Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-At Large) Elected 2000, 2d term
Born:	Oct. 5, 1955, Billings
Home:	Billings
Education:	WA St. U., B.A. 1977
Religion:	Episcopalian
Marital Status:	married (Jan)
Elected  Office:	MT House of Reps., 1984-90; MT Lt. Gov., 1991-96
Professional Career:	Leg. Asst., U.S. Rep. Ron Marlenee, 1979-82; Rancher, 1982-present.
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Dennis Rehberg, a Republican elected in 2000, is a rancher from Billings who raises 500 cattle and 600 cashmere goats on his family ranch and who has been involved in politics most of his adult life. After college, he worked in real estate and then on the Washington staff of Congressman Ron Marlenee. He returned to Montana in 1982 and was elected to the state House in 1984, at 29; he managed Marlenee's campaign in 1986 and Conrad Burns' first campaign for the Senate in 1988. He served as Burns' state director for two years, then was appointed lieutenant governor by Republican Stan Stephens, and was elected to that post on the ticket headed by Marc Racicot in 1992. In 1996, he ran against Senator Max Baucus. Rehberg backed term limits, promised to forego pay increases and attacked Baucus for backing the 1993 tax increase and the assault weapons ban. Baucus called Rehberg a "special interest" candidate backing billions in tax cuts for the rich and argued against Republican Medicare "cuts." Rehberg was outspent by $4.3 million to $1.4 million, but made it a close race: Baucus won 50%-45%.

Rehberg (pronounced REE-berg) returned to ranching. The opportunity to run for the House arose in September 1999 when incumbent Republican Rick Hill, reelected by only 53%-44% and facing vigorous opposition from Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction Nancy Keenan, announced he would not run because of complications from eye surgery which made it impossible for him to read. Rehberg was unopposed for the Republican nomination. The general race against Keenan was a classic contest between a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican. Both decried Montana's low-wage economy and how it made it difficult for young people to stay in the communities where they were raised. But it was not clear what either would do about it. Rehberg and Keenan also agreed on opposing gun control, repealing the marriage penalty and letting patients sue HMOs.

Naturally there was more discussion of their disagreements--on abortion rights, on inheritance taxes, a prescription drug benefit (Rehberg favored it for the needy, Keenan for all), and individual investment accounts in Social Security. Rehberg favored a minimum wage increase only if it included tax breaks for small business and a ban on soft money only if it covered unions; he opposed taxes on Internet commerce. Keenan emphasized education, opposing vouchers and favoring small class sizes, safe and drug-free schools and more money for special education. The tone got testier, as outside groups--the AFL-CIO, the NEA, the Chamber of Commerce, the NFIB--spent over $100,000 each; something like $20 million was spent in this state with seriously contested races for Senate and House. Rehberg ran ads with strong endorsements from Governor Marc Racicot and often showing his family, especially his two-year-old daughter--an implicit contrast with Keenan, a former copper smelter worker and special education teacher who had never married. By the end of the campaign, Rehberg was accusing Keenan of being a social liberal favoring big government, more taxes and more spending, while Keenan called Rehberg a dirty politician whose positions would hurt education and deny essentials for the elderly. Spending was almost even: $2.1 million for Rehberg, $1.9 million for Keenan. Rehberg won 51%-46%, almost precisely the same margin, with almost the same results county by county, by which Senator Conrad Burns won and by which Republican Judy Martz was elected governor. All the Republicans were surely helped by George W. Bush's 58%-33% margin over Al Gore.

As a freshman, Rehberg concentrated on issues with impact in Montana. He worked with Senator Conrad Burns in 2002 to get $5 billion in drought relief for farmers in addition to the farm bill; they were frustrated by George W. Bush's opposition, and had to settle for $752 million in farm bill funds. He sought repeal of the Clinton administration's restrictions on snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park; after a hearing Rehberg organized, the Bush administration changed the policy. He persuaded the House to authorize the $200 million Rocky Boy project to provide clean water for the Chippewa-Cree despite the opposition of the Director of the Bureau of Reclamation. When some senators proposed a holiday moratorium on state sales taxes in December 2001, Rehberg responded with a proposal for a tax credit for travel and lodging for out-of-state shoppers who come to shop in states without a sales tax; Montana is one of five such states.

Rehberg declined to run against Senator Max Baucus in 2002, though polls suggested he would be competitive. Democrats could find no well-known candidate to challenge Rehberg; their nominee was an art gallery owner who had previously run for office as a Republican and an Independent and voted for Ralph Nader in 2000. He spent $18,800; Rehberg spent $950,000. Rehberg won 65%-33%; he lost only four counties, two in Indian reservations, the other two containing the mining towns of Butte and Anaconda.

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DC Office
516 CHOB 20515, 202-225-3211; Fax: 202-225-5687; Web site: wwwa.house.gov/rehberg

State Offices
Billings, 406-256-1019; Great Falls, 406-454-1066; Helena, 406-443-7878; Missoula, 406-543-9550.

Committees

• Agriculture (16th of 27 R): Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition & Forestry (Vice Chmn.); General Farm Commodities & Risk Management; Specialty Crops & Foreign Agriculture Programs.
• Resources (22d of 28 R): Energy & Mineral Resources; Forests & Forest Health.
• Transportation & Infrastructure (27th of 41 R): Aviation; Highways, Transit & Pipelines.

Group Ratings (More Info)
	ADA	ACLU	AFS	LCV	CON	ITIC	NTU	COC	ACU	NTLC	CHC
2002	0	21	0	0	25	100	56	95	100	83	92
2001	5	--	10	0	--	--	59	100	84	--	--

National Journal Ratings (More Info)
	2001 LIB	--	2001 CONS		2002 LIB	--	2002 CONS
Economic	36%	--	63%		0%	--	91%
Social	32%	--	67%		25%	--	71%
Foreign	33%	--	60%		35%	--	60%
For National Journal's complete 2002 Vote Ratings, as well as previous ratings dating back to 1995, please click here.

Key Votes Of The 107th Congress (More Info)
1. Approve Bush Tax Cuts Y 2. Limit Patients' Bill of Rights Y 3. Campaign Finance Reform N 4. Ban ANWR Development N 5. Faith-Based Charities Y 6. Bar Gays in the Boy Scouts Y		7. Ban Partial-Birth Abortion Y  8. Arm Commercial Pilots Y  9. Trade Promotion Authority Y 10. Bar Funds for Intl. Court Y 11. Authorize Force in Iraq Y 12. Deny Home. Sec. Dept. Union Y

Election Results (More Info)
	Candidate	Total Votes	Percent	Expenditures
2002 general	Denny Rehberg (R)	214,100	65%	$949,631
	Steve Kelly (D)	108,233	33%	$18,757
	Other	8,988	3%
2002 primary	Denny Rehberg (R)	unopposed
2000 general	Denny Rehberg (R)	211,418	51%	$2,125,364
	Nancy Keenan (D)	189,971	46%	$1,932,099
	Other	9,132	2%