HELENA -- Democrat Brian Schweitzer beat Republican Bob Brown to take the governor's race Tuesday night. With 332 of 881 precincts reporting, Schweitzer was declared the winner with 89,878 votes or 54 percent of the vote, while Brown had 71,668 votes or 43 percent.

Green Party candidate Bob Kelleher was in third place with 2,885 votes or 2 percent, while Libertarian Stan Jones was in last place with 2,456 votes or 1 percent.

Schweitzer, a farmer-rancher, is the first Democrat elected governor since Ted Schwinden, a Wolf Point farmer, was re-elected in 1984.

Schweitzer, 49, burst onto the Montana scene as a political unknown in 1999 when he announced he was challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns in 2000. The Whitefish farmer-rancher soon became known statewide because he had a flair for publicity-getting events. Schweitzer led a number of chartered bus trips to take Montana seniors across the Canadian border to buy prescription drugs for far cheaper prices. Schweitzer gave Burns a tough race, but the Republican incumbent prevailed in November 2000 by a 51 to 47 percent margin.

After his loss in 2000, Schweitzer never really quit running. He crisscrossed the state repeatedly to speak to gatherings, no matter how small in 2001 and 2002. He launched his campaign for governor in early 2003 and pretty much preempted the field with his strong grass-roots campaign and support from key Democrats. Schweitzer has raised more money for governor than any candidate in Montana history, except those who funded their campaigns with their own fortunes. As of Oct. 23, he had raised $1.4 million to Brown's $1.1 million.

Schweitzer won an easy primary victory in June over Gallatin County Commissioner John Vincent, a former House speaker. Schweitzer won by a 72 to 28 percent margin.

Brown, 56, has been active in Montana politics for more than half of his life. He was first elected to the Montana Legislature at age 22 in 1970. Brown went on to serve 26 years in the state House and Senate, capping his career by being elected Senate president in 1995. Through most of that era, he worked as a high school teacher in the Flathead Valley. Brown made a failed run for the western U.S. House district in 1978, losing in the Republican primary.

When his Senate career ended, Brown lobbied for the Montana university system, U.S. West (now Qwest) and Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. He took a job as governmental affairs manager for Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. In 2000, Brown jumped into the race for secretary of state and defeated a fellow legislative veteran, Hal Harper, for the post.

In 2003, Brown at the urging of some Republicans began looking at running for governor even before Republican Gov. Judy Martz, plagued by poor poll numbers, announced she wouldn't run in 2004. He jumped into the race in July 2003 and faced a tough primary race against three Yellowstone County Republicans, businessman Pat Davison of Billings and former Sens. Tom Keating of Billings and Ken Miller of Laurel. His three opponents hammered Brown for refusing to sign a pledge that he wouldn't raise taxes.

In the end, Brown won with 39 percent of the vote.

Bringing up the rear were Jones and Kelleher.

Jones, 65, a retired business consultant from Bozeman, also ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002 as a Libertarian. He advocated a limited role for government and is critic of public schools and prefers private schools. Jones also called for major cuts in state government.

Jones is probably best known for his skin, which is a shade of blue after he ingested colloidal silver in 1999 as a precaution against diseases that might be spread if the Y2K computer switch failed.

Kelleher, 81, is a Butte attorney who ran as a Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate two years ago. A perennial candidate, Kelleher has run virtually every election since 1968 as a Democrat until 2002. From the time he served in the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention, Kelleher has advocated a switch to a parliamentary form of government. Kelleher also advocated the start up of state-owned railroad and ships.