Bullock outraises Daines in Montana Senate race

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D) outraised Sen. Steve Daines (R) in the state’s high-profile Senate race as Democrats hope to score an upset.

Bullock raised about $2.4 million in the first half of the second quarter and has about $4.1 million in the bank, according to his campaign’s latest filing with the Federal Election Commission.

Daines raised $1.3 million and has a war chest of $5.8 million.

Campaigns with primaries on June 2 have filed so-called pre-primary reports that cover fundraising from April 1-May 13. Montana is one of a handful of states that will hold its Senate primary on June 2.

Bullock entered the Senate race after his short-lived presidential run flamed out, giving Democrats a top-tier competitor in a state where they’d previously been lacking a serious candidate for the race.

Democrats are hopeful Bullock can pose a stiff challenge to Daines, a first-term senator, in a state that President Trump won by 20 points in 2016. Bullock, who served a term as state attorney general and two as governor, has won three times statewide in presidential years, giving Democrats hope he can convert Trump voters over to his campaign.

A recent poll released earlier this month showed Bullock leading Daines by 7 points.

The top Senate GOP super PAC announced this week it is reserving over $10 million in airtime in Montana to boost Daines, a sign Republicans view the race as competitive. 

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates the race as “lean” Republican.