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Special election spending tops $800,000 in just 2 weeks

Greg Gianforte, right, receives congratulations from a supporter on Monday, March 6, 2017, in Helena after winning the Republican nomination for Montana’s special election for U.S. House. The technology entrepreneur will face Democratic nominee Rob Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks in the May 25 election. (Matt Volz / Associated Press)
Associated Press
Greg Gianforte, right, receives congratulations from a supporter on Monday, March 6, 2017, in Helena after winning the Republican nomination for Montana’s special election for U.S. House. The technology entrepreneur will face Democratic nominee Rob Quist and Libertarian Mark Wicks in the May 25 election. (Matt Volz / Associated Press)

BILLINGS – Candidates vying to replace Republican Ryan Zinke in Congress have already spend more than $800,000 in just two weeks.

Montana voters will pick a new U.S. House representative on May 25. The campaign for the election officially started March 1 when Zinke resigned in order to lead the Department of the Interior.

The Billings Gazette reports that according to Federal Corporation Commission data, a super political action committee associated with House Republicans has pledged to spend $700,000 in Montana’s special election and has begun running ads against Democrat Rob Quist. Republican Candidate Greg Gianforte has spent more than $100,000 on ads.

Campaigns are only required to report on fundraising efforts twice before the election. On April 25 they will issue quarterly reports and 15 days before the election, campaign committees will have to disclose spending and donations.