The remainder - some $5 million - has flowed in from corporate CEOs, political action committees, fellow politicians' committees and scores of other individuals in almost every state in the nation.
And the three-term Republican isn't the only one raking in campaign cash. When you add in the other candidates' money, this race is already an $8 million-plus affair, with more than five months until the final election day.
With two weeks remaining until the June 6 primary election, which features nine candidates in the Senate race, the Lee Newspapers State Bureau took a closer look at the donor lists for the top-drawing candidates. Here's a summary of what it found:
Burns, a Republican running for re-election to a fourth term, has pulled 83 percent of his money from non-Montanans and political action committees. PACs, which mostly represent business and single-issue concerns, account for $2.6 million of the $5.9 million that Burns' campaign fund had collected through March 31.
Of the $3.3 million he has collected from individuals, $2.3 million is from nonresidents, including donors from every state in the union. Nearly $800,000 of that money is from people who list their occupation as CEO, president, executive or vice president of a company or corporation, and $600,000 is from people whose home is near Washington, D.C., either in the city or in nearby Maryland or Virginia.
Another big source of money for Burns is “leadership” PACs, which are political committees formed by other members of Congress or other politicians, who raise money and then hand it out to other candidates. Burns has received $360,000 from these PACs.
John Morrison, the Democratic state auditor and insurance commissioner, also has done well raising money from out-of-state sources, finding donors in 49 states. About 55 percent of his $1.4 million in campaign funds is from nonresidents and political action committees.
Morrison, a private attorney before becoming state auditor in 2001, also has raised a huge chunk of funds from fellow lawyers. Records showed at least $500,000 coming from individual attorneys in Montana and around the country.
Jon Tester, the Democratic state Senate president, has the largest proportion of money from Montanans, among the three top fund-raising candidates. About 63 percent of his $702,000 in donations is from Montanans, compared to 17 percent of Burns' campaign fund and 44 percent of Morrison's money.
Tester, an organic farmer from Big Sandy, also has raised more money than anyone in small contributions, which are $200 or less. He had received about $360,000 from small contributors, including those who bought tickets to a fundraising concert by the rock band Pearl Jam last summer in Missoula.
Democrat Paul Richards of Boulder has raised only about $7,000, including loans from his mom and two friends, and Republican Bob Keenan, a state senator from Bigfork, wasn't required to file a report in mid-April, because he'd raised less than $5,000 by the March 31 deadline. Keenan has said since that he's raised more than $50,000.
Burns, Morrison and Tester are the only candidates in the race doing big-bucks fundraising.
While Burns has culled $5 million from outside the state, that doesn't mean the senator has any less allegiance to Montana, said campaign spokesman Jason Klindt.
“Conrad has as much money from within Montana and more donors (in Montana) than all his opponents combined,” Klindt said. “We have wide and deep support, from the Yaak to Alzada.”
Klindt also said Burns needs to build up a big war chest because the Montana race has a national profile, possibly attracting plenty of money from Democratic sources nationwide who want to defeat Burns.
“This may be the race that decides (party) control of the U.S. Senate,” he said. “Democrats intend to truck in a lot of money from East Coast liberals and Hollywood elites.”
Morrison has a good share of funds from California and New York so far - about $200,000 of his $1.4 million - but that only shows the national reputation and connections that Morrison has forged already, said campaign manager Tylynn Gordon.
“I think people view him as a leader in health care, and would like to see someone like that go to the U.S. Senate,” she said.
As for his substantial support from fellow attorneys, it only makes sense that Morrison would draw contributions from professional colleagues, she said.
“That was his career and background,” she said. “We also have money from farmers, ranchers, teachers and small-business owners across the state.”
Tester has collected plenty of smaller contributions because he appeals to working folks who don't have a lot of money, said campaign manager Bill Lombardi.
“It's just a lot of working Montanans who support Jon Tester, a farmer and a working guy,” Lombardi said.
The Tester campaign also has made a special effort to solicit campaign funds online, resulting in many $25 and $50 donations from Montana and all over the country, he added.
The Pearl Jam concert in Missoula last August brought in about $85,000 to the campaign, nearly all of which is categorized as small donations. The cutoff amount for itemized donations is $201, and the Pearl Jam tickets went for about $45 each.
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