Article Summary –
Two Republican candidates, Charles Walking Child, a U.S. Senate primary candidate, and Tanner Smith, a gubernatorial candidate, have been disallowed to attend a high-profile GOP campaign event in Missoula, Montana featuring Donald Trump Jr. and Alex Bruesewitz. The event, hosted by the Montana Association of Conservatives PAC (MAC PAC), was organised to support the campaigns of Donald Trump, Tim Sheehy, Ryan Zinke, and Greg Gianforte. Walking Child and Smith criticise the decision on social media, calling out the perceived “uniparty” for not allowing attendance of candidates challenging party frontrunners.
Republican Candidates Refunded and Uninvited from Montana GOP Campaign Event
Two Republican candidates for state and federal offices have had their ticket purchases refunded and been told they cannot attend a high-profile Montana GOP campaign event this weekend. Donald Trump Jr., a campaign surrogate of the former president, and conservative social media influencer Alex Bruesewitz are scheduled to appear at an event in Missoula on Sunday, hosted by the Montana Association of Conservatives PAC.
However, contenders of U.S. Senate hopeful Tim Sheehy and incumbent Governor Greg Gianforte were informed they are not welcome. Charles Walking Child, a candidate in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, and Tanner Smith, a Republican candidate for governor, shared their disinvitations on social media.
A spokesperson for MAC PAC, Cameo Flood, declined to provide additional details about why the two candidates’ tickets were refunded. She specified no other current Republican candidates have been disinvited.
Tensions escalated as Walking Child and Smith criticized the decision on social media. Smith targeted the “uniparty” for disallowing the attendance of candidates challenging the party frontrunners. He wrote, “The uniparty swamp is trying to stop me from becoming Governor of Montana! Thankfully, Montanans know better than to let the swamp dictate who they vote for.”
This isn’t the first time GOP division has been evident at a campaign event this election cycle. Earlier this year, Alex Bruesewitz was initially invited to the GOP’s winter kickoff event, but later disinvited after conservative Montana hardliners accused the party of favoritism.
Brad Johnson, another Republican challenging Sheehy in the Senate primary, asserted he wasn’t disinvited from the event. He highlighted the apparent party favoritism for certain candidates and anticipated Montanans would not appreciate being told what to do.
Related: Who’s running for office in Montana in 2024? Here’s a running list.
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