Associated Press: “Steve Bullock will apply to be the first — and perhaps only — Democrat in the presidential primary who accepts public financing for his campaign, a potentially risky move that could give his struggling fundraising a boost but would also require the Montana governor to abide by a cap on the amount of money he can spend.”
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day
“Maybe all the rules are gone. Maybe every single rule is gone.”
— Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, quoted by Politico, on his failure to break into the top tier of Democrats running for president.
Bullock Will Hold Town Halls on Debate Nights
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock “will not be one of the 20 presidential candidates who will appear at the first Democratic presidential debates in Miami next week,” CBS News reports.
“Instead, his campaign announced Tuesday that Bullock will hold town halls in Iowa and New Hampshire on both nights of the back-to-back debates.”
CNN: What the Democrats who didn’t make the debate stage will be doing instead.
Bullock Disappoints Many Democrats
Politico: “Unlike any other Democratic candidate in the country, Bullock could make a virtually unwinnable Senate race competitive and give the party a real shot at knocking off a GOP incumbent and getting closer to a Senate majority.”
“Bullock has been unequivocal in shrugging off the Senate recruitment, which has included conversations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other Democratic senators. He doesn’t want to be one senator of 100, people who know him say, and fashions himself an executive, not a legislator.”
Bullock Jumps Into Crowded Democratic Race
“Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D), who was twice elected to lead a state that President Trump carried by more than 20 points, entered the Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday, vowing to elevate the issue of campaign finance and, more implicitly, to make Democrats competitive again across the country’s interior,” the New York Times reports
Said Bullock on video: “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.”
Bullock’ campaign slogan is “A Fair Shot for Everyone.”
Bullock Teases ‘Big Announcement’
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) teased his “big announcement” in a video, amid speculation he will join the Democratic presidential race.
Bullock Will Announce Presidential Bid Soon
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) will announce his bid for the presidency in two weeks, MTN News has learned — adding to the 20 Democrats already running for the 2020 nomination to challenge President Trump.
Bullock Looks Likely to Launch Presidential Bid
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is making major staffing moves — including hiring in Iowa — the clearest sign yet that he’s nearing a White House run, Politico reports.
Bullock Heads to Iowa
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) will travel to Iowa at the end of the week as he further explores a run for the Democratic presidential nomination, Politico reports.
Bullock Not Interested In Senate Race
Although Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-MT) reelection this year suggests Democrats could compete against Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) in 2020, Gov. Steve Bullock (D) — who is considering a presidential bid — doesn’t seem interested in the Senate race, Politico reports.
Said Bullock: “I’ve said earlier that really doesn’t interest me. But — well, no. I won’t even say ‘but.'”
Bullock Makes Moves Towards Possible Run In 2020
“Many elected Democrats have drifted left since the party’s shattering defeat last November, turning to a brand of progressive politics that is closer to Senator Bernie Sanders’s democratic socialism than the more market-friendly liberalism that characterized the Obama era,” the New York Times reports.
“But when the nation’s governors gathered here over the weekend for their annual summer meeting, a group of pragmatic Democrats took center stage. And now one of them is taking the first steps toward seeking the presidency in 2020.”
Said Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D): “I believe the time is right to lend my voice, the voice of someone that after getting elected has been able to govern in what’s viewed as a red state. Some of the things that I’ve been able to do in Montana can also translate beyond just the state’s border.”
Bullock Seeks to Lead Democratic Governors
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) “is vying to chair the group dedicated to electing Democratic governors — a position that would give him a prominent platform as he heads into his own re-election bid,” the Helena Independent Record reports.
No other Democratic governor is thought to be interested in the post.