Want to flip the U.S. Senate this November? We need to flip four seats (without losing any Democratic seats), and one path to that goal is through Montana.
Sen. Steve Daines has voted with Trump 86% of the time. Those votes include ones to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, consequential as healthcare has emerged as a hugely important issue for folks in Montana, and to acquit Trump of impeachment charges.
Is it possible to elect a Democratic Senator in Montana? Well, Jon Tester did it in 2018, winning his re-election with 50.3% of the vote. Now of course, the calculus is quite different in a presidential election year. Trump won 56% of the vote in Montana. It is notable that a whopping 5.6% of Montanans voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson.
Steve Daines has decent approval ratings, which hover around 47%, but he’s also tying himself closely to Trump. Montana is conservative, yes, but has a strong independent streak.
Who is running against Steve Daines?
Here’s why this Senate race is considered only in the “Lean Republican,” i.e. highly competitive, column: the clear frontrunner in this face is none other than Montana’s current and Democratic governor, Steve Bullock. Gov. Bullock is fairly popular in the state and of course as governor has massive name recognition. He has also gotten high marks for how he’s handled the pandemic. The primary in Montana is on June 2.
How you can help the Democrats flip this Senate seat
No surprise, it’s going to take good old fashioned organizing and investment.
1. Donate to Steve Bullock’s campaign. This money will be crucial for Bullock to have especially as we know that Republican money will be pouring into the state to help Daines get re-elected.
2. Sign up to do some text banking. Indivisible is targeting the Montana Senate seat as part of their Payback Project. Sign up to get notifications about upcoming texting campaigns.
3. Check for volunteering opportunities in Montana. MobilizeAmerica always has a variety of ways to get involved with voter registration events, campaign activities, engaging voters, etc. Just type in your zip code or city and see what’s available.
4. Support the Montana Democratic party. If in Montana, sign up to get their updates so you know when they’ll be running voter registration drives or need volunteers to help with a get out the vote effort.
5. Support Montana’s League of Women Voters. They organize voter registration drives and have (digital) events to inform and connect voters with the candidates.
Do you have other ideas of how we can kick out Steve Daines and replace him with Steve Bullock in the Senate in 2020, particularly ideas for folks outside the state who want to help? If so, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!
You might also like:
Here are the GOP Senate Seats to Flip in 2020
15 Ways to Help a Campaign Win Their Election
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