By: Holly K. Michels
The race hasn’t been ignored by the national media, Quist pointed out. “CBS came out and traveled with us, and they even got me to play my banjo. And CNN has been here and of course Rolling Stone’s coming out. It may not be as much as Georgia, but I really feel like we’re getting a lot of national press on this.”
The DCCC did not return calls or emails asking questions about its timing, but Tiffany Muller, executive director of End Citizens United, the third-largest federal PAC in the 2016 election, said success in Georgia and Kansas spurred their jump into the race.
“I do think that in elections across the country you’re seeing a really engaged electorate,” she said Friday. “You’re seeing voters turn out whether it’s in Kansas or Georgia or being involved in the Montana special election right now.”
Muller said that even though Quist wants a seat that’s been in Republican hands for two decades, there’s a good enough chance he’ll win that the PAC is mobilizing its 3 million members across the country and 350,000 donors – the same ones who infused $850,000 into the Georgia race.
“Our first and foremost priority is connecting our grassroots members with the Quist campaign to help make sure he has all the support he needs.”
Muller said Montana is also a place she thinks End Citizens United can connect with voters because of the state’s history with money playing an out-sized role in politics, dating back to the days of the Copper Kings.
“Montana has a long history of trying to get money out of politics and making sure that politicians are seeking for hard-working families,” she said. “Our goal is to work hard hand-in-hand with the campaigns in Montana like Rob Quist … to make sure we are fighting things on a federal level.”