Nancy Keenan
Democratic Candidate: Montana's
At-Large Congressional Race

The Democratic nominee for Montana's at-large congressional seat is Nancy Keenan, the state school superintendent for public instruction. Keenan, 48, has held this elected position since 1989. In that office she has worked to bring technology to classrooms, maintain strong SAT scores and introduce character education to prevent school violence.

From 1983 to 1989 Keenan represented the Anaconda area in the Montana House of Representatives. Keenan said she was motivated to run when the new owners of the Anaconda copper smelter shut it down in the early 1980s. Keenan said the resulting unemployment and effect on the community "wasn't fair." After defeating five rivals in the Democratic primary, she easily won the Democratic-leaning district. Once elected to the state House, she helped pass a law requiring Montana businesses to give advance notice of shutdowns.

Before serving in Montana's House, Keenan taught children with physical, mental and emotional disabilities for 13 years. The daughter of a store clerk and a boilermaker at the Anaconda smelter, Keenan was the first in her family to graduate from college. She earned a degree in special education from Eastern Montana College while working summers at the smelter, where she was one of the first female employees. Later she earned a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Montana.

Keenan has taken traditional Democratic stances on several national issues. She opposes privatization of Social Security and wants to include prescription drug coverage in Medicare. On campaign finance reform, she supports a ban on 'soft money,' caps on total campaign spending, and broader disclosure of campaign finances. She sent back a campaign donation from an insurance company and is also refusing money from pharmaceutical and tobacco companies. Democratic leaders in Congress have offered her a seat on the House Agriculture Committee. Breaking with Democratic leadership, however, Keenan says she opposes further expansion of federal gun control laws. On a local topic, Keenan has promised to include Native Americans in discussions of economic issues and also to protect their sovereignty. The Blackfeet have given her the name Wise Owl Woman.

While Montana appears to heavily support George W. Bush in the presidential race, Keenan is counting on her successful statewide campaigns and Montanans' reputation as ticket splitters to win. Dennis Rehberg, her opponent, lost the 1996 Senate race to Democrat Max Baucus, and that year Keenan earned more votes for school superintendent than did Rick Hill for the House seat, Rehberg for the Senate or Bill Clinton for the presidency.