Tweet
Former Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer
Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer could potentially unseat Senator Max Baucus in a Democratic primary according to a Public Policy Polling survey. The poll found that if Schweitzer decided to run for Senate next year he would start with 54 percent of the primary vote, compared to only 35 percent for Baucus.
A poll about a theoretical race that is more than a year away is normally not particularly newsworthy, but soon after the poll was released it was posted on Schweitzer’s Facebook page. Rumors are that Schweitzer has been considering a primary and this is a very public indication that he is thinking about it. This is a real shot across the bow.
On a host of issues Schweitzer is more progressive than Baucus and also more generally popular in the state. Schweitzer has a strong favorable rating and PPP also found that Schweitzer currently polls better than Baucus against many of the potential Republican candidates.
If Schweitzer did challenge Baucus it would likely be one of the most important Democratic primaries of 2014.
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
16 Comments
The question is would Schweitzer have a fighting chance in ’16? If he’s not going to run in ’16 he needs to unseat “Mad” Max. Schweitzer certainly isn’t Bernie Sanders, but he’s miles better than Baucus.
I imagine that this will work out like New Jersey, and that when it becomes clear that the challenge is really going to take place, Baucus will withdraw rather than be humiliated.
If Schweitzer takes down Max Baucus, because Rockefeller is retiring, the next in line to head the Senate Finance Committee is Ron Wyden. That would be very interesting indeed.
Great news. I have no doubt Liz Fowler will find him a place at Wellpoint and that’s where he belongs.
Baucus — that duplicitous Mofo. Architect of the ACA butt-fucking.
Even Franken isn’t Sanders
Only Sanders is Sanders.
If Montana prefers to move left, who am I to stand in its way?
Go left!
Waiting for Obama LLC to subvert Schweitzer in favor the DLC’s favorite son, Mad Max.
“Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden.”
Dammit, Tarheel, now I’m going to be grinning all evening. (Though I hope to hell that both Wyden and Schweitzer stay out of small planes from now on.)
Which is why it might be worth it to give Schweitzer a boost of some sort.
This would be awesome. The ex-gov probably realizes his shot at the 2016 Democratic ticket was a long one. Even by Tom Horn’s standards.
God yest..somebody Primary that Jerk.
I’d suggest the same for Elizabeth Warren, PW…! ;-)
Witty ‘Tom Horn’ reference.
A-yep. I say this as someone who had Paul Wellstone as one of my senators.
Go for it, Brian Schweitzer!
Max Baucus has been in the Senate since 1979. So has Michigan’s Carl Levin. They had a good run. (Lengthy, of course.)
I’m ready for a change.