Article Summary –
The Montana 2024 U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Jon Tester and Republican businessman Tim Sheehy has seen Tester raise over $7 million in Q1, doubling Sheehy’s fundraising. Tester has also continued to spend less than he is raising, leaving him with over $12 million on hand. In the eastern U.S. House district, several Republican candidates are reported to have loaned their campaigns substantial sums.
Montana Federal Election Fundraising Update for Q1 2024
The fundraising figures for the first quarter of 2024 from Montana’s federal office candidates are now available, giving insights into the state of numerous campaigns leading up to this year’s significant elections.
The most prominent race is the U.S. Senate contest featuring Republican Tim Sheehy and incumbent Democrat Jon Tester. Tester represents one of the two seats Republicans need to flip the U.S. Senate control. As a Democrat from a typically Republican-leaning state, Tester is seen as possibly vulnerable.
However, Tester is known for his effective fundraising skills. As a result, his campaign reported raising $7,268,385 in Q1 2024, taking his total for the election cycle to $31,105,696. His campaign continues to spend less than the incoming funds, leaving him with $12,653,948.
Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and business owner, raised $2,166,600 in Q1 2024. His total for the election so far is $5,826,881. His campaign spent slightly more than it raised in Q1, leaving him with $1,925,866. Sheehy’s fundraising is boosted by $500,000 of personal loans he made to his campaign this period.
Tester’s individual contributions mainly come from donations of $200 and less, totaling $10,369,689. Sheehy raised $1,576,382 from these smaller-dollar donors, with the majority of his funds coming from donated amounts worth $2,000 or more.
California contributed the most to Tester’s campaign this cycle, with $2.3 million, just above the $2.2 million he received from Montana donors. Sheehy got about $1 million in individual contributions from Montana, more than double the amount he received from Florida, his next most supportive state.
In the western U.S. House district of Montana, incumbent Republican Ryan Zinke outperformed both his primary opponent and Democratic challenger, raising $1.5 million in Q1 2024. His total for the cycle is $5.2 million, and he ended the filing period with $2.3 million.
Several Republicans are hoping to replace retiring GOP hardliner Matt Rosendale in Montana’s eastern U.S. House district. Almost all primary candidates reported lending substantial sums to their campaigns. Elsie Arntzen, Montana’s term-limited superintendent of public instruction, reported $96,159 in contributions for this period. She also loaned her campaign a total of $700,000, including $450,000 during this recent filing period. She reported $368,848 on hand at the period’s end.
In the same district’s Democratic race, Kevin Hamm raised $21,804, Ming Cabrera raised $7,105, and Steve Held reported $16,223 contributions this period, in addition to a $30,000 personal loan to his campaign. John Driscoll, a former state House speaker, has not filed any campaign finance data with the Federal Election Commission, implying he has neither raised nor spent more than $5,000.
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