Montana Senate Race: Steve Daines

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently likened the fight for control of the Senate to "a knife fight" in an alley, and there's no race that better illustrates the heated nature of the contest than the showdown in Montana between first-term Sen. Steve Daines and Gov. Steve Bullock. Democrats pulled out all the stops to recruit failed presidential candidate Bullock, knowing it was their only chance to make this race part of the Senate battlefield.

Bullock has benefitted from his role as governor during the COVID crisis. And lest we forget, Montana's other Senator, Jon Tester, is a Democrat who was reelected in 2018. It shouldn't be surprising that the race is very close, both in polls and in the all-important money race. 
 
Senator Daines has a simple message: Montanans will likely be deciding whether the Senate will remain a conservative bulwark led by McConnell or veer left with Chuck Schumer. Daines is highlighting the liberal stances Bullock adopted while seeking the Democrats' presidential nomination. There are very stark contrasts on taxes, gun rights, immigration, as well as on national security issues. While Daines was a vocal opponent of the Obama Iran nuclear deal, J Street-endorsed Bullock campaigned on a platform of reentering the deal.
 
Montana's a small state and it's not a presidential battleground. But there's no denying its importance to the direction of the Senate and the country. If you haven't already, please consider making a contribution to support a great friend, Senator Steve Daines.

The RJC PAC has endorsed Steve Daines. You can help him win by clicking here to support his campaign.

Please watch this space for more in-depth analysis on individual races in the critical 2020 elections. If you’d like to share your thoughts with me on any of these races, please email me at [email protected]. Click here to see previous "Notes from Norm."