HELENA — U.S. Rep. Steve Daines is reporting a solid fundraising quarter as he mulls a potential run for the U.S. Senate.
The freshman Republican brought in $433,000 from April through June. That leaves him with $600,000 on hand.
Daines would be up for his first re-election campaign in 2014.
But many Republicans hope he will run for the Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus. His retirement is creating the first open Senate seat in Montana since the 1970s.
Two other Republicans who have announced Senate campaigns have yet to release the latest fundraising totals. But so far current Rep. Champ Edmunds and former state Sen. Corey Stapleton have failed to muster noteworthy financial or party support.
Democrats are waiting to see if former Gov. Brian Schweitzer will run.