Montana: Democrats to Launch TV Ad Hitting Denny Rehberg

The Montana Democratic Party will begin running a television ad on Tuesday accusing Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) of protecting Wall Street’s interests over Montana’s.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee directed funds to the state party, which paid $400,000 to air the spot from Tuesday to July 9.

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Montana: Denny Rehberg Launches Fourth Ad

Rep. Denny Rehberg, the Republican challenging Sen. Jon Tester (D), strikes a decidedly independent tone in a new television ad launched today.

It’s Rehberg’s fourth ad and the first one not to draw a contrast between himself and Tester — and it’s similar in tone to the ads Tester has been running. It opens with Rehberg driving his green Jeep Wrangler with the top down in front of the Capitol. Full story

Montana: Pearl Jam Rocks for Jon Tester

Two lucky Pearl Jam fans and supporters of Sen. Jon Tester (D) will sit in recliners onstage for the famed Seattle rock band’s only non-festival concert in the country this year, set for September.

The Tester campaign announced today that supporters can be “automatically entered for a chance to win the Best Seats in the World by simply donating $10, or any other amount, at jontester.com.” The winner and a guest will also be admitted to pre-show events with Tester and members of the band and will receive travel and hotel accommodations. Full story

Montana: Jon Tester, Denny Rehberg to Debate Twice in June

Fresh off securing their nominations on Tuesday, Sen. Jon Tester (D) and his challenger, Rep. Denny Rehberg (R), are set to debate twice in the next two weeks.

The Tester campaign announced that the first debate will take place June 16 in Big Sky and will also include Libertarian candidate Dan Cox. They will meet at Buck’s T-4 Lodge at 4 p.m. ET. The Montana Broadcasters Association is sponsoring a second debate between Tester and Rehberg on June 24 in Whitefish.

Roll Call rates this race as a Tossup.

Montana: Denny Rehberg Hits Jon Tester Again in TV Ad

Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) launched another new TV ad today tying Sen. Jon Tester (D) to Washington, D.C., and President Barack Obama.

Titled “Baloney 2,” it’s a follow-up to an ad released two weeks ago. The campaign spent about $60,000 to air the ad statewide this week on broadcast and cable TV. Full story

Montana: Jon Tester Launches Seventh TV Ad

Montana Sen. Jon Tester (D) today launched the seventh television ad of his re-election campaign.

It’s yet another positive spot and highlights Tester’s relationship with a seriously injured veteran. A source tracking ad buys said the campaign is spending about $60,000 to run the ad statewide on cable and broadcast TV. Full story

Study: Democrats Must Win Moderates to Hold Senate

In a study that could annoy Democrats and perturb proponents of the “base election” theory, a centrist Democratic think tank is arguing that its party’s hold on the Senate hinges on political “moderates.”

Third Way, in a report set for release today, asserts not only that ideological moderates will determine control of the Senate in November, but that Democrats need to win more of these voters in 10 states with tossup Senate contests than do the Republicans. The think tank crunched exit polling data from recent presidential and midterm elections and concluded that Democrats face a significant challenge in their bid to retain their thin, four-seat Senate majority.

“Crucially for Democrats, they must garner a majority of moderates in nine of 10 toss-ups to win, and in seven of those the bar is even higher — Democrats must clear 60 percent [of moderates] to win,” Third Way policy advisers Michelle Diggles and Lanae Erickson write in the think tank’s report.

Third Way classifies 10 Senate races as Tossup; Roll Call currently rates eight races as Tossup.

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Montana: Jon Tester Launches Sixth TV Ad

Montana Sen. Jon Tester continued his aggressive media strategy this week by launching yet another in a string of positive TV ads.

The latest is a 60-second spot featuring the Democrat’s wife, Sharla, and shots of Tester climbing into his tractor, reading to young students, sitting in a science lab with college students, speaking with veterans, sitting at a small table with senior citizens and walking with shotgun-wielding hunters. Full story

Montana: Denny Rehberg Airs First TV Ad

Rep. Denny Rehberg (above) launched his first TV ad in his race against Sen. Jon Tester. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg today launched his first TV ad in his challenge to Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

The ad, which a source tracking ad buys said was for $50,000, opens with a quick clip of Tester saying, “You’ve got to have honest leadership.”

“But Jon Tester’s dishonest attacks hide his votes for higher taxes 55 times, to raise his own pay, spend your tax dollars on bonuses for Wall Street executives, give Obama his way with your money 95 percent of the time,” the ad’s announcer says. Full story

DSCC Reserves Airtime in Three Key States

In its first television advertising reservation for the fall, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reserved $14.1 million in Missouri, Montana and Virginia — three states Democrats are looking to hold as they seek to preserve their four-seat Senate majority.

As the Hotline first reported, the DSCC reserved $7.4 million in Virginia, $3.5 million in Missouri and $3.2 million in Montana. The Virginia and Missouri reservations are for Oct. 9 to Nov. 5, and the Montana reservation is from Aug. 28 to Nov. 5, Roll Call confirmed with a Democratic source. Full story

Montana: Jon Tester’s Fifth TV Ad Focuses on Ethics

Sen. Jon Tester (D) today launched his fifth television ad of the campaign — a positive spot that highlights his ethics record.

The ad features three voters touting their support for Tester, including a retired federal prosecutor, a teacher and former Rep. Pat Williams (D-Mont.). It’s a follow-up to Tester’s 2006 campaign, which focused on the ethics issues of then-Sen. Conrad Burns (R). However, the ad mistakenly tells viewers to go to TesterEthicsRules.com for more information. The actual address is TesterEthicsRecord.com.

“Jon Tester promised us he’d be a different kind of Senator, and he is,” retired federal prosecutor Sherry Matteucci says in the ad. Full story

Today’s First-Quarter Fundraising Roundup

First-quarter fundraising numbers continued to trickle out today, as campaigns inch toward Sunday’s filing deadline. These are the first money figures in an election year, and therefore they provide a window into the state of many races as campaigns become more organized.

Tuesday and Wednesday were fairly heavy with Democratic reports, but more Republicans began to show their cards today.

Senate:

• Arizona: Rep. Jeff Flake raised $935,000 for his Senate bid in the first quarter of the year and ended March with about $3 million in cash on hand.
• Montana: We do not have exact figures, but it’s about a tie. Both campaigns are saying they raised about $1.2 million in the first quarter. However, Sen. Jon Tester (D) has the upper hand in cash on hand. He had $4.3 million at the end of last month compared with Rep. Denny Rehberg‘s (R) $2.7 million. The two are facing off in a race that Roll Call rates as a Tossup. Full story

NRSC Places $25 Million Ad Reservation for Fall Campaign

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn is trying to win back the majority this fall. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The Senate GOP’s campaign arm reserved approximately $25 million in airtime today in six targeted Senate races — an early and aggressive move for a party looking to regain the majority.

The broadcast, cable and radio buy comes several months before the campaign committees’ independent expenditure arms typically start to reserve air time for the post-Labor Day campaign advertisement blitz.

“This is our first buy, not our last. But this foundation does ensure we will be heard through various channels as the electorate decides who they are going to vote for,” a National Republican Senatorial Committee official told Roll Call. Full story

Montana: Jon Tester Launches Two More TV Ads

Sen. Jon Tester’s campaign has launched two more positive TV ads in Montana to boost the Democrat’s first bid for re-election.

The 30-second ads, which the campaign said it spent about $60,000 on, will begin airing statewide this weekend. Both focus on Tester’s efforts to support military veterans.

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Montana: Tester Launches First TV Ad

(Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Montana Sen. Jon Tester today launched his first TV ad of the cycle, a 30-second positive spot featuring the first-term Democrat back home on the ranch.

“Sitting out here makes the partisanship back there seem pretty ridiculous,” Tester says in the ad. “Montanans don’t care which party gets the credit or the blame. That’s why I’m focused on doing what’s right for Montana — always.”

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