Montana State Senate District 43 Had An Obscene Amount Of Financial Interference!

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Dark money has become the new kingmaker in Montana politics. Out of State Political Action Committees that don’t have to reveal their donors—and can pour virtually unlimited money into campaigns—have become the political equivalent of a masked high roller buying the roulette wheel.

The poster child for this corruption of the process was Senate District 43. Genuine conservative Kathy Love found herself facing Dave Bedey, a candidate who campaigned with an “R” next to his name while earning enthusiastic financial support from groups that have little interest in advancing conservative principles.

Outside dark-money organizations dumped an astonishing $147,000 into supporting Bedey. Add in his traditional fundraising and personal spending, and his campaign burned through roughly $59 for every vote he received. At that price, voters weren’t being persuaded—they were being carpet-bombed with advertising. In spite of being outraised by factors of many multipliers, Love lost by just a scant 61 votes.

Bedey is certainly rented by the highest bidder.

Montanans once rose up against the Copper Kings and the robber barons who believed our government was just another commodity to purchase. Those reforms became a model for the nation. More than a century later, we’ve come full circle. The names have changed, the checks are larger, and the money now flows through PACs with patriotic-sounding names instead of mining companies—but the objective remains the same: let outsiders with deep pockets drown out the voices of Montana voters.

If we believe elections should be decided by citizens instead of anonymous checkbooks, then it’s time to demand meaningful reforms that curb the influence of massive out-of-state spending and restore Montana elections to the people who actually live here.

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