1978 United States Senate election in Montana
The 1978 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 7, 1978. Following the death of United States Senator Lee Metcalf on January 12, 1978, Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul G. Hatfield was appointed to serve for the remainder of Metcalf's term. Hatfield opted to run for re-election, but was overwhelmingly defeated in the Democratic primary by United States Congressman Max Baucus of the 1st congressional district. Baucus advanced to the general election, where he was opposed by Larry R. Williams, an author and the Republican nominee. Baucus ended up defeating Williams by a solid margin to win his first term in the Senate, and, following Hatfield's resignation on December 12, 1978, he began serving his first term in the Senate.
J. S. Brenner
John Skoning "Jack" Brenner (January 2, 1911 – July 24, 1980), commonly known as J. S. Brenner, was an American politician in the state of Montana. A Republican, he served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1949 to 1952 and Montana Senate from 1952 to 1966. In 1963, he served as minority leader of the state Senate. Born at Elgin, Illinois in 1911, Brenner attended the New Mexico Military Institute, Montana State University, and the University of Pennsylvania. He was a cattle rancher and lived in Grant, Beaverhead County, Montana. He was also a member and president of the Montana Stock Growers Association. He was defeated for reelection to the state Senate in 1966 by Frank W. Hazelbaker.