While about $12 million is financing the U.S. House race between Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist, the Libertarian candidate says contributions to his campaign are just starting to roll in. The main party candidates have each brought in over $3 million to fund their campaigns.
Outside groups have dumped millions more, picking sides between the Republican and Democrat, according to federal election reports. Those reports also show that Libertarian candidate Mark Wicks has raised $2,030, coming entirely from individual donations.
Wicks says his campaign hadn’t raised enough money to require reporting to the federal government until after he appeared in the first U.S. House debate on the Montana Television Network last month.
“My support has been growing leaps and bounds since the debate,” Wicks says.
The debate was the first time many voters were exposed to Wicks. Wick’s says he knows he can’t compete with the main party candidates financially, and must rely on good messaging. Wicks has also not received any money from a political party or political action committees, known as PACs.
In the last three U.S. House races, Libertarians in Montana have received around 3 or 4 percent of the total vote.
