by Rebeka Zeljko
Republican candidate Tim Sheehy is now poised to dethrone Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester for Montana’s Senate seat, according to a Cook Political Report rating from Thursday.
Cook Political Report, a leading nonpartisan election and campaign watcher, shifted its rating for the competitive senate seat from toss up to leaning Republican. Sheehy has consistently led Tester by a few points over the last few months, with the latest findings swinging even more in the Republican challenger’s favor.
“After almost 18 years in Washington, Montanans are fed up with Two-Faced Tester pretending to be a moderate in Montana while voting with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in DC,” NRSC Spokeswoman Maggie Abboud said in a statement.
Republicans account for nearly 40% of likely voters in Montana, while Democrats only account for about a quarter, according to an AARP poll from Sept. 5. This puts Tester at an electoral disadvantage, as he would need a boost from independents if the incumbent hopes to win his reelection, AARP found.
Sheehy is a Purple Heart recipient and previously served as a Navy SEAL in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Republican challenger also went into the race with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump that he received in February.
Trump’s endorsement for Sheehy came the same day Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale announced his candidacy for the same Senate seat, although he ended up dropping out less than a week later.
“I also respect Matt Rosendale, and was very happy to Endorse him in the past – and will Endorse him again in the future should he decide to change course and run for his Congressional Seat,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Feb. 9. “But in this instance, Tim is the candidate who is currently best-positioned to DEFEAT Lazy Jon Tester, and Regain the Republican Majority in the United States Senate.”
Tester first won his seat in 2006 after he was narrowly elected against Republican incumbent Conrad Burns. He then won reelection in 2012 against former Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg and in 2018 against Rosendale.
Tester’s ad campaigns leading up to his reelection have painted him as a Montana moderate who has “worked with Trump” and “stood up to Biden,” saying he has worked to secure the southern border and cut back spending.
“I don’t look like folks in Washington, and that’s fine with me,” Tester said in an 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.
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Rebeka Zeljko is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Tim Sheehy” by Tim Sheehy. Photo “Jon Tester” by Jon Tester.
