Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Present-day Montana politicians are also gaining notoriety on the national scene. Former
governor Brian Schweitzer is a Democrat who appeals to members of both parties. In fact,
his running mate in 2004 was Republican John Bohlinger. Schweitzer is known for his
down-to-earth persona and in 2008 gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention
that was widely acclaimed. Senator Max Baucus, a Democrat, has been serving in the U.S.
Senate since 1978, and is currently chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, which played
a pivotal role in the debate over health care reform. Montana's current governor, Steve Bul-
lock, is also a democrat. Montana has two senators, one Republican and one Democrat,
and a single representative in Congress, who is a Republican. Since the state has recently
crossed the one million mark in population, a second congressional representative should
be on the horizon.
CHANGING POLITICS
The political history of Montana and Wyoming is as colorful as the Wild West and
has changed over the years to reflect the shifting population, economy, and culture
that exists here.
Wyoming's political history is a study in contrasts. It was the first state to grant
women the right to vote and the first state to elect a woman as governor. Yet the state
remains largely conservative and has only voted for one Democratic president since
1960 (Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964). Even though more than half of Wyoming's res-
idents consider themselves Republicans, and Republicans have held a majority in the
state senate continuously since 1936 and in the state house since 1964, Democrats
have owned the governor's seat for all but eight years since 1975. Democratic gov-
ernor Dave Freudenthal, in office 2002-2010, had one of the highest approval ratings
in the country.
Like many states in the West, Democratic strongholds tend to exist in slightly
more urban areas, or areas that have a large number of transplants and a younger pop-
ulation. In Wyoming, Teton County is the only reliably Democratic county, which
is no surprise as it includes Jackson Hole. The town's population has boomed over
the years, boosted by younger transplants from more liberal parts of the country that
come for the skiing, fly-fishing, and outdoor lifestyle the town offers.
Montana is a little harder to figure out. At first glance, it may come across as
a decidedly Republican state, but its history shows that both parties have had suc-
