Article Summary –
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has a significant fundraising advantage over his Republican challenger Tim Sheehy, with Tester raising $6.4 million from mid-May to June and holding $11 million in hand, totaling over $43.7 million for the election cycle, which is a record amount. In contrast, Sheehy has raised $13.7 million since declaring his candidacy in July 2023, including $2.6 million of his own money.
New campaign finance reports show U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has a significant fundraising advantage over Republican challenger Tim Sheehy, while Republican U.S. House candidates lead in their races.
Tester, running for a fourth term, raised $6.4 million from mid-May to June-end, holding $11 million cash on hand. He has raised over $43.7 million for the election cycle, tripling his July 2018 campaign funds.
Sheehy, new to politics, gathered $3 million from mid-May to June and has $3.2 million on hand. Since July 2023, Sheehy has raised $13.7 million, including $2.6 million in self-contributions.
A financial edge doesn’t always mean more votes. Tester’s vote share exceeded 50% only once, despite often outspending opponents. In 2018, Tester raised four times more than challenger Matt Rosendale.
Sid Daud and Michael Downey, Libertarian and Green Party Senate candidates, remained below the $5,000 federal disclosure threshold.
In Montana’s eastern U.S. House district, including Billings and Great Falls, Republican Troy Downing raised $2 million for his eight-candidate primary, lending his campaign $1 million. Downing serves as Montana state auditor.
Eastern district Democrat John Driscoll, of Helena, won a four-way June primary but remained below the $5,000 reporting threshold. Former state legislator and utility commissioner, Driscoll aims to minimize campaign spending, as seen in his 2008 U.S. House race. This district historically favors Republicans by 19 percentage points.
Western district Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke raised $1 million from mid-May to June, holding $3.1 million cash. Zinke, from Whitefish, has collected $6.9 million for the election cycle.
Democratic western district challenger Monica Tranel ended the quarter with $2 million on hand and $773,000 raised since mid-May. Tranel, a Missoula attorney, has gathered $3 million since last year.
Western district Libertarian candidate Dennis Hayes, a Townsend retiree, did not meet federal reporting requirements.
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