Brian Schweitzer

Brian Schweitzer (born 1955) is the Governor of Montana and a member of the U.S. Democratic Party. He took office on Monday, January 3, 2005.

Schweitzer is a rancher from Whitefish, Montana. He was a Clinton appointee to the United States Department of Agriculture from 1993 to 1999. In 2000 he ran for U.S. Senate against conservative Republican incumbent Conrad Burns. In a close race, Schweitzer lost by the surprisingly small margin of 51%-47%.

When incumbent Governor Judy Martz announced she would not run for re-election, Schweitzer announced his candidacy. His running mate was John Bohlinger , a Republican state legislator. He won the general election by a margin of 50%-46% over Secretary of State Bob Brown.

External links

• Biography of Brian Schweitzer on Montana's state government website