Under state law, Brown would have to give back $17,300 - or 11 percent of the nearly $152,000 he had raised by Dec. 31.
For Schweitzer, it would be far more significant. He would be forced to cough up nearly $215,000. That's slightly more than one-fifth of the $1 million-plus he reeled in through Dec. 31.
But it's a lot of money even now, especially for Schweitzer. Fundraising is tedious and sometimes degrading work for candidates. They work hard for their money. It's the least enjoyable part of a campaign for most candidates, but critical to their chances of winning.
Can you imagine Schweitzer wanting to refund more than $200,000 to donors or some organization that doesn't benefit the candidate or his family, as the law requires?
You can't help but wonder whether Democrats or Schweitzer will dredge up some sacrificial lamb to take one for the team by mounting a late campaign against him.
Or whether Republicans or Brown will find some nobody to give him a token primary challenge.
That may sound cynical, but it's worth a lot of hard-raised cash to the two major candidates to have challengers.
Brown said he fully expects Schweitzer to find a Democratic challenger.
Under state law, the maximum donation an individual can make to a candidate for governor is $500 for the primary election and $500 for the general election or $1,000 altogether. But if that candidate has no primary challenger, the upper limit is $500 for the entire election cycle.
Brown said Schweitzer's Web site and donation cards say the maximum donation amount sought is $1,000 per person. They don't mention that half of that total would have to be refunded if no Democratic primary challenger emerges.
“Schweitzer is asking for $1,000, so he must be assuming he'll have a primary opponent,” Brown said.
Brown said all of his own fundraising envelopes say donors can give $500 per person, per election.
“There are a few that give me $1,000 in anticipation there will be a primary,” Brown said. “I tell everyone upfront if you want to do that, I might have to return it.”
Schweitzer seemed indifferent to the topic.
“I haven't paid too much attention to it,” he said. “I'm busy running. I haven't even thought about it. I wouldn't be surprised if we have two or three more challengers.”
Schweitzer noted that he had a primary challenger in 2004 when John Vincent, a former Bozeman legislator and local government official, jumped in the race.
The governor played down the fundraising aspect of running for office, although he certainly hasn't neglected it.
His fundraising phone calls and letters have been going throughout Montana in a big way. Besides Montana fundraising events, Schweitzer's campaign also schedules functions when he's out of state. Late last month, he had a $1,000-a-person party in Washington, D.C., sponsored by former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle after the National Governors Association.
“I don't think money wins elections,” Schweitzer said. “I think action wins elections, so I'll spend my time continuing to run the state, attracting businesses and working on funding for schools.”
He pooh-poohed interest in politics at this time.
“There's plenty of time for elections,” he said. “People don't care about this until after Labor Day.”
The law setting up the campaign finance limit was part of a well-intended, if at times impractical, voter initiative passed by Montana voters in 1994.
Since then, no candidate for governor from either political party has had to give back any money for lack of a primary opponent. Both parties had contested primaries each election for governor in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
There are nine business days left for candidates to file, starting Monday, before the March 20 deadline.
If any more candidates do file for governor, let's hope they are genuine articles and not some put-up jobs so the major candidates can keep all their cash.
Chuck Johnson is chief of the Missoulian State Bureau in Helena. He can be reached at (800) 525-4920 or (406) 443-4920. His e-mail address is chuck.johnson@lee.net.
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