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John Morrison (born 1961) was elected as state Auditor in Montana in November 2000 , and re-elected in 2004 . In April 2005 , he became the first person to announce a candidacy in the Democratic primary for the 2006 US Senate election for the seat currently held by Republican Conrad Burns . BIOGRAPHY Morrison grew up in the railroad and timber town of Whitefish, Montana . His father was a small town lawyer and his mother, a substitute teacher and Speech Therapist . When Morrison was in high school, his family moved to Missoula and he graduated from Hellgate High School. Morrison received his Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington , where he excelled in academics, sports, debate and student leadership. After graduating in 1983 , Morrison entered the University Of Denver Law School, where he served as an associate Law Review editor and was a finalist at the National Trial Competition. Morrison has written numerous legal articles and a book, ''Mavericks, The Lives and Battles of Montana Political Legends''. During college he worked as a Construction laborer and radio Announcer and had his own landscaping business. Legal career From 1987 - 1988 , Morrison worked in Washington, D.C. as a legislative aide and legal counsel to Montana's Senator John Melcher and the Senate Agriculture Committee , helping write the Farm Credit Act of 1987 , signed into law by President Ronald Reagan . Returning to Montana, Morrison spent the next thirteen years practicing law in Helena . He represented the state in its Medicare reimbursement case against Tobacco Companies , represented The New York Times , NBC and other media organizations in the famous Unabomber case, and handled dozens of complex insurance cases in both state and federal trial and appellate courts. Morrison was a partner in a small law firm and he taught widely at legal seminars and as a guest lecturer at the University Of Montana Law School. Auditor’s Office Morrison’s current position as State Auditor includes the title and duties of Commissioner of Insurance and Securities . Morrison serves as chairman of the National Association Of Insurance Commissioners Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee. Prior to being named chairman, he served as co-chairman of the Consumer Protection Working Group. In that position, he worked to address legal issues arising from the World Trade Center attack. Morrison was selected in 2003 by the Democratic Leadership Council as one of 100 New Democrats to Watch. He was one of 10 public officials chosen by the national group for closer attention. 2006 U.S. SENATE CANDIDACY See Also: Montana United States Senate election, 2006 Morrison will face Montana State Senate President Jon Tester , former Montana Representative Paul Richards , and Ken Marcure in the 2006 primary on June 6, 2006. Morrison and Tester are the two considered most likely to win the primary, and therefore the two on which polls have been focusing. {Link without Title} Morrison had collected $1.05 million as of the start of 2006, including $409,241 in the last three months of 2005. {Link without Title} In April of 2006, shortly before the primary, details emerged about an affair John Morrison had in the late 1990s. His office was later responsible for investigating the husband of Morrison's former lover. An article published by Lee Newspapers downplayed the affair, but a later article in the Missoula Independent cited former staffers who said Morrison acted inappropriately by steering the investigation and refusing to recuse himself. The Independent story implied that Morrison did not pursue the case very aggressively for fear that his affair would become public. {Link without Title} EXTERNAL LINKS
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