Facing possible defeat in the race to win, Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester accepts a dead voter’s donation

The 2024 election has reached a scary time of year.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) accepted donations from a deceased supporter, Federal Election Commission records show.

Tester, who polls show is trailing Republican opponent Tim Sheehy in a race Democrats see as key to retaining the Senate majority, took two $50 donations in the third quarter from Bozeman living Barbara McGowan – although both donations were only determined after her death on July 17th.

Two receipts on that date and September 20 eerily note McGowan’s employer and occupation: “Deceased July 17.”

An obituary for the 83-year-old published online described McGowan as “A force of nature” in the headline.

Montana’s Senate race is one of the most expensive this cycle, with $265 million spent on advertising alone.

Republicans have a strong chance of taking control of the upper chamber next year, as the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) means the seat will almost certainly fall into Republican hands.

Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, led Tester, a dirt farmer, by eight percentage points (52% to 44%) in a New York Times/Siena College poll of Montana voters, while former President Donald Trump led Vice President Kamala by 17 percentage points Harris led the state by percentage points (56%-39%).

An equal share of Montanans (22%) view the economy and immigration as the most critical issues in this election, forcing Tester to distance himself further from the top of the ticket — first with President Biden and then with Harris.

Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, including four independents who align with the party.

The donations from beyond the grave come as Republicans accuse Democrats of profiting from fraudulent donations from online fundraising giant ActBlue.

On Tuesday, Herman Cain’s former chief of staff Mark Block filed a racketeering lawsuit against the platform for allegedly stealing his identity to make 385 donations to left-wing causes, including Harris’ presidential PAC.

Block, a longtime Republican strategist, claimed that $884.38 was donated in his name and without his knowledge between May and October – and suggested that the donations could be part of a scam that implicated tens of thousands of other unwitting donors the trap beckons.

Two Republican-led House committees are conducting investigations into other “potentially fraudulent” ActBlue donations that may have led to Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) to the Treasury Department.

Representatives for the Tester campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.