The Making of the President 2020: Steve Bullock
Last month another western politician declared his intention to seek the 2020 Democratic Party nomination for President. Stephen Clark Bullock, the 24th Governor of Montana. Bullock has been Governor of his state since being elected in 2012 and has chaired the National Governors Association since 2018.
Bullock was born in Missoula, Montana on April 11, 1966. He was raised in Helena, the state capital. His parents divorced when he was in elementary school and received his undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Claremont McKenna College. He obtained his law degree with honors from Columbia Law School in New York. Bullock served as chief legal counsel to Montana Secretary of State Mike Cooney and he went on to work for four years with the Montana Department of Justice, first as executive assistant attorney general, and later as acting chief deputy. During this time, he also served as legislative director, coordinating the Attorney General's legislative efforts.
Bullock was unsuccessful in his first race for Montana Attorney General, losing in the 2000 Democratic primary. From 2001-04, Bullock practiced law in Washington, D.C. with Steptoe & Johnson, where he also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School. He returned to Montana in 2004, working in private practice in Helena. He practiced in the field of consumer law, and also represented labor unions, peace officers, associations of political subdivisions, and small and large businesses.
Bullock was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General in 2008, defeating two other candidates in the primary election in June. He went on to win the general election. As Attorney-General he sought legislation for tougher drunken driving laws and prescription drug abuse. He introduced the 24/7 Sobriety Program for repeat DUI offenders, which required repeat drunk drivers to take breath tests twice a day. The program was also aimed at keeping non-violent offenders out of jail and off the public rolls. The program has had success in reducing DUI offenses. His office also investigated the railroad industry for monopolistic business practices, and also prevented an anti-competitive merger between two the largest meat packers in the country. His department also investigated the misclassification of employees as independent contractors, allowing FedEx to avoid paying millions in state taxes and fees. Bullock's efforts resulted in changes by FedEx to comply with federal and state laws.
Bullock attracted national attention by challenging the Citizens United decision through his defense of Montana's 100-year-old ban on corporate campaign expenditures. After winning in the Montana Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the State of Montana in a 5-4 decision.
Bullock announced on September 7, 2011 that he would be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Montana in 2012. In the Democratic primary, Bullock won with 87% of the vote. In the election campaign Bullock proposed a $400 property tax rebate for homeowners in Montana to spur job creation and refund a portion of the state's $400 million budget surplus. Bullock won the election, defeating Republican ex-US Representative Rick Hill. Bullock received 48.9% of the vote. He was sworn in on January 7, 2013. According to a September 20, 2016 survey by Morning Consult, Bullock enjoyed a 66% approval rating, making him the most popular Democratic governor in the United States, and the fourth-most popular overall. He was re-elected in 2016. Following the 2016 elections, Bullock faced large Republican majorities in the Montana Legislature.
In 2017 Bullock formed the Big Sky Values PAC, which has raised nearly $1.8 million. On May 1, 2019 it was reported that he would announce his decision on a run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in the week of May 13, and on May 14, 2019 Bullock announced his candidacy for President. Bullock has been described by The Washington Post and ABC News as a moderate Democrat, and the New York Times referred to him as a centrist Democrat.
Bullock is pro-choice,. During the 2017 state legislative session, Bullock vetoed two bills aimed at restricting late-term abortions. He was one of 14 Democratic governors to write a letter to President Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, on March 31, 2018 demanding that Title X funding for women's reproductive health care and family planning remain in effect. The 14 governors threatened legal action if the Trump administration refused to do so.
In 2015, Bullock championed the DISCLOSE Act, a bipartisan campaign finance reform bill that bolstered disclosure requirements in Montana elections, through a GOP-controlled state legislature. In June 2018, Bullock signed an executive order that required the recipients of major government contracts in Montana to make spending disclosure not explicitly required by federal law. On July 24, 2018, Bullock sued the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury over a recent decision to dispense with donor requirements for nonprofit organizations.
Bullock has stated that he believes that climate change is real and that humans contribute to it,. Montana became the first state to halt preparations for the Clean Power Plan when the United States Supreme Court announced a stay of the plan in February of 2016. In September 2014, Bullock signed an executive order creating a habitat conservation plan for sage-grouse.
Bullock endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election, but disagreed with Clinton's opposition to coal mining, an important industry in Montana. He did not attend the 2016 Democratic National Convention, citing his duties as Governor of Montana and he stayed neutral during the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Bullock was one of just three Democrats to win gubernatorial elections in 2016 in states that President Trump carried that year and was the only incumbent Democratic governor to win re-election in a state that Trump won.
Bullock has publicly argued that the Democratic Party needs to expand its reach beyond urban areas and the nation's two coasts. He has encouraged Democrats to engage with and attempt to persuade voters in suburban and rural areas rather than relying solely on base turnout. He visited Iowa, Wisconsin, and Colorado[76] to campaign for and speak in support of Democratic candidates during the 2018 election cycle. He announced his candidacy for President on May 14, 2019.
Bullock opposed a 2012 voter-approved law in the State of Montana, Referendum 121, that would have required state agencies to verify whether individuals requesting certain services were U.S. citizens. The law, which had been intended to deny government jobs and assistance to undocumented immigrants, was later ruled unconstitutional. Governor Bullock supported allowing Syrian refugees to resettle in the State of Montana in 2015. At least 31 other governors at the time opposed the resettlement of Syrian refugees. Bullock supports the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and signed a letter on September 7, 2017 along with 10 other governors to congressional leaders in support of legislation that would protect DACA recipients and "take immediate action to ensure that these young people can continue to live, work, and contribute to the country they have called home for most of their lives."
On April 5, 2018, Bullock refused to deploy National Guard troops from Montana to the Mexican border, in his words, "based simply on the whim of the President's morning Twitter habit." In June 2018, Bullock voiced strong opposition to the Trump administration's policy of family separations at the Mexican border, and said in a statement: "As a governor and a father, I'm disgusted. I don't care if it's the President or Congress - these atrocities must end immediately."
Bullock supports same-sex marriage, and praised a federal judge for striking down Montana's same-sex marriage ban in 2014, which made Montana the 34th U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. He supported the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, and said in a statement on June 26, 2015: “This ruling protects the right of all Montanans to marry the person they love, and moves our state and nation closer to the promise of freedom, dignity, and equality that they were founded upon. All people, regardless of their sexual orientation, should have the opportunity to make a good life for themselves and their families.” He has spoken at Pride rallies in Montana, and, in 2015, he became the first sitting governor in Montana history to officiate a same-sex wedding. In 2016, Bullock enacted an executive order that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity for state employees, state contractors, and subcontractors. The executive order expanded upon a previous executive order signed by former Governor Brian Schweitzer in 2008, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation but did not include protections for gender identity and did not apply to contractors or subcontractors.
Bullock supports net neutrality and opposed the Federal Communication Commission's decision to repeal net neutrality. On January 22, 2018, Bullock signed an executive order that any internet service provider with a state government contract cannot legally block or charge additional fees for faster delivery of websites. Through this executive order, Montana became the first state to implement and enforce net neutrality after the FCC repeal.
Bullock has been recognized and endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), and by the Montana Education Association - Montana Federation of Teachers, for his support of worker's rights and public education. He opposes right-to-work legislation, which allows workers to forgo paying union dues while still benefiting from union-negotiated labor contracts. Montana is the only state in the Upper Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. that does not have right-to-work legislation in place.
Bullock said in his campaign announcement, "“I believe in an America where every child has a fair shot to do better than their parents,” Bullock said. “We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people’s voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone.” His campaign slogan is also “A Fair Shot for Everyone.” In the most recent posting of the aggregate polling numbers compiled by Real Clear Politics, Bullock is in 19th place and is polling at 0.4%.
Bullock was born in Missoula, Montana on April 11, 1966. He was raised in Helena, the state capital. His parents divorced when he was in elementary school and received his undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Claremont McKenna College. He obtained his law degree with honors from Columbia Law School in New York. Bullock served as chief legal counsel to Montana Secretary of State Mike Cooney and he went on to work for four years with the Montana Department of Justice, first as executive assistant attorney general, and later as acting chief deputy. During this time, he also served as legislative director, coordinating the Attorney General's legislative efforts.
Bullock was unsuccessful in his first race for Montana Attorney General, losing in the 2000 Democratic primary. From 2001-04, Bullock practiced law in Washington, D.C. with Steptoe & Johnson, where he also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School. He returned to Montana in 2004, working in private practice in Helena. He practiced in the field of consumer law, and also represented labor unions, peace officers, associations of political subdivisions, and small and large businesses.
Bullock was the Democratic nominee for Attorney General in 2008, defeating two other candidates in the primary election in June. He went on to win the general election. As Attorney-General he sought legislation for tougher drunken driving laws and prescription drug abuse. He introduced the 24/7 Sobriety Program for repeat DUI offenders, which required repeat drunk drivers to take breath tests twice a day. The program was also aimed at keeping non-violent offenders out of jail and off the public rolls. The program has had success in reducing DUI offenses. His office also investigated the railroad industry for monopolistic business practices, and also prevented an anti-competitive merger between two the largest meat packers in the country. His department also investigated the misclassification of employees as independent contractors, allowing FedEx to avoid paying millions in state taxes and fees. Bullock's efforts resulted in changes by FedEx to comply with federal and state laws.
Bullock attracted national attention by challenging the Citizens United decision through his defense of Montana's 100-year-old ban on corporate campaign expenditures. After winning in the Montana Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the State of Montana in a 5-4 decision.
Bullock announced on September 7, 2011 that he would be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Montana in 2012. In the Democratic primary, Bullock won with 87% of the vote. In the election campaign Bullock proposed a $400 property tax rebate for homeowners in Montana to spur job creation and refund a portion of the state's $400 million budget surplus. Bullock won the election, defeating Republican ex-US Representative Rick Hill. Bullock received 48.9% of the vote. He was sworn in on January 7, 2013. According to a September 20, 2016 survey by Morning Consult, Bullock enjoyed a 66% approval rating, making him the most popular Democratic governor in the United States, and the fourth-most popular overall. He was re-elected in 2016. Following the 2016 elections, Bullock faced large Republican majorities in the Montana Legislature.
In 2017 Bullock formed the Big Sky Values PAC, which has raised nearly $1.8 million. On May 1, 2019 it was reported that he would announce his decision on a run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in the week of May 13, and on May 14, 2019 Bullock announced his candidacy for President. Bullock has been described by The Washington Post and ABC News as a moderate Democrat, and the New York Times referred to him as a centrist Democrat.
Bullock is pro-choice,. During the 2017 state legislative session, Bullock vetoed two bills aimed at restricting late-term abortions. He was one of 14 Democratic governors to write a letter to President Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, on March 31, 2018 demanding that Title X funding for women's reproductive health care and family planning remain in effect. The 14 governors threatened legal action if the Trump administration refused to do so.
In 2015, Bullock championed the DISCLOSE Act, a bipartisan campaign finance reform bill that bolstered disclosure requirements in Montana elections, through a GOP-controlled state legislature. In June 2018, Bullock signed an executive order that required the recipients of major government contracts in Montana to make spending disclosure not explicitly required by federal law. On July 24, 2018, Bullock sued the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury over a recent decision to dispense with donor requirements for nonprofit organizations.
Bullock has stated that he believes that climate change is real and that humans contribute to it,. Montana became the first state to halt preparations for the Clean Power Plan when the United States Supreme Court announced a stay of the plan in February of 2016. In September 2014, Bullock signed an executive order creating a habitat conservation plan for sage-grouse.
Bullock endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election, but disagreed with Clinton's opposition to coal mining, an important industry in Montana. He did not attend the 2016 Democratic National Convention, citing his duties as Governor of Montana and he stayed neutral during the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries. Bullock was one of just three Democrats to win gubernatorial elections in 2016 in states that President Trump carried that year and was the only incumbent Democratic governor to win re-election in a state that Trump won.
Bullock has publicly argued that the Democratic Party needs to expand its reach beyond urban areas and the nation's two coasts. He has encouraged Democrats to engage with and attempt to persuade voters in suburban and rural areas rather than relying solely on base turnout. He visited Iowa, Wisconsin, and Colorado[76] to campaign for and speak in support of Democratic candidates during the 2018 election cycle. He announced his candidacy for President on May 14, 2019.
Bullock opposed a 2012 voter-approved law in the State of Montana, Referendum 121, that would have required state agencies to verify whether individuals requesting certain services were U.S. citizens. The law, which had been intended to deny government jobs and assistance to undocumented immigrants, was later ruled unconstitutional. Governor Bullock supported allowing Syrian refugees to resettle in the State of Montana in 2015. At least 31 other governors at the time opposed the resettlement of Syrian refugees. Bullock supports the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and signed a letter on September 7, 2017 along with 10 other governors to congressional leaders in support of legislation that would protect DACA recipients and "take immediate action to ensure that these young people can continue to live, work, and contribute to the country they have called home for most of their lives."
On April 5, 2018, Bullock refused to deploy National Guard troops from Montana to the Mexican border, in his words, "based simply on the whim of the President's morning Twitter habit." In June 2018, Bullock voiced strong opposition to the Trump administration's policy of family separations at the Mexican border, and said in a statement: "As a governor and a father, I'm disgusted. I don't care if it's the President or Congress - these atrocities must end immediately."
Bullock supports same-sex marriage, and praised a federal judge for striking down Montana's same-sex marriage ban in 2014, which made Montana the 34th U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage. He supported the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, and said in a statement on June 26, 2015: “This ruling protects the right of all Montanans to marry the person they love, and moves our state and nation closer to the promise of freedom, dignity, and equality that they were founded upon. All people, regardless of their sexual orientation, should have the opportunity to make a good life for themselves and their families.” He has spoken at Pride rallies in Montana, and, in 2015, he became the first sitting governor in Montana history to officiate a same-sex wedding. In 2016, Bullock enacted an executive order that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity for state employees, state contractors, and subcontractors. The executive order expanded upon a previous executive order signed by former Governor Brian Schweitzer in 2008, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation but did not include protections for gender identity and did not apply to contractors or subcontractors.
Bullock supports net neutrality and opposed the Federal Communication Commission's decision to repeal net neutrality. On January 22, 2018, Bullock signed an executive order that any internet service provider with a state government contract cannot legally block or charge additional fees for faster delivery of websites. Through this executive order, Montana became the first state to implement and enforce net neutrality after the FCC repeal.
Bullock has been recognized and endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), and by the Montana Education Association - Montana Federation of Teachers, for his support of worker's rights and public education. He opposes right-to-work legislation, which allows workers to forgo paying union dues while still benefiting from union-negotiated labor contracts. Montana is the only state in the Upper Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. that does not have right-to-work legislation in place.
Bullock said in his campaign announcement, "“I believe in an America where every child has a fair shot to do better than their parents,” Bullock said. “We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people’s voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone.” His campaign slogan is also “A Fair Shot for Everyone.” In the most recent posting of the aggregate polling numbers compiled by Real Clear Politics, Bullock is in 19th place and is polling at 0.4%.