MCV Primary Election 2008 Results

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 - GENERAL ELECTION

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MCV  Primary Results

Montana Conservation Voters is celebrating the primary election victories of 5 of its 6 top priority candidates, one of whom defeated a candidate supported by the industry-backed Political Action Committee Jobs4MT.

Renewable energy and conservation, protection of water quality and access to lands for hunting and fishing were issues that played in these races, distinguishing candidates from each other.  The environment and future generations are the winners in the June 3 Montana primary.

Headlining MCV’s work is the election of former state Representative Paul Clark, who defeated Judy Stang, 52% - 48% in Senate District 7 (Mineral, Sanders, Missoula counties).  Clark, a conservation champ backing access to public lands for hunting and fishing, bested Stang, on whose behalf an industry PAC, the so-called “Jobs4MT” PAC conducted an independent expenditure.  The PAC claimed that Stang was the candidate who would work for “Green Jobs, Good Jobs.”  But MCV’s Political Action Committee coordinated grassroots voter contact throughout the district, made calls and sent mailings to those requesting absentee ballots to urge their support of Clark, prepared a mailing that exposed the backers of Jobs4MT, helped with fundraising, and conducted a vigorous Get Out The Vote effort. Clark now faces the winner of the Republican primary, Greg Hinkle, in this swing district. 
 
Helena’s Sen. Christine Kaufmann won her primary election against Rep. Hal Jacobson 54% - 46%, where MCV’s PAC conducted calls to voters, sent voter education mailings and made get out the vote calls, helped with fundraising and communicated with absentee balloters. Kaufmann serves on the Senate Natural Resource Committee, the Environmental Quality Council, and is a strong conservation leader in the legislature. Kaufmann faces Republican Jim Leach in this highly Democratic district. Jacobson has a good conservation record with MCV as a legislator, while Kaufmann was backed because of her leadership on conservation issues. 

Billings Mayor Ron Tussing earned MCV’s endorsement for Public Service Commission 2, a seat now held by Republican Brad Molnar, who as a legislator championed the failed utility deregulation law.  Tussing beat a primary opponent, Tom Curry by a margin of 55% - 45%. Tussing has been an advocate of renewable energy, and strategies to ensure the City of Billings reduces its energy use. He faces Molnar in the general election. Molnar opposed legislative measures to reconsider deregulation, has been a strident opponent of energy conservation and renewable energy measures, and has a mixed attendance record as a Public Service Commissioner. MCV’s work in this race was similar to the others, with the addition of door to door canvassing in parts of PSC 2.
 
Missoula Rep. Ron Erickson won a primary election against former Rep. Rosie Buzzas 68% - 32%.  Erickson earned MCV’s first “Conservation Champion” award in 2007, and has been a leader on conservation and environmental legislation in the Montana legislature.  He has no general election opponent. MCV helped with fundraising and made get out the vote calls here.

Missoula Rep. Dave McAlpin easily defeated his primary election opponent Gary Stein 65% - 35%. McAlpin is the House Minority Whip, has 100 percent voting record with MCV, and faces Republican Linda Frey in the general election. MCV helped with fundraising and made get out the vote calls.

Rep. Norma Bixby lost her primary election bid for Senate District 21 in southeastern Montana, defeated by Sharon Stewart-Peregoy 31% - 29%, in a four way Democratic primary in this district that includes both the Northern Cheyenne and Crow nations. Bixby has been a champion for clean water and protection of the rights of farmers and ranchers in the face of coal bed methane development and earned MCV’s endorsement over Stewart-Peregoy, who also took part in the MCV endorsement process, while the other two primary opponents and the Republican general election opponent did not. MCV made hundreds of calls to voters, including those casting absentee ballots, sent out voter education mailings and gave fundraising assistance.

The industry PAC Jobs4MT, run by former Montana Republican Party leader Chuck Denowh, has received virtually all of its funding from PACs whose industries have worked to weaken cornerstone conservation laws.  The PAC reported last week to the Missoulian that they were supporting three Democratic candidates in three other primary races, in addition to Stang’s.  All of those candidates lost their primary elections, including Democratic incumbent Rep. Bill Thomas (Great Falls), who was the third lowest scoring House Democrat on MCV’s 2007 Legislative Scorecard; Sen. Frank Smith, Poplar, who was defeated in his re-election bid by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy (D-Box Elder); and Rebecca Convrey (HD 41, Hardin) who lost to David Roundstone (D-Lame Deer) in this open seat.  No MCV endorsements were made in these three races.
 
Other primary election races in which MCV endorsed:

• Win - Rep. Kendall Van Dyk (D - HD 49, Billings) easily defeated perennial candidate William Nigro 85% - 15% in his primary election.  Van Dyk faces Kassidy Olson in the general election.
• Win - Rep. Tim Furey (D – HD 91, Missoula, Milltown) defeated Dustin Hankinson 82% - 12%. He faces Walt Hill in the general election.  
• Win - Rep. Michele Reinhart (D – HD 97, Missoula) defeated James Boone 69% - 31%.  She faces Republican Carol Minjares in the general election.
• Loss - MCV endorsed candidate Gil Jordan lost his primary election bid to Brittany MacLean 47% - 53% in the Flathead’s SD 2. MacLean, who also took part in the MCV endorsement process, faces Ryan Zinke in the general election.
• Co-endorsed candidate Mike Menahan (HD 82, Helena) defeated co-endorsed candidate Matt Cohn in this open seat 65% - 35%.  Mike will be up against Republican Chris Sinrud this fall.
• Co-endorsed candidate Gary Brown (HD 100, Missoula) defeated co-endorsed candidate Willis Curdy in this seat 52% - 48%.  Brown faces incumbent Rep. Bill Nooney in the general.
• Win - Though not a primary race, Supreme Court Chief Justice Candidate Mike McGrath (currently Attorney General), who MCV endorsed, obtained 182,473 votes while challenger Ron Waterman earned 47,560 votes.   Waterman jumped into the race two days before the filing deadline.
• MCV endorsed statewide candidates Monica Lindeen for State Auditor and Linda McCulloch (currently state Superintendent of Public Instruction) for Secretary of State did not have primary elections.  

Other election year outcomes, and a few surprises:

• Though MCV didn’t make any endorsements in the open statewide seats for Attorney General and Superintendent of Public Instruction, we interviewed all those seeking MCV’s endorsement.  That included all three Democratic Attorney General Candidates, and the Democratic candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction except for Sen. Sam Kitzenberg. These are both important seats for conservation, as both posts help comprise the State Land Board.  Because of the strong conservation credentials of all the candidates seeking endorsement, no endorsements were made in the primary. 
• Helena attorney Steve Bullock emerged as the Democratic candidate for Attorney General and will face Republican Tim Fox this November. 
• Denise Juneau (D) won the OPI primary and will be challenged by Elaine Sollie Herman (R) and Donald Eisenmenger (L).
• Lots of talk about Bob Kelleher, who won a four way Republican primary to face off against Sen. Max Baucus.  He has run in almost every election for the last 30 years, advocating a parliamentary system of government. He was elected to the 1972 Constitutional Convention (non-partisan election).  Kelleher has run as a statewide Green Party candidate, a Democrat and as an Independent.
• And, John Driscoll won the Democratic primary for U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Jim Hunt, who was expected to win, and Robert Candee, a frequent statewide candidate.
• Legislative incumbent defeats: Sen. Frank Smith (D-Poplar) and Rep. Bill Thomas (D-Great Falls) were joined in defeat by Rep. John Ward (R-Helena), Rep. Carol Lambert (R-Broadus) and Rep. Bruce Malcolm (R-Gardiner).  Some speculate the defeat of the Republican incumbents was because they weren’t considered conservative enough, having been on Rep. Roger Koopman’s (R-Bozeman) list of so-called socialists who he said needed to be defeated.  Ward’s lifetime MCV score is 30%, Lambert’s is 8% and Malcolm’s is 13%.

Thanks to the excellent work of the MCV staff, the dozens of members who volunteered to do endorsements, mailings, calls and door-to-door voter visits, and the wonderful financial supporters of the MCV PAC.

Montana Conservation Voters will be completing its endorsements in the general election in the weeks ahead.  Members are invited to help.  Interested?  Contact Mike at the Billings office, phone 254.1593.

On to the general election!

This page paid for by the Montana Conservation Voters Political Action Committee, P.O. Box 63, Billings, MT 59103 - Virginia Court, Treasurer.