Democratic-linked super PAC playing in Montana GOP Senate race, similar to 2022 playbook

A new super PAC with ties to Democrats is playing in the Montana GOP Senate primary, hitting leading Republican contender Tim Sheehy as he seeks to oust Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT).

The early effort is reminiscent of the strategy Democrats deployed in the 2022 election cycle to knock down more electable GOP candidates in an attempt to boost ones that Democrats could defeat more easily.

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The Super PAC, Last Best Place, was registered with the Federal Election Commission in early September and has so far placed over $1.6 million in TV ads, according to AdImpact.

The PAC has continually targeted Sheehy, the Bridger Aerospace CEO and former Navy SEAL who announced his bid in June for one of the most competitive Senate seats. The PAC’s attacks include hitting Sheehy for taking a forgivable loan in the Paycheck Protection Program.

According to the PAC’s filings, their registered bank is Amalgamated Bank, which is the bank of choice for the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic groups.

FCC records show that a media buyer called Mountain Media Agency purchased the ad. The address listed by Mountain Media is also used by Old Town Media, which Democratic Party campaigns use as a media buyer.

The treasurer listed is David M. Lewis who previously served as a Republican in the Montana legislature.

Lewis told the Washington Examiner that Last Best Place PAC is operating in accordance with all federal regulations and laws, and he declined to address questions about whether the group is affiliated with Democrats.

“Montanans deserve to know the truth about Mitch McConnell’s millionaire candidate – especially when he spends those millions to hide who he really is,” Lewis said in a statement. “The truth is Tim Sheehy walked away from a loan, dodges Montana taxes, and profits off government contracts. He doesn’t understand our state and is the last person we need representing us in the Senate.”

The PAC is not required to report its donors until 2024.

Sheehy is the main candidate running in the Republican primary and is the front-runner to take on Tester (D-MT). But it is expected that Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) will hop in the race, something Senate GOP Leadership does not want to happen as they think it could jeopardize the chances of picking that seat up.

In 2018, Rosendale ran for Senate against Tester and lost, making Republicans nervous that if he jumps in again, they could lose a winnable seat.

However, it appears from the connections the super PAC has that Democrats are attempting to play in the Republican primary, much like they did in the 2022 midterm elections when they spent millions to boost “weak Republicans” whom they believed they could beat handily.

For example, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s (D-IL) campaign and the Democratic Governors Association dropped $35 million on ads in the Republican primary, attacking then-state Sen. Darren Bailey’s more centrist primary opponent, ensuring that Bailey would get the nomination.

According to FiveThirtyEight, Democrats were successful in six of the dozens of races they meddled in.

“Chuck Schumer and his allies are spending millions supporting Matt Rosendale,” a GOP strategist who works on Senate races told the Washington Examiner. “Rosendale’s proven track record of losing to Jon Tester, anemic fundraising, and brutal Maryland accent are all the qualities Schumer likes to see in a candidate.”

On Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, Rosendale said the PAC was just “telling the truth” about Sheehy.

“Because some Democrat organization is taking shots at the national committee’s poster boy,” Rosendale said on the podcast. “How in the world they can transmit that into or project that onto me? That’s what it was all about.”

When asked his thoughts about the PAC by the Washington Examiner, Rosendale said he was not associated with it, even though it was not the question.

“I think that any accusation that or insinuation that I am in any way affiliated with associated with or participating with a Democrat super PAC is absolutely asinine and ridiculous,” Rosendale said.

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When asked if he would jump into the Senate race, Rosendale said he “is taking it under consideration” and was going to “have a nice Christmas break where I’ll be able to spend plenty of time with my family to have those conversations.”

The Washington Examiner reached out to Sheehy for comment.