Republican Tim Sheehy will defeat Sen. Jon Tester in competitive Montana race, CNN projects
Republican Tim Sheehy Defeats Three-Term Montana Senator Jon Tester
CNN
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In a projected victory, Republican Tim Sheehy has defeated three-term Montana Senator Jon Tester, contributing to the Republicans’ newly acquired Senate majority.
Montana, traditionally a deep-red state in presidential elections, had all other statewide offices held by Republicans. Tester, a seven-fingered dirt farmer known for his moderate stance in Congress, had previously managed to defy political odds with wins in 2006, 2012, and 2018.
However, Tester’s seat, along with Democratic-held seats in Ohio and West Virginia, was a prime target for Republicans this election cycle. Republicans Bernie Moreno and Jim Justice secured victories in those states.
This election marked the first time Tester had to contend with sharing the ballot with former President Trump, who had won Montana by significant margins in both 2016 and 2020. Tester needed to outperform his party’s presidential candidate by a considerable margin to stay competitive.
Democrats portrayed Sheehy, a retired Navy SEAL, as an out-of-state millionaire lacking ranching credentials and commitment to public lands, similar to attacks on Republican Matt Rosendale in 2018.
Sheehy relocated to Montana in 2014 post his military service, and Republicans believed that the carpetbagging accusations would have limited impact in a state with a significant number of post-pandemic transplants.
In the final weeks of the campaign, Democrats intensified their criticism of Sheehy’s conflicting account from years ago regarding a bullet lodged in his arm. External groups aired ads featuring a park ranger to whom Sheehy allegedly confessed that his gun discharged accidentally in Glacier National Park, along with a retired Navy SEAL questioning the candidate’s service integrity.
Republicans sought to link Tester, who abstained from the Democratic National Convention and the presidential endorsement, to President Biden’s administration and the Democratic congressional leadership.
A significant uncertainty in the race was a ballot measure that aimed to embed the right to abortion in Montana’s constitution. Such measures have gained traction even in conservative states post the 2022 Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade, proving beneficial for Democrats.
Despite recent Republican efforts to impose abortion restrictions in Montana, most of these measures have been invalidated by state courts on constitutional grounds.
