Montana’s two-term Democratic governor Steve Bullock will not be graduating to join the U.S. Senate this year. Although the Governor has high approval ratings among Montanans, it appears that his rival, Steve Daines, was able to ride the coattails of Donald Trump to a relatively easy victory.
Daines current margin – around 5.5% – may seem like a blowout, especially when considering the fact that Bullock was considered one of the Democrats’ best hopes for taking control of the Senate. However, if you look at the fact that Trump is currently beating Biden by closer to 13% (and beat Hillary Clinton by a whopping 20% in 2016), the number reflects how hard-fought the campaign actually was, with Bullock way outperforming his party’s presidential contender.
Bullock’s loss is still a sobering reality for Democrats hoping to retake the U.S. Senate. Democrats need to win a net of four seats (or three plus the vice presidency).