Gianforte Leads Busse in 2024’s First Fundraising Report

March 22, 2024

Article Summary –

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte’s first-quarter 2024 campaign finance filings reveal nearly $853,000 in primary election donations and another $395,600 for the general election, outdoing Democratic challenger Ryan Busse’s $417,500 in the same period. The funds do not include direct donations from the multimillionaire incumbent; however, his campaign did record a $35,786 “in-kind” donation for travel on Gianforte’s private plane. Despite raising less, Busse’s campaign hailed its contributions as record-breaking compared to non-incumbent candidates in past election cycles, with donations from 3,021 grassroots donors.

According to first-quarter 2024 campaign finance filings, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte reported nearly $853,000 in primary election donations and an additional $395,600 for the general election, all without direct donations from the multimillionaire incumbent himself. This initial report from Gianforte’s reelection campaign notably surpasses the approximately $417,500 raised by Democratic candidate Ryan Busse during the same time frame, as well as the around $897,000 gathered by Busse since his campaign’s September inception.

While Gianforte did utilize personal resources, such as a $35,786 “in-kind” donation for travel on his private plane, the campaign highlighted the significant role of Montana donors in its fundraising efforts. A campaign press release stated, “Ninety-two percent of contributions to the governor’s reelection came from Montanans, with Montanans from each of the state’s 56 counties donating. The campaign’s fundraising haul of over $1.1 million is fully donor-fueled, with the governor not contributing or loaning funds to his reelection.”

Despite this, Gianforte’s campaign clarified that the governor’s wealth may still play a role in future campaign funding. In contrast, despite raising less than half of Gianforte’s first quarter total, Busse’s campaign claimed a record-breaking number of contributions compared to previous non-incumbent candidates. His campaign accepted donations from over 3,000 grassroots donors across Montana, boasting an average donation of about $96.

The filing periods will now transition to monthly reporting, with the next deadline set for April 20.