | 59,189 | 66.18 | |
| Democratic | John Driscoll | 30,242 | 33.82 | |
| Total votes | 89,431 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Conrad Burns (incumbent) | 102,125 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 102,125 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reform | Sam Rankin | 1,110 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 1,110 | 100.00 | ||
Though Sam Rankin won theReform Party's nomination for the United States Senate, he dropped out of the race over the summer and was replaced by Gary Lee.[2]
Burns, in a poll released September 21, 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."[3] Later that same month, while giving a speech aboutU.S. dependence on foreign oil to the Montana Equipment Dealers Association, he referred toArabs as "ragheads". Burns soon apologized, saying he "became too emotionally involved" during the speech.[4]
Burns facedBrian Schweitzer, a rancher fromWhitefish, Montana. While Burns attempted to link Schweitzer with presidential candidateAl Gore, whom Schweitzer never met, Schweitzer "effectively portrayed himself as nonpolitical".[5] Schweitzer primarily challenged Burns on the issue ofprescription drugs, organizing busloads of senior citizens to take trips toCanada andMexico for cheaper medicine.[6] Burns charged that Schweitzer favored "Canadian-style government controls"[5] and claimed that senior citizens went to doctors to have "somebody to visit with. There's nothing wrong with them."[6] Burns also faced trouble regarding deaths fromasbestos inLibby, 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.[5][7]
Burns spent twice as much money as Schweitzer on the election[5] and only defeated him by a slim margin, 51% to 47%, while the state voted 58% to 33% for Republican presidential nomineeGeorge W. Bush. Schweitzer went on to becomegovernor in 2005.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Conrad Burns (incumbent) | 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 | ||||
| Republicanhold | Swing | ||||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Official campaign websites (Archived)