ICYMI: Montana Republicans “Worried” About “Tough Challenge” From Bullock

Senate President Says Bullock “Well Positioned” and “Extremely Competitive”

The Daily Beast details the growing concern among Montana Republicans that Governor Steve Bullock poses a serious threat to incumbent Senator Steve Daines. The GOP State Senate President said Governor Bullock is “well positioned” as public polls show the race to be very competitive. Bullock’s leadership stands in stark contrast to Senator Daines, who dishonestly claimed credit for expanded unemployment benefits he voted against. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

The Daily Beast: Why the Montana Gov’s COVID Response Is Making the GOP Nervous

By Hunter Woodall

Key Points:

• Montana Senate President Scott Sales was already worried that Gov. Steve Bullock would be a tough challenge to Sen. Steve Daines’ re-election chances. 

• Then the coronavirus shut down the country.

• Now, after weeks of the Democratic governor being able to dominate media coverage as he leads the state through the pandemic and into a reopening process, it isn’t lost on Sales that Bullock is getting a “backdrop of credibility,” as he’s seen by the public with other officials. 

• “That’s going to be a dog fight and Steve Daines is in the fight of his life in my opinion,” said Sales, who supports Daines. “And I think Bullock is well positioned. He’s going to be extremely competitive.”

• Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, described the race as “very close,” and noted that governors during the pandemic have benefited from a type of “rally around the flag bonus.”

• In other Montana cities, Bullock was given kudos by officials for how he’s handled life during the pandemic. 

• Glendive Mayor Jerry Jimison said Bullock has appealed to both sides in his reopening plan, but he shied away from taking a side in November. 

• “I don’t think he’s been too radical one way or the other,” Jimison said of Bullock’s handling of the coronavirus. “And that fits my politics perfectly.”  

Read the full report here.

###