Biography: Governor Brian Schweitzer
Governor Brian Schweitzer is a farmer and rancher who held no elected office prior to being elected as the first Democratic Governor to serve Montana in 20 years.
The grandson of Montana homesteaders, he grew up on his folks’ cattle ranch in the Judith Basin. Governor Schweitzer went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in international agronomy from Colorado State University, and later earned a Master of Science degree in soil science from Montana State University.
He worked overseas on agricultural projects and has visited 37 countries across the world. Governor Schweitzer oversaw the building of major irrigation projects and the construction of the world’s largest dairy farm in Saudi Arabia.
With his unique global perspective, Governor Schweitzer is a leading national voice to end our addiction to foreign oil by developing clean and green American energy with Montana leading the way.
Under Governor Schweitzer, Montana is on the move:
• Created more jobs at higher wages than anytime in history.• Cut more taxes for more Montanans than any other time in the state’s history, including a $400 rebate to Montana homeowners.
• Increased Montana’s electrical generation capacity more during his administration than the previous 16 years combined and the state is one of only a few states in the country to have increased oil production since 2004.
• Invested more in both K-12 and higher education than any previous administration – while also capping tuition at our state’s colleges and universities, the first such effort in a generation.
• Increased the number of children on the Children’s Health Insurance Program by more than 3,000 now providing quality healthcare to more than 16,000 kids and giving the future a healthy start in life.
• Montana’s bond rating has been upgraded for the first time in 26 years with Moody’s, Fitch and Standard and Poor’s Investment Services – a sign of sound fiscal management in state government.
Governor Schweitzer married his college sweetheart Nancy; they have three children and a now-famous border collie, Jag.
This link will take you to a high resolution photo of Governor Brian Schweitzer. Right click on the photo to download it to your computer.
