Our Viewpoint: Politics is big business in MT

The big news in politics this week is President Joe Biden announcing he won't seek reelection and the Democratic party is deciding how to pick a new nominee.

However, the big news isn't the big business. Montana's Senate race has gained national attention for the big dollars raised. According to the Montana Free Press, as of July 17, incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, has raised $43.7 million in campaign funds, while Republican candidate Tim Sheehy has raised $13.7 million.

By contrast, in the race for U.S. Representative for District 1, Republican Ryan Zinke has raised $6.9 million and Democratic challenger Monica Tranel $3 million.

In the race for the U.S. House in District 2, Republican Troy Downing has raised $2 million, while the Montana Free Press reports that Democrat John Driscoll hasn't spent or raised donations to the $5,000 threshold at which candidates are required to report campaign finances.

The Senate race between Tester and Sheehy is gaining national attention as it could be key for deciding which party controls the U.S. Senate.

Now let's put those numbers into perspective. The revenue for Sanders County for an entire year is about $25 million. The estimated cost for full replacement of the Noxon bridge is at least $30 million. We could replace a bridge that is a vital lifeline for a whole community for less than what one candidate has raised. A political ad on television can cost upward of $50,000. The election is more than three months away and we've already seen an uptick in ads, especially for the Senate race. It's hard to watch when you think about how much money is being spent putting down the other side.

Hopefully, whoever wins these big statewide races will help the residents in rural Montana with their needs that last a lot longer than an election cycle.

— Annie Wooden