Democrat Sen. Jon Tester, Senate Candidate Adam Schiff Work Together on Fundraising Again

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks to reporters after the House select committee investiga
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Vulnerable Democrat Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who is running for the U.S. Senate in California in a crowded primary, appeared to exchange their fundraising email lists again on Wednesday.

In an email obtained by Breitbart News, Tester sent out an email to Schiff’s supporters asking for money since he “will be [in] one of the most competitive races of 2024” and needs “help from the very beginning to build a team strong enough to win.”

Tester, on Schiff’s email list, claimed that his experience as a dirt farmer had given him a “unique perspective” on tackling specific issues such as how climate change affects farms and how rural communities need high-speed internet. “These are real challenges that deserve real solutions, and that’s what I’m fighting for in Washington,” he added.

The Montana Democrat asked Schiff’s supporters to help the two senators raise another million dollars to reach their first-quarter goal, which would be split between the two lawmakers.

Similar to this email blast, Schiff leaned on the Senate Democrat on the eve of his own Senate bid announcement in January to kickstart his fundraising campaign in what has inevitably turned into a crowded primary for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) seat.

The email from Schiff on Tester’s list was referring to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) blocking him from being placed on the House Intelligence Committee after he “knowingly… used a fake dossier” that led to the Russia “collusion” farce and ultimately set up former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment, something that Schiff based his Senate bid on.

The January email also asked supporters to “contribute $10 or whatever you can spare” to help the congressman and Tester “respond to this baseless attack on my ability to serve my constituents and the American people,” and so the two campaigns can split donations.

At the time, Feinstein had not made an official announcement on if she would seek reelection, but her Senate colleagues — such as Tester — appeared to quickly make allies on who would help them fundraise in the next cycle.

In 2024, 23 of the 33 Senate seats up for reelection are currently held by Democrats or left-leaning independents. Former President Donald Trump won six of these states by double digits in at least one of his presidential elections.

The New York Times previously acknowledged that some of the most challenging seats for the Democrats to keep would be Tester’s Montana seat, Sen. Joe Manchin’s West Virginia seat, and Sen. Sherrod Brown’s Ohio seat. Trump won those states by 16, 8, and 29 percent in 2020.

National Republican Senate Committee spokeswoman Maggie Abboud told Breitbart News, “It’s no surprise Jon Tester is raising tons of money from Californians. He votes like California’s third senator.”

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.

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