Brown, a veteran lawmaker who owns rental property in Billings, has been attacking Schweitzer's record since he entered race in November.
As for Schweitzer, he's been doing his level best to ignore Brown, which is a chapter right out of the incumbent's playbook. He's leaving it up to the Montana Democratic Party to criticize Brown.
Running against Schweitzer are Bill Fischer, a Lakeside logger and excavator, and Don Pogreba, a Helena teacher.
Brown faces a challenge from Larry H. Steele, a Great Falls computer company customer service representative.
Through the last campaign finance report, Schweitzer had raised $1.2 million, or more than six times the $191,800 Brown collected through March 5. None of the other candidates had entered the race by then. The next report is due May 22.
Brown said his campaign is off to a good start and generating interest.
“I think there's going to be a really basic difference between the two of us,” Brown said last week. “By the time we get to October, people will realize if they want accountability in government, if they want real tax relief and if they want real development of our natural resources in a sound and a responsible way and not just talk about it, they'll vote for Roy Brown,” Brown said.
“If they want bigger government and more intrusion in their lives without accountability, they'll continue to get what they've gotten for the last four years (under Schweitzer).”
Schweitzer said he's too been busy working 85-hour weeks as governor running the state to worry about campaigning.
“This is not about doing a campaign,” he said. “I've got a lot of work and a lot of projects to finish.”
Schweitzer, a farmer-rancher, said he isn't looking beyond the primary election yet. He claims he isn't even sure Brown will be his November opponent, citing Steele's political background in Great Falls.
“I hadn't even thought that far out in advance,” Schweitzer said. “If you poll (in the Republican primary), it would probably 50 percent Steele and 50 percent Brown. They've both been active. I wouldn't care to guess who wins.”
Asked why voters should consider re-electing him, Schweitzer reeled off his oft-recited laundry list of accomplishments.
“We've developed more electric generation in the last three years than over the last 16 years,” he said. “We've increased oil production by 50 percent and increased jobs by 1,500 a month every month I've been governor. It's the greatest number of new jobs at the highest wages in Montana history.”
In 2004, Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob Brown (no relation to Roy) pledged he would increase the number of jobs in Montana by 8,000 if elected. Schweitzer said he equaled that in his first six months in office.
Under Schweitzer, Montana has had some of the nation's lowest unemployment rates and some of the lowest in state history.
“We've had historic tax cuts,” he said. “We've had the largest budget surplus in the history of the state and that was after the largest increase in K-12 and higher education investment.”
Don't take his word for it, Schweitzer said. For the first time in 26 years, the three major bond rating agencies, Moody's Investors Services, Standard & Poor's and Fitch, have upgraded Montana's bond rating to AA out of AAA.
“Four administrations, four governors have come and gone without getting a bond improvement,” Schweitzer said. “Those independent organizations that rate governments and corporations around the world said Montana is AA.”
Schweitzer said he wants to take that report card to voters to ask for another four years in office. He wants to create more jobs and higher wages, continue to develop Montana's energy infrastructure, finish the wind projects and develop new alternative energy and invest in education.
Asked if he would pledge to serve the full four years if elected and not accept a Cabinet appointment if a Democrat wins the presidency, Schweitzer said he has no interest in anything but winning re-election.
He said he would be proud to serve four more years.
“This is the greatest job in politics,” he said. “I pinch myself every day that the people of Montana have given me this job. I want to spend eight years in this job.”
Brown, meanwhile, said voters are enthusiastic about his candidacy.
They want change, action and not talk.
“This race is about Montana and where we need to go in the future,” Brown said. “If we really want more money for schools and for our universities, then we need to get on board with developing our natural resources in a responsible way, and none of that is happening now. We can't just talk about these and then they magically appear.”
He questioned Schweitzer's claimed accomplishments.
“Brian likes to take credit for everything that's happened, but all of the energy projects that are online were started during the previous administration,” Brown said. “Even the Judith Gap wind farm, the foundations were already poured. The only thing left to put on was the propellers. Yeah, they flipped the switch when he was governor.
“Coal, yeah, they flipped the switch on the Hardin plant when he was governor. He takes credit for that. He had absolutely nothing to do with that.”
Montana has seen increased oil and gas production, but not because of Schweitzer, Brown said. It has occurred because of 1999 state laws to reduce business equipment taxes, simplify taxes and provide tax incentives to encourage horizontal drilling for oil.
“That's when the Elm Coulee field was discovered,” Brown said. “Companies came back because of the tax incentive. Then the oil price went up and we got this huge growth in production.
“He takes credit for all of it. He had nothing to do with it. His own party has tried to renege on all of those tax cuts.”
Brown said Montanans ought to look across the border to Wyoming, a state that encourages responsible energy development and uses some of the revenue to fund schools and pay teachers higher salaries.
“I'm a person that will get things done,” Brown said. “I'm a workhorse, not a show horse.”
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