A pro-Tim Sheehy super PAC released a new $275k ad buy in Montana touting the GOP Senate candidate’s military background and tough-on-border policies.
A super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy is spending more than $275,000 in digital ads touting the first-time candidate’s military background and conservative border positions, National Review has learned. It’s an effort by the military veteran and wealthy Bridger Aerospace CEO to increase his name ID in Big Sky Country one year out from Election Day, when he’s hoping to take on three-term Democratic senator Jon Tester in the general election.
“Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy supports Trump’s wall and will destroy the cartels,” a narrator says in one of the 15-second ads sponsored by the super PAC More Jobs, Less Government, which will air on YouTube and an array of streaming devices for the next month. “Navy SEAL, political outsider, pro-Trump conservative.” Two weeks ago, the super PAC spent $250,000 blanketing Montana’s radio airwaves with pro-Sheehy ads.
Donald Trump carried Montana by 16 points in 2020, meaning that the state is one of the GOP’s top targets in 2024 as they look to flip the upper chamber. Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has already come out in support of Sheehy’s bid under the leadership of Montana senator Steve Daines. The NRSC is hoping Sheehy will win the primary against his prospective challenger, Representative Matt Rosendale, the hardline conservative congressman who lost to Tester by three-and-a-half points in 2018 and is expected to run again in 2024. (Rosendale is one of eight House Republicans who joined a united Democratic caucus early last month in ousting ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his post.)
Trump’s endorsement could make or break Montana’s Senate GOP primary. As National Review noted in the Corner recently, Rosendale gave a curious interview to a local-radio host last month about whether he planned to endorse Trump this cycle. “Quite frankly, while there’s a lot of people across the state of Montana that continue to, to cheer for me, it’s not always in, in everybody’s best interest to have Matt Rosendale tagline on there unfortunately,” Rosendale told local radio show Montana Talks. “I can’t gauge what my endorsement would help or hurt anyone. And I can tell you this. I think President Trump is gonna do fine whether he has Matt Rosendale’s endorsement or not. ” One day later, Rosendale endorsed Trump.