Throughout his career, Max has never forgotten where he came from or who he represents. Raised on a ranch near Helena, Max understands the values of hard work, faith, family, and community. That's why he does "Work Days" as often as he can with local businesses in Montana.  Max spends a full day working alongside Montanans to gain a better perspective of the challenges they face. Over the years, he's done Work Days on farms and ranches, at butcher shops and pharmacies, schools and construction sites.

In 1995 and 1996, Max walked the entire 820-mile length of Montana. An avid runner, Max completed a 50-mile running marathon in just over 12 hours in 2003.

Boosting the state's economy and creating good-paying jobs in Montana top Max's priority list. By combining his trademark work ethic with independence and experience, Max has helped create thousands of good-paying jobs in Montana. He's held five separate statewide Montana Economic Development Summits, each of which attracted more than 1,000 people. These meetings, amongst the state's top economic development officials and business people, helped lay the foundation for economic development planning in the state.

Whether fighting to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program or writing landmark health care reform legislation that is  working to reduce the deficit and provide quality, affordable health care coverage for all Americans, Max is leading the charge to improve choice and competition and make health care work better for Montanans . For decades he has led efforts to cut the rising number of the uninsured in Montana and to strengthen Medicare for Montana seniors.

By traveling overseas and hosting foreign dignitaries in Montana, Max has helped knock down trade barriers and open foreign markets to Montana's high-quality products. He's led Montana agriculture and business leaders on trade missions to Asia, Cuba, Australia and most recently South America.

Max is also committed to boosting Montana's education system and fighting to increase access to public lands important to hunting and fishing.

Max graduated from Helena High School in 1959. He earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree from Stanford University. He has one son, Zeno. In what little free time Max has, he enjoys hunting, fishing and hiking on the public lands he fights so hard to keep open.