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 Hupp Schweitzer |
| Children | Ben Schweitzer Khai Schweitzer Katrina Schweitzer |
| Residence | Whitefish, Montana |
| Alma mater | Colorado State University (B.Sc.) Montana State University (M.Sc.) |
| Profession | Rancher, Agribusiness |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.brianschweitzer.com |
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] Schweitzer is also the chair of the Democratic Governors Association.[2]
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[edit] Early life
Schweitzer was born in Havre, Montana, the fourth of six children of Adam and Kay Schweitzer. His maternal grandparents were Irish and his paternal grandparents were ethnic Germans from present-day Russia.[3] Following his high school years at The Abbey in Canon City, Colorado, 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, Schweitzer worked as an irrigation developer on projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. He spent several years working in Libya[4] and Saudi Arabia and speaks Arabic.[5] He returned to Montana in 1986 to launch a ranching and irrigation business in Whitefish.
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 a 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.[6]
Schweitzer's reputation led him to be mentioned by some political pundits in the liberal blogosphere as being among the top candidates for Vice President under Democratic nominee Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.[7] Schweitzer gave a speech on American energy independence at the 2008 Democratic National Convention that was widely acclaimed.[8][9][10]
[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 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),[11] and Charlie Rose (March 7, 2007) regarding his work in this field.
Schweitzer is against gun control[6] and a vehement critic of the REAL ID legislation.[12]
Schweitzer signed in to Law the Montana Firearms Freedom Act on April 15, 2009 and it will become effective October 1, 2009. The law exempts firearms made and kept in Montana from Federal firearms regulations. It applies mostly to non-military types of firearms, along with ammunition and accessories such silencers,[13] provided that these items are manufactured in the state, and do not leave the state.
In August 2008, Schweitzer was given an important speaking slot at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
[edit] Governorship
As Governor, Schweitzer is an active member of the Democratic Governors Association. Prior to becoming Chair, he served as the organization's Vice Chair, Finance Chair, and Recruitment Chair.
As a result of Schweitzer's efforts, Montana’s electrical generation capacity[14] has increased more during his term as Governor than the previous 16 years combined.
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."[15][16]
Schweitzer was to co-lead an energy policy forum at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C., on February 22, 2009, along with Republican Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, the 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate. Palin announced just days before the event that she would not be going to the nation's capital the weekend of the event, leaving Schweitzer alone to lead the discussion. The Montana governor caused a minor stir when he ribbed his colleague over the cancellation, joking in a reference to the high-profile purchase of a $150,000 wardrobe for Palin by the Republican Party during the 2008 campaign, "I don't know where she's going to be. You'll be stuck with me. There will be no glamor, certainly no snappy dressing. I brought my best two pairs of jeans. There's a little bit of a horse shit stain by the knee, but I've been washing that stuff out."[17]
[edit] Family
Schweitzer married Nancy Hupp in 1978. Nancy was born on November 11, 1957 in Calgary, Alberta and moved to Billings, Montana in 1966.[18] The couple began a family after returning to Montana, and are the parents of three children: Ben, Khai, and Katrina. As the father of an autistic son (Ben), Schweitzer has also spoken publicly about autism-related issues. In July 2008, he responded to controversial on-air remarks by conservative talk radio host Michael Savage, saying: "I'm very close to some autistic people and I can tell you who is a brat. That would be Michael Savage, not the autistic people of Montana."[19]
[edit] Electoral history
| Montana gubernatorial election, 2008 | |||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Brian Schweitzer | 316,509 | 65.4 | +15.0 | |
| Republican | Roy Brown | 157,894 | 32.6 | -13.4 | |
| Libertarian | Stan Jones | 9,790 | 2.0 | +0.3 | |
| Montana gubernatorial election, 2004 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Brian Schweitzer | 225,016 | 50.4 | ||
| Republican | Bob Brown | 205,313 | 46.0 | ||
| Green | Robert Kelleher | 8,393 | 1.9 | ||
| Libertarian | Stanley R. Jones | 7,424 | 1.7 | ||
| United States Senate election in Montana, 2000 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- ^ [http://democraticgovernors.org/news/2382/manchin-announces-schweitzer-omalley-as-new-dga-chair-vice-chair "Manchin Announces Schweitzer, O'Malley as New DGA Chair, Vice Chair"
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/03/us/03pardon.html?ei=5094
- ^ 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. http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8081977. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
- ^ http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/22/123044/624/890/572708
- ^ Los Angeles Times (2008). Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer makes the most of the spotlight. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
- ^ CBS News (2008). A Star Is Born?. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
- ^ Newsweek (2008). Would Someone Please Give This Schweitzer Guy a Keynote Address?. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
- ^ Diesel Power Magazine (December 2006 issue)
- ^ "Montana Governor on 'Real ID' Act". National Public Radio. 2008-03-07. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87991791. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
- ^ Ernest Hancock (4 May 2009). "Montana Governor Signs Revolutionary New Gun Law". Republic Magazine. http://www.republicmagazine.com/montana-governor-signs-revolutionary-new-gun-law/. Retrieved on 2009-05-09.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "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.
- ^ Palin Ribbed by Montana Guv for Being No Show
- ^ Johnson, Charles S. (2006-07-02). "Growing on the job". Helena Independent Record. http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/07/02/montana/a01070206_02.txt. Retrieved on 2008-10-28.
- ^ "Schweitzer reacts to radio host's autism remarks", KRTV in Great Falls, Montana, July 22, 2008
[edit] External links
- Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer official state website
- Schweitzer - Bohlinger official campaign website
- Biography at the National Governors Association
- Campaign contributions at Follow the Money
- Biography, interest group ratings, public statements, vetoes and campaign finances at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Collected news and commentary at The Washington Post
- Speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brian Schweitzer |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Judy Martz |
Governor of Montana January 3, 2005–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Jack Mudd |
Democratic Party nominee for United States Senator from Montana (Class 1) 2000 |
Succeeded by Jon Tester |
| Preceded by Mark O'Keefe |
Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Montana 2004, 2008 |
Succeeded by Current nominee |
| Order of precedence in the United States of America | ||
| Preceded by Joe Biden Vice President of the United States Jill Biden Second Lady of the United States |
United States order of precedence In Montana |
Succeeded by Mayors of Montana cities if present next fixed Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the United States House of Representatives |
| Preceded by Mike Rounds Governor of South Dakota |
United States order of precedence Outside Montana |
Succeeded by Christine Gregoire Governor of Washington |
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