As the primary election nears, a major spender in the Democratic U.S. Senate race is a PAC originally set to back Tim Sheehy in 2024, now spending $700,000 on ads targeting two Democratic candidates. This reflects a significant investment in shaping the Democratic field as funding remains low.
More Jobs, Less Government, which spent $22 million on Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy’s campaign, has allocated $695,979.42 in this Democratic primary cycle. The majority of spending targets Reilly Neill, a leading candidate having raised over $100,000. PACs dominate messaging due to historically low Democratic primary funding in Montana.
A recent $185,500 ad by More Jobs criticizes Neill for liberal views on immigration and Trump impeachment, while portraying Alani Bankhead as a Trump-supporting Democrat favoring strict immigration controls. The ad inaccurately names Bankhead as “Eloni.”
Bankhead, noted for prosecuting sex crimes, aims to explore the Epstein files. She has stated, “I have a network…to protect children…and I intend to impeach Trump and put him in jail.”
Neill, facing $500,000 in More Jobs ads, counters by positioning her campaign against Republican Kurt Alme. Meanwhile, the Progressive Vet PAC has invested $1 million promoting Bankhead, spending $75,000 against Neill. Progressive Vet’s funding remains obscure, linked to Jason Carroll, who has given $1.7 million to Unite America PAC, known for supporting election reforms.
More Jobs, now smaller compared to its 2024 version with $909,000 in receipts, heavily funded by Stephen Allen Schwarzman of Blackstone Group, focuses on shaping the Senate race dynamics. It allocated $96,000 opposing independent candidate Seth Bodnar.
Key More Jobs donors include Wayne Boich from WMB Marketing Ventures, partnered with Signal Peak, running Montana’s sole underground coal mine. This mine benefits from the Crow Revenue Act, which opened coal mining in Montana, and the “One Big Beautiful Bill” easing mining regulations.
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