Bob Brown (Montana politician)
Encyclopedia
Bob Brown was the Secretary of State
for Montana
and the Republican
nominee for governor
in 2004.
As a young man, Brown was elected to Montana Legislature
. Brown spent two years in the State House
, 23 in the Senate
and his final year in the Legislature as president of the Senate. His political mentors include Jean Turnage, who spent 20 years in the Senate and subsequently 15 as chief justice of the Supreme Court before retiring in 1991.
Brown became Senate education chairman in 1977 and served in that capacity through 1983. He served as chairman of the taxation committee in 1987. He became chairman of the committee on committees, one of the most innocuously named but powerful Senate committees, in 1989. He sat on the judicial committee from 1975 to 1993.
In 2000, Brown ran for secretary of state and won by a 7 percent margin. In 2004, Brown entered the race for governor against Democrat
Brian Schweitzer
. Although the race was heated, he eventually lost.
He served as a fellow at both the Carol O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West and the Maureen & Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana. He is currently retired and sits on the board of the Montana State Historical Society.
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
for Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
in 2004.
As a young man, Brown was elected to Montana Legislature
Montana State Legislature
The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Montana. It is composed of the 100-member Montana House of Representatives and the 50-member Montana Senate....
. Brown spent two years in the State House
Montana House of Representatives
The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years.-Composition of the House:...
, 23 in the Senate
Montana Senate
The Montana Senate is the upper house of the Montana State Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The body is composed of 50 senators.-Composition of the Senate:-Officers:*Majority Whip: Greg Barkus...
and his final year in the Legislature as president of the Senate. His political mentors include Jean Turnage, who spent 20 years in the Senate and subsequently 15 as chief justice of the Supreme Court before retiring in 1991.
Brown became Senate education chairman in 1977 and served in that capacity through 1983. He served as chairman of the taxation committee in 1987. He became chairman of the committee on committees, one of the most innocuously named but powerful Senate committees, in 1989. He sat on the judicial committee from 1975 to 1993.
In 2000, Brown ran for secretary of state and won by a 7 percent margin. In 2004, Brown entered the race for governor against Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Brian Schweitzer
Brian Schweitzer
Brian David Schweitzer is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana. Schweitzer is its 23rd and current governor, serving since January 2005. Schweitzer currently has one of the highest approval ratings among governors in the nation, with polls regularly showing a rating of above 60...
. Although the race was heated, he eventually lost.
He served as a fellow at both the Carol O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West and the Maureen & Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana. He is currently retired and sits on the board of the Montana State Historical Society.