Montana Democrats will gather here this weekend, with all eyes turned toward 2008 when the party will be working to re-elect U.S. Sen. Max Baucus and Gov. Brian Schweitzer and to capture majorities in the state Senate and House.

The convention begins Friday afternoon and runs through Saturday at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel.

As political conventions go, this one looks like a relatively humdrum affair, especially compared to the lively Democratic convention in Great Falls two years ago.

In 2005, Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean, a 2004 presidential candidate, gave a fiery speech that had the members of the audience on their feet cheering. Rancher Dennis McDonald of Melville won a bitterly contested four-way race for chairman.

In contrast, no Democratic presidential candidates nor Dean, still the national party chairman, will be dropping by Helena to speak this week. State Republicans drew a presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who addressed their convention here in June.

No one is challenging state McDonald for re-election at this time

The main speakers will be people that local Democratic leaders have heard often -- Baucus and Schweitzer -- joined by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who last fall unseated three-term Republican incumbent Conrad Burns.

The potential crowd of 300 delegates will participate in workshops aimed at the 2008 elections.

McDonald said he's running for a second two-year term as chairman "because it's an exciting time for Democrats in Montana and for all Montanans to work together and help release the promise that the new day in Montana has given us."

"I see it as a great opportunity to be part of keeping Montana moving forward," he said.

Current Vice Chairwoman Tracy Velazquez of Bozeman isn't seeking re-election. Now the executive director of the Montana Mental Health Association, Velazquez said she needs to be able to work with both Republicans and Democrats.

Running unopposed for vice chairwoman at this point is state Rep. Margarett Campbell of Popular.

Winning control of the Legislature is a top priority. Democrats now have a narrow 26-24 margin in the Senate, while Republicans hold a razor-thin 50-49 lead over Democrats, with one Constitution Party member who usually voted with Republicans.

"We're looking forward to having a solid majority in both houses this time around," McDonald said. "We think it's doable. We've been able to raise record amounts of money and have a lot of real good candidates."

In 2006, Democrat filed a record number of legislative candidates, filling 96 of the 100 House slots and all 25 of the Senate ones, said Jim Farrell, the Democratic Party's executive director.

Farrell said Democrats in the 2007 Legislature did important things to improve the lives of ordinary Montanans from passing a $400 property tax rebate for homeowners to investing schools and freezing college tuition at state colleges.

"The Democratic Party in Montana has never been stronger than at this moment," Farrell said. "We have enjoyed strong success in the past year and a half at many levels. We have been able to raise more money than ever before. We have substantially strengthened our grassroots and local organizations under Chairman McDonald's leadership."

One ramification of Tester's victory over Burns is "incalculable for the future of this party," Farrell said, because it effectively shut down the pipeline that brought national Republican money into Montana to fund other races here.

Farrell said it's not surprising that Democratic presidential candidates aren't traveling to Montana for the convention because the state has never been a player in nominating presidential candidates with its late presidential primary and few delegates.

"We have the three most exciting Democrats in America at this moment," Farrell said, referring to Schweitzer, Baucus and Tester. "Frankly, when you've got the best already, why ask some out-of-stater to come and tell us what's on his or her mind or tell us how to do the job here in Montana?"

One candidate that Democrats wanted to showcase, Yellowstone County Commissioner Bill Kennedy, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., can't attend the convention. He has a higher priority: one of his daughters is getting married in Billings the same weekend.

McDonald said he wants to use his influence on the party to make it inclusive, not exclusive. As a result, he said he is inviting Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger, who is Democratic Gov. Schweitzer's running mate, to attend. Republicans snubbed Bohlinger when he asked to buy dinner tickets to their convention in June.

"We want to welcome all Montanans who want to be part of the Schweitzer-Baucus-Tester team, whatever their historic political affiliation," McDonald said. "We think all Montanans need to be part of this historic effort to move Montana forward."

Bohlinger, reached as he was preparing to return to Montana from the National Lieutenant Governors Association meeting in Williamsburg, Va., said, "I didn't know that I'd been invited. I haven't had any plans of attending. You know, I am a Republican. I really appreciate the invitation."

Who's running for what in 2008?

IR State Bureau

Here is the Democratic Party lineup so far for 2008:

n U.S. Senate. U.S. Sen. Max Baucus will be seeking his sixth six-year term in the Senate. Although there are rumors that Baucus may face a primary challenge from the party's left wing, no one has surfaced yet. One Republican, state Rep. Michael Lange of Billings, has entered the race.

n U.S. House. Yellowstone County Commissioner Bill Kennedy has announced his candidacy against Republican incumbent Denny Rehberg, who's seeking his fifth two-year term.

n Governor. Gov. Brian Schweitzer has no announced challenger yet.

n Attorney general. Three Democrats are running for the post being vacated by two-term incumbent Mike McGrath, who's term-limited and is running for chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court. They are Steve Bullock, an attorney in private practice in Helena; state House Minority Leader John Parker, a deputy county attorney from Great Falls; and former state Sen. Mike Wheat of Bozeman, who is in private practice in Bozeman. Two Republicans are in the race: Lee Bruner, a lawyer in private practice in Butte, and Tim Fox, who is in private practice in Helena.

n Auditor. Former state Rep. Monica Lindeen of Huntley, who lost to Rehberg for the House in 2006, is the lone candidate running for the job being vacated by Auditor John Morrison, who is term-limited. No Republican has entered.

n Superintendent of Public Instruction. Three Democrats have jumped in the race so far for the seat that Linda McCulloch is leaving because of term limits. They are: Denise Juneau, an attorney who heads the Indian Education program at the Office of Public Instruction; Claudette Morton, a retired education administrator from Helena; and state Rep. Holly Raser, a Missoula teacher. Another possibility is state Sen. Sam Kitzenberg, D-Glasgow. No Republicans have announced yet.

n Secretary of State. McCulloch is expected to announce her candidacy late this week for the office now held by Republican Brad Johnson, who is seeking re-election.