Steve Daines
Encyclopedia
Steve Daines is an American
businessman and politician
from Bozeman, Montana
who was the Republican
nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
in 2008, running on the ticket
with Roy Brown
, the Republican nominee for governor.
great-great-grandmother homestead
near Conrad, Montana
and is buried at the Golden West Lutheran Church cemetery, 23 miles east of Conrad. He grew up in Bozeman, attending public schools (K-12) there, and graduated from Bozeman High School
in 1980. Upon graduation from high school, Daines attended Montana State University
, and graduated with highest honors with a Bachelor of Science
degree
in chemical engineering
in 1984. His father and mother met while growing up in Billings, and ran a home construction
business in Bozeman. He was also selected to be a Montana delegate to the 1984 Republican National Convention
for President Ronald Reagan
. He was one of the youngest delegates in the nation attending the convention
. During his management career at the company, he spent seven years managing operations in the United States
, followed by a six year assignment in Hong Kong
and mainland China
. After 13 years, he returned to Montana. He worked with his father in the family construction business in Bozeman for the next three years.
In 2000 Daines joined RightNow Technologies
in Bozeman, and currently serves as Vice President and General Manager for Asia-Pacific at their global headquarters in Bozeman. The company employs approximately 900 people, and is the largest commercial employer in Bozeman. It is one of only a handful of publicly traded companies headquartered in Montana. RightNow Technologies, Inc. provides organizations with cloud based customer experience (CX) solutions to help companies and public agencies improve their customer’s experience, while at the same time reducing costs. More than 1,800 organizations worldwide use RightNow solutions including many Fortune 500 companies (Nikon, Procter & Gamble, Ricoh, Cisco, Motorola, and MySpace to name a few), and many federal, state, and local governments (Social Security Administration, FAA, Department of Homeland Security are examples) RightNow has 17 offices spread across North American, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
In 2007, Daines and his wife Cindy, founded Giveitback.com, a non-profit organization that advocated the return of the state’s $1 billion surplus to taxpayers. He was also asked by Governor Mike Huckabee
to serve as his Montana State Chairman for Huckabee's 2008 Presidential campaign.
In 2008 Daines served as Chairman of Montana's delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention
in St. Paul, Minnesota. Steve and Cindy have been married 24 years and have four children. They are members of Springhill Presbyterian Church in Bozeman.
On November 13, 2010, Daines announced he would run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jon Tester
. This came after a complaint had been filed against Daines by David Benson, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party, that he had been illegally campaigning for several months before his announcement. This complaint was later dismissed. When Representative Denny Rehberg
announced his intention to challenge Tester, Daines dropped out of the Senate race and announced his candidacy for the open seat
vacated by Rehberg.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
who was the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Lieutenant Governor of Montana
Lieutenant Governor of Montana is an official in the state of Montana that ranks just below the Governor of Montana. The current lieutenant governor is John Bohlinger.-List of Lieutenant Governors:* John E. Rickards, Republican,...
in 2008, running on the ticket
Ticket (election)
A ticket refers to a single election choice which fills more than one political office or seat. For example, in the U.S., the candidates for President and Vice President run on the same "ticket", because they are elected together on a single ballot question rather than separately.A ticket can also...
with Roy Brown
Roy Brown
Roy Brown may refer to:*Roy Brown , English professional footballer who was the first black player to play for Stoke City.*Roy Brown , English footballer...
, the Republican nominee for governor.
Early life
Daines was born in Van Nuys, CA, on August 20, 1962, and his parents moved back to Montana when he was a year old. His NorwegianNorwegian American
Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
great-great-grandmother homestead
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
near Conrad, Montana
Conrad, Montana
Conrad is a city in and the county seat of Pondera County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,753 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Conrad is located at ....
and is buried at the Golden West Lutheran Church cemetery, 23 miles east of Conrad. He grew up in Bozeman, attending public schools (K-12) there, and graduated from Bozeman High School
Bozeman Public Schools
Bozeman Public Schools is a school district in Bozeman, Montana, USA. The district's superintendent is Kirk J. Miller, Ed.D.Bozeman Public Schools operates the following schools:*Bozeman High School*Chief Joseph Middle School*Sacajawea Middle School...
in 1980. Upon graduation from high school, Daines attended Montana State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
, and graduated with highest honors with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
in 1984. His father and mother met while growing up in Billings, and ran a home construction
Home construction
Home construction is the process of constructing a home. Beginning with simple pre-historic shelters, home construction techniques have evolved to produce the vast multitude of living accommodations available today. Different levels of wealth and power have warranted various sizes, luxuries, and...
business in Bozeman. He was also selected to be a Montana delegate to the 1984 Republican National Convention
1984 Republican National Convention
The 1984 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened on August 20 to August 23, 1984, at Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas, Texas. The convention nominated the incumbent Ronald Reagan of California for President of the United States and incumbent George H. W...
for President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. He was one of the youngest delegates in the nation attending the convention
Career
Immediately following graduation from university at the age of 21, Daines left Montana to work for Procter & GambleProcter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
. During his management career at the company, he spent seven years managing operations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, followed by a six year assignment in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. After 13 years, he returned to Montana. He worked with his father in the family construction business in Bozeman for the next three years.
In 2000 Daines joined RightNow Technologies
RightNow Technologies
RightNow Technologies is a U.S. software company that develops customer relationship management software for enterprise organizations. It is incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Bozeman, Montana....
in Bozeman, and currently serves as Vice President and General Manager for Asia-Pacific at their global headquarters in Bozeman. The company employs approximately 900 people, and is the largest commercial employer in Bozeman. It is one of only a handful of publicly traded companies headquartered in Montana. RightNow Technologies, Inc. provides organizations with cloud based customer experience (CX) solutions to help companies and public agencies improve their customer’s experience, while at the same time reducing costs. More than 1,800 organizations worldwide use RightNow solutions including many Fortune 500 companies (Nikon, Procter & Gamble, Ricoh, Cisco, Motorola, and MySpace to name a few), and many federal, state, and local governments (Social Security Administration, FAA, Department of Homeland Security are examples) RightNow has 17 offices spread across North American, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
In 2007, Daines and his wife Cindy, founded Giveitback.com, a non-profit organization that advocated the return of the state’s $1 billion surplus to taxpayers. He was also asked by Governor Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
to serve as his Montana State Chairman for Huckabee's 2008 Presidential campaign.
In 2008 Daines served as Chairman of Montana's delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention
2008 Republican National Convention
The United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...
in St. Paul, Minnesota. Steve and Cindy have been married 24 years and have four children. They are members of Springhill Presbyterian Church in Bozeman.
On November 13, 2010, Daines announced he would run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jon Tester
Jon Tester
Jon Tester is the junior U.S. Senator for Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as President of the Montana Senate.-Early life, education, and farming career:...
. This came after a complaint had been filed against Daines by David Benson, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party, that he had been illegally campaigning for several months before his announcement. This complaint was later dismissed. When Representative Denny Rehberg
Denny Rehberg
Dennis R. "Denny" Rehberg is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
announced his intention to challenge Tester, Daines dropped out of the Senate race and announced his candidacy for the open seat
United States House of Representatives election in Montana, 2012
The 2012 congressional election in Montana will be held on November 6, 2012, to determine who will represent the state of Montana in the United States House of Representatives. Montana has one seat in the House, apportioned according to the 2010 United States Census. Incumbent Denny Rehberg will...
vacated by Rehberg.