Sen. Jon Tester, Tim Sheehy face off in key Montana Senate race

Sen. Jon Tester and Republican challenger Tim Sheehy are facing disconnected successful Montana arsenic nan Democratic incumbent fights to clasp onto his seat successful nan Senate successful a title that's cardinal to determining which statement controls nan precocious chamber. 

Considered nan astir endangered Democrat seeking reelection successful nan Senate this cycle, Tester, a mean successful deep-red Montana, has been nether nan governmental microscope for months arsenic he campaigns to support nan spot he's held for astir 2 decades. Although nan 68-year-old has fended disconnected erstwhile challenges, shifting demographics and governmental dynamics successful nan authorities appeared to heighten nan pickup opportunity for Republicans successful nan 2024 election. 

Sheehy, a erstwhile Navy SEAL and laminitis of an aerial firefighting company, received his party's backing arsenic nan campaigner to return connected Tester. The 38-year-old worked to tie a opposition pinch Tester, portraying himself arsenic an outsider during nan run while coating nan Democrat arsenic an constitution campaigner pinch heavy ties to Washington. He besides touted bringing jobs to Montana pinch his business, which made him able capable to thief money his campaign. 

L-R: Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana) and Republican campaigner Tim Sheehy. Getty Images

Sheehy, who grew up successful Minnesota, has faced disapproval for lacking nan heavy roots that Tester has successful nan state. He has besides faced questions astir discrepancies successful his communicative of really he sustained a gunshot wound. Meanwhile, Tester sought to represent his force arsenic an out-of-touch carpetbagger, likening nan GOP campaigner to rich | out-of-staters who person flocked to Montana successful caller years. 

Tester is simply a third-generation Montana farmer. First elected to nan Senate successful 2006, his marque is good known successful nan state, and contempt its much blimpish politics, he's won reelection doubly arsenic a mean Democrat. 

But Montana's governmental scenery has changed. In 2020, Donald Trump won Montana by much than 16 points, and trends propose that an influx of caller residents successful nan authorities is made up mostly of Republicans. The state's changing dynamics posed a superior hurdle for Tester — nan sole Democrat serving successful statewide agency successful Montana.

The Montana Senate spot is simply a cardinal target for Republicans looking to build a GOP mostly successful nan precocious chamber. And it marks among nan last Democratic holdouts successful nan Great Plains, and successful reddish states much broadly. 

With a constrictive 51-49 mostly successful nan Senate, Democrats person small room for error. After Sen. Joe Manchin opted not to activity reelection, each but guaranteeing a GOP flip of his spot successful West Virginia, Republicans looked to Tester's spot arsenic nan adjacent champion opportunity to summation ground.

In:
• United States Senate
• Montana
• 2024 Elections