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2020 elections
Like Beto O'Rourke, John Hickenlooper and Stacey Abrams, the Montana governor opposes the pressure to redraw the map of the Senate.
The best democrats in Montana and Washington are really excited to see Governor Steve Bullock running for the Senate, not for the presidency.
The seemingly delirious rush for the presidency of the Governor of Montana comes as nearly all party members beg him to challenge Senator GOP, Steve Daines, and transform the Senate's 2020 card. Unlike all other Democrat candidates Bullock could make a virtually impossible Senate race competitive and give the party a real chance to overthrow an outgoing GOP president and move closer to a majority in the Senate.
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"I would have liked him to show up in the Senate," said Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). "Of course, you prefer to have Beto in the [Texas Senate] race. But that does not go from solid red to instant throwing. That's the one who would change the game. "
Bullock did not hesitate to set aside Senate recruitment, which included many conversations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.), and other Democrat Senators . He does not want to be a senator out of 100, say those who know him, and defines himself as an executive, not a legislator.
"His answer to this question has been consistent and the same is true today. Governor Bullock does not show up in the Senate, "said Galia Slayen, spokesman for Bullock.
The party leaders have therefore opted for a strategy: let Bullock continue the presidency, try not to upset him and wait for him to realize that there is hardly any room for him in such a pack. Bullock claims that his re-election of 2016 in the dark red country of Trump shows that he has exactly what the party lacks, but Joe Biden seems to have blocked the centrist way up to now and there has a handful of other white men running.
Democrats who hope that Bullock will run in the Senate do not have many options other than this plan, but even a brief candidacy for the White House carries risks. A run in 2020 could lead him to take more liberal positions to appeal to the party base and also be considered a scrap of his home country.
"I hope that it emerges that the Senate is an opportunity that it can consider at some point. But he wants to try the jackpot. It's a world of ambition in which we are, so you can not be critical, "said Senate minority whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
Some Democrats felt bruised after Stacy Abrams in Georgia, Beto O'Rourke in Texas and John Hickenlooper in Colorado managed competitive races in the Senate. But they have recruited a talented Texas contender, veteran MJ Hegar, to have a viable group of overcrowded Colorado candidates and see other strong Democrats consider a race in Georgia.
Bullock's presidential race is much more disconcerting.
"He would make an excellent candidate for the Senate," said Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). "It is awesome. And there is such a huge field right now. So it's hard to understand, as it were, that more people are coming to the presidency. "
Democrats are facing a difficult battle to take over the Senate. They must have at least three seats in 2020 and few are easy to pick. At present, they are watching the Colorado and Arizona long distance races and are trying to chase the holders in North Carolina and Iowa while maintaining Alabama. Making Montana competitive would really make the GOP sweat.
"There are three or four people in LA who are enthusiastic about his [presidential] application. Otherwise, everyone wants him to show up in the Senate, "said a Democratic senator. This senator said that it was still realistic for Bullock to change his mind because his presidential project was "so stupid".
Publicly, the Democrats dismiss Bullock.
The chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, Catherine Cortez Masto, said about Bullock: "It's his decision," adding that the party might propose another candidate for the race. Wilmot Collins, a Liberian refugee and mayor of Helena, became the first Democrat to challenge Daines on Monday, although he now lacks support from party leaders.
Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), President of the GOP Campaign Arm, simply predicted that the party would keep the seat, regardless of the candidate. And Daines himself ignored Bullock's decision.
"We are more than ready for anyone who starts the race," he said in a brief interview.
In Montana, Democrats are universally complementary to Bullock for his ability to put Democratic priorities in a red state. But a number of Democrats would like him to publish these achievements as part of a campaign for the Senate.
"I would love to see him face Steve Daines," said Jean Lemire Dahlman, a member of the DNC in the state. "Unless someone else is a strong candidate, I guess a lot of people would like to see him running against Steve Daines. But this person has not emerged yet and it is very difficult to overthrow a practicing senator, regardless of party. "
Kim Gillan, a former Democratic state legislator who lost to Daines in 2012 for a US House siege, said Bullock would be the "ideal person" to run against the senator in the first term.
"He's still young enough. There would be opportunities in the future and sitting in the Senate would certainly be a good springboard for the future to run for the presidency, "said Gillan. "The game plan that everyone hopes is that he can change his mind after a few months."
Senate Senator Jon Sesso, the Democratic House leader, said Bullock would be "great" against Daines, but the two-term governor could run as he wished.
"If he wants to run for president, it's great. If he wanted to run for nomination to the Senate, that would be great too, "Sesso said. "He has earned his stripes to do what he wants to do."
Some Democrats have ignored Bullock's laissez-passer, saying little-known candidates can come out of nowhere to win major races in the Senate. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) Was a state senator when he won his first victory in 2006, and he then survived two tough reelection campaigns.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Said he seemed to understand the ambivalence of people like Bullock, because there is no reason to marvel at the Senate, which he called "a lunch club." expensive. "
"I understand, Senate recruitment is difficult these days," he said. "But I think that by reclaiming the Senate, we can start making it work again."
Of course, the fact that Bullock is a Senate candidate would make this goal much more realistic.
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