Spending records will likely be broken in Montana’s U.S. Senate race this year, according to Denise Roth-Barber, the Managing director for the National Institute on Money in Politics. Incumbent Democrat Jon Tester has been storing-up funds while Republicans spend during a heated primary.

“Jon Tester the Democrat is unopposed, but he has, nonetheless, raised nearly $12.4 million,” Roth-Barber said. “The Republican candidates have not even come close: Troy Downing has raised $1.4 million, Matt Rosendale $1.2 million, Russ Fagg $1 million and the others are all fairly small.”

By raking in over $12 million, Tester is close to being Montana’s cash king, breaking the state’s all-time record, which he also set, just a few years ago.

“In terms of who has raised the most money overall in Montana, it is Tester,” Roth-Barber said. “In his 2012 race, he raised $14 million. He is on track to beat that because he has already raised $12.4 million this year and is well on his way to beating his $14.1 million record that he set in 2012.”

There is also money being spent independently on the race. In independent spending, Roth-Barber says Tester has had 1.1 million spent in his favor and $388,000 spent against him. Republican Primary candidate Matt Rosendale appears to be the king of independent money spent so far in the race as $910,000 has been spent so far on ads against Russ Fagg, with 1.1 million spent in favor of Rosendale.

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