Rebecca Zeljko
Republican candidate Tim Sheehy is now poised to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in the Montana Senate election, according to the Cook Political Report’s Thursday ratings.
Cook Political Report, a leading independent election and campaign monitor, moved his assessment for the competitive Senate seat ranges from uncertain to leaning Republican. Sheehy has consistently led Tester has gained several points over the past few months, and the latest results tilt even further in favor of the Republican candidate.
“After nearly 18 years in Washington, Montanans are fed up with Two-Face Tester pretending to be a moderate in Montana while he votes with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Washington,” said NRSC spokeswoman Maggie Abboud. he said in the statement.
Republicans make up nearly 40% of likely voters in Montana, while Democrats make up only about a quarter, According to to the Sept. 5 AARP poll. That puts Tester at an electoral disadvantage because he will need support from independent candidates if the incumbent president hopes to win re-election, according to AARP’s findings.
Sheehy is a Purple Heart recipient and previously served as a Navy SEAL in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Republican candidate also entered the race with support from former President Donald Trump, which he received in February.
Trump’s endorsement of Sheehy came the same day that Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale announced his candidacy for the same Senate seat, although he ultimately throw was released less than a week later.
“I also respect Matt Rosendale and have been very happy to support him in the past — and I will support him again in the future if he decides to change course and run for Congress,” Trump said. he said in a February 9 Truth Social post. “But in this case, Tim is the candidate who is currently in the best position to DEFEAT Lazy Jon Tester and reclaim the Republican majority in the United States Senate.”
Tester first won his seat in 2006 after winning narrowly chosen against incumbent Republican Conrad Burns. He then won re-election in 2012 against former Republican Party representative Denny Rehberg and 2018 against Rosendale.
Tester’s re-election campaign ads portrayed him as a moderate from Montana who “worked with Trump” and “stood up to Biden,” saying he was trying to secure the southern border and rein in spending.
“I don’t look like people from Washington, and that’s fine with me,” Tester said. he said in the ad. “All I care about is defending Montana.”
Tester’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
– – –
Rebecca Zeljko is a reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo by “Tim Sheehy” Tim Sheehy. Photo “Jon Tester” by Jon Tester.
