Former Baucus staffer raises $200K for bid

John Lewis (D), a former staffer to Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), raised more than $200,000 in the last fundraising quarter and has nearly $330,000 cash on hand, according to the Missoulian.

Lewis is a longtime Baucus staffer who most recently served as his state director. He’s aiming for Montana’s at-large House seat, which is being vacated by Rep. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who’s running for Senate. 

This is Lewis’s second solid fundraising quarter in a row and a sign he might be able to make the open-seat race competitive. Montana is usually an inexpensive state to campaign in, but an open Senate seat and an open House seat might drive up the costs on the airwaves a bit in the coming months.

National Democrats are hopeful they can win the seat in the GOP-leaning state for the first time in two decades and are excited about Lewis’s campaign.