campaign finance

A group seeking to legalize recreational marijuana in Montana says it has gathered enough signatures to put the question to voters in November's election.

Outside PAC money is pouring into Montana's races for Senate and governor - one indication of how competitive those races are. But money isn't the only factor, which gives some underdogs hope. Gubernatorial candidate Mike Cooney gets criticized for participating in a campaign call in his state office. Absentee ballot collection remains a contentious issue. And Montanans likely aren't as leery as the president when it comes to voting by mail.

Listen now on Campaign Beat, with Sally Mauk, Rob Saldin and Holly Michels.

The money funding Montana’s U.S. Senate race has grown by the millions since the start of 2020.

According to federal campaign finance reports, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock has drawn in a net of $3.3 million since he entered the race in early March. After some spending, Bullock still ended the first quarter of 2020 with more than $3 million in the bank.

More than 85 percent of the money fueling primary campaigns for Montana’s U.S. House race this year is held by two candidates; Republican Matt Rosendale and Democrat Kathleen Williams. Rosendale and Williams each have more than $800,000 in the bank to start the 2020 election year.

A Montana case before the U.S. Supreme Court could have far-reaching implications for public education funding and the debate over the separation of church and state. Two candidates in the U.S. House race — one Democrat and one Republican — are running away from the pack in fundraising. A controversial tribal water compact could become an issue in the governor's race. And the three Republican candidates for governor square off in their first debate. Listen now on Campaign Beat.