Montana Dems Have Time To Find A New Candidate, But It Won’t Be Schweitzer
Ben Jacobs
Insiders say Montanas most popular politician wont replace scandal-plagued Senator John Walsh on the ballot.
Montana Democrats shouldnt expect Brian Schweitzer to save them from the plagiarism scandal swirling around incumbent John Walsh, but they do have a little time to find a new candidate if they want to replace him.
Under state law, Walsh has until August 11, 85 days before the election, to withdraw from the race and allow the Montana Democratic Party to select a replacement. However, a source close to the former Montana governor told The Daily Beast that there is no chance that Schweitzer would replace Walsh on the ballot in November.
Walsh, who was already trailing in the polls, received what one Montana political insider called the final nail in his coffin when the New York Times revealed Wednesday that he had plagiarized his final paper for his masters degree at the Army War College.
Despite Schweitzers propensity for gaffes and controversial comments, the former two-term governor remains the most popular politician in the Republican leaning state. But Schweitzer is also perhaps the least popular politician within the Montana Democratic Party and is widely disliked among party insiders.
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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/24/montana-dems-have-time-to-find-a-new-candidate-but-it-won-t-be-schweitzer.html