Denny Rehberg Election Results: Democrat Jon Tester Projected To Win Reelection In Montana

Republican Denny Rehberg was projected by the Associated Press on Wednesday to lose the election for a Senate seat in Montana.

Rehberg faced a challenge in toppling incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in a race that was at one point thought to a be a potential factor for control of the Senate.

The Helena Independent Record reports on the heavy spending and influx of outside money spurred by the race's high-stakes nature:

Tester, a Democrat seeking re-election to a second term, and Rehberg, a six-term congressman for Montana, have waged the most expensive campaign in Montana history, spending $20 million between themselves and weathering an avalanche of additional spending by outside groups on behalf of both candidates.

Outside groups have spent an estimated $30 million or more, as the race was thought to be a possible tipping point in party control for the U.S. Senate.