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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

Spending On Montana Special Election Nears $12 Million

U.S. House Candidates Greg Gianforte (L) and Rob Quist (R).
Corin Cates-Carney/Josh Burnham
U.S. House Candidates Greg Gianforte (L) and Rob Quist (R).

About $12 million is fueling the special election between Democrat Rob Quist and Republican Greg Gianforte, according to latest campaign finance disclosures.

The money pouring into Montana’s sprint race to fill the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House now exceeds the total from the previous House race held in 2016. In that race just over $9 million was spent, according to reports from the Federal Election Commission.

Republican Greg Gianforte has raised about $3.4 million in this race. Campaign reports show Gianforte loaned his campaign a million dollars, with the rest of his fundraising primarily coming from individual donors.

Democrat Rob Quist has raised just under $3.3 million, almost all of which has come from individual donors.

Groups outside the campaigns  are spending more than $5 million to influence the race. Most of that money, about $4 million,  is coming from conservative groups who oppose Rob Quist.

Montana will select its next congressman in just over a week. Election day is Thursday, May 25.

Corin Cates-Carney was the Montana Public Radio news director from early 2020 to mid 2025 after spending more than five years living and reporting across Western and Central Montana.
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