There were three surprises. Brittany MacLean defeated Gil Jordan for the Democratic nomination for Senate District 2 (Whitefish and Columbia Falls and points north). I have informal reports that Jordan, a man of considerable accomplishment, may have had a personality that rubbed voters the wrong way. MacLean’s Republican opponent in November will be Ryan Zinke, a retired naval officer who grew up in Whitefish. Zinke easily defeated Suzanne Brooks in a campaign that was marred by rumors of anti-Zinke robo calls.
Scott Reichner defeated Bob Keenan for the Republican nomination for House District 9, the Bigfork seat vacated by Rep. Bill Jones. Keenan, a former legislator who believes he’d make a fine governor, but chose not to challenge Brian Schweitzer, evidently did not campaign. His not entirely complete C5 campaign finance report, filed on 22 May, listed only $250 in contributions, no expenditures, and no cash on hand. It appears, to borrow a term from boxing, that Keenan took a dive.
In the Democratic primary for county commissioner, Steve Qunell, the only candidate on the ballot, received unexpected competition from around 150 write-in votes (no names yet). I suspect that the write-ins were a protest connected to the dispute over who rules the zoning doughnut surrounding Whitefish. This is a toxic issue that I’ll address later this year. It would be a shame were it to derail Qunell, a very bright and capable man who would make a fine county commissioner.
There was no surprise in the Democratic contest in House District 8 (Kalispell), where newcomer Cheryl Steenson defeated veteran Democratic activist John de Neeve by a two-to-one margin. Steenson raised more money than de Neeve and incumbent Republican Craig Witte combined, recruited a small army of volunteers, enlisted savvy advisors, worked hard, ran a smart campaign, and surely benefited from being a fresh face in a year in which the voters seek change. Come November, look for Steenson, a true-blue Democrat with deep local roots, to defeat Witte, a movement conservative who wants to gut government, by a small but convincing margin.
There also was no surprise in Jim Dupont’s decisive win over Gary Hall for the Republican nomination for county commissioner from the northern district. Dupont raised more than $20,000, ran an efficient campaign, and cashed in on the goodwill he generated during his four terms as county sheriff. County commissioners tend to wear out their welcomes rather quickly, and Hall was no exception. Still, he worked hard at the job and deserves thanks for his efforts if not his results. Voters who want more of the same in a different package will vote for Dupont. Voters who want real change will vote for Qunell.
For me, there were three surprises. Eighty-five-year-old Bob Kelleher defeated Michael Lange and Kirk Bushman for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. More than anything else, I think this indicates disgust and exasperation with the Republican establishment. Kelleher’s name recognition helped, but I doubt it was any higher than Lange’s name recognition, so it’s clear that Lange was not helped by the publicity he received during the last session of the legislature.
Steve Bullock won the Democratic nomination for attorney general. He campaigned hard, promising to rescue Montana from an alleged plague of abuse of prescription drugs (translation: he thinks people should feel their pain, not kill it). Whether the best man for the job won is impossible to tell. Attorney Generals should be appointed on the basis of professional competence, not elected. Most campaigns for attorney general, like most campaigns for a judgeship, degenerate into one-up-manship contests in which the candidates trip over themselves and each other in their attempts to promise to hang ‘em higher than anyone else.
The biggest shocker, or at least disappointment, was John Driscoll’s defeat of Jim Hunt for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House seat now held by Dennis Rehberg. Driscoll filed at almost the last minute. A former Public Service Commission member, Driscoll, according to the Billings Gazette, “…said he didn’t intend to campaign at all and was offering himself as a choice to voters who wanted someone without financial ties to any interest.”
Hunt, an attorney and member of the distinguished family headed by former Montana Supreme Court justice William Hunt, wanted the job, but began his campaign late by political standards (Bill Kennedy, who campaigned for the job through most of 2007, withdrew last fall citing personal reasons, whatever those were). Therefore, Driscoll had higher name recognition and that made the difference.
Driscoll’s “victory” ensures that Dennis Rehberg will win re-election easily. I find myself wondering whether Driscoll had a beef with Jim Hunt or the Hunt family, or a grudge against attorneys. His candidacy was a spoiler candidacy, and he succeeded in spoiling the best chance Democrats may ever have of defeating Rehberg. Frankly, the Democrats who voted for Driscoll were ignorant fools who just flunked real world civics. The Republicans who voted for Kelleher were a lot smarter.