Daines, Bullock take party primaries in Montana US Senate race

Republican Sen. Steve Daines and Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock will battle it out on the ballot for U.S. Senate Nov. 3, after Tuesday’s primary in what is being touted as one of the most hotly contested battles in the country.

The race was called by the Associated Press about 8:30 p.m.

Bullock faced Democratic challenger John Mues of Loma and Daines, seeking his second six-year term, defeated Dan Larson of Stevensville and John Brian Driscoll of Helena.

Several Democrats dropped from the race when Bullock entered shortly before the March 9 filing deadline. Bullock had been in the race for president, but dropped out when his campaign failed to gain traction.

He has been urged early on not to run for president, but to vie for Daines’ senate seat instead. He brushed those suggestions aside. Democrats hope that Bullock could help turn the Republican majority in the senate in their favor. 

There are now 53 Republicans in the Senate, 45 Democrats and two Independents.

In March, Trump tweeted his support for Daines, saying “The great people of Montana can have no better VOICE than Senator @SteveDaines. Whoever the Democrat nominee may be, please understand that I will be working hard with Steve all the way.”

Trump won the state by 20 points when he ran for president in 2016.

Daines thanked Montanans for their support Tuesday night.

“I spent 28 years in the private sector solving problems, delivering solutions and creating jobs," he said in an email. "And our focus right now needs to be on helping Montana small businesses, workers and families get back to work.

"These have been extraordinarily difficult times but together we can re-build our economy, get Montanans back to work, and Make America Great Again," he said.

Bullock, a two-term governor, on his website touts his work on campaign finance reform, protecting public land, working with a Republican Legislature to get  Medicaid expansion passed, making “record investments” in education, boosting job training programs and building Montana’s infrastructure.

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Daines is a former member of the House who won his open Senate seat in 2014 against Democrat Amanda Curtis. It was a historic win as he took a seat held by Democrats for more than 100 years. And it helped Republicans gain control of the Senate for the first time since 2006.

Daines said he is running for re-election to help Trump rebuild the economy, "protect and create more good-paying Montana jobs, and secure our health care supply chain by ending our reliance on China for critical PPE and life-saving pharmaceutical drugs."

He said he helped secure permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, championed a bipartisan bill to lower the costs of prescription drugs for Montana seniors, worked on a bipartisan timber production reform plan that will prevent devastating wildfires and create hundreds of jobs.

Now Daines and Bullock are lined up for what some news organizations have dubbed “The Battle of the Steves.”

A recent poll from Montana State University gave Bullock a slight edge over Daines, and noted the lead was within the margin of error, thereby making the race a tie. Bullock had 47% to 40% for Daines, with 7% of voters undecided. 

In April, it was reported that Bullock raised nearly $3.3 million in the first three weeks of his campaign and Daines has raised a total of $7.9 million throughout his re-election campaign, the Associated Press reported.

The ballots were still warm Tuesday when Republicans and Democrats offered comment.

“Steve Daines has been a strong champion and defender of our Montana values in Washington, D.C. Montanans know they can trust him to always listen and protect our way of life,” said Don Kaltschmidt, head the Montana Republican Party.

He said Daines stands with President Donald Trump and puts Montana first while Bullock stands with Democratic Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer "and embraces more and more of the radical Democrat agenda of gun bans, open borders and sanctuary cities" and removing Trump from office.

“Steve Daines is the fighter Montana needs in the U.S. Senate, and we look forward to his strong victory this November,” Kaltschmidt said.

Sandi Luckey, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party, said the race comes down to leadership.

"Gov. Bullock has a proven track record of standing up to special interests and bringing people together to get things done for everyday Montanans," she said. During the COVID-19 crisis we’ve seen him display strong leadership, listen to experts, and put politics aside for the good of our state. In the Senate, Bullock will continue to do what is right for Montanans, just as he has done every day as our governor.”

She said Daines is "another Washington politician who cowers to party leaders and special interests at the expense of hardworking Montanans. We won’t be sad to see him go in November."

Wendie Frederickson of Helena and Dennis Danecke of Lolo are running in the primary for the Green Party.

Reporter Phil Drake is our eye on the state capitol. For tips, suggestions or comment, he can be reached at 406-231-9021 or pdrake@greatfallstribune.com. To support his work, subscribe today and get a special offer.