WATCH: GOP challenger Tim Sheehy squared off with three-term incumbent Democrat, Senator Jon Tester last night in a debate hosted by PBS. Sheehy, a former Navy Seal, leads the vulnerable Tester, who almost single-handedly maintains Democrats' narrow Senate majority, by 5.2 points.
Tester attempted to paint Sheehy as an outsider to Montana. But Tester himself will have to overcome his own Washington-insider image, which Sheehy highlighted, hitting at Tester's lobbyist contributions. The Senate Democrat, who holds key positions on the Defense Subcommittee, is the Senate's top recipient of lobbyist cash.
"While I was fighting in Afghanistan, he was eating lobbyist steak in DC." - Tim Sheehy just wrecked two-faced Jon Tester 😂 pic.twitter.com/y9rBWfjnFk
— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) October 1, 2024
The pair sparred on abortion and the border, with Tester attempting both to tie his campaign to an upcoming abortion amendment in Montana and distance himself from the Biden-Harris administration's disastrous open border.
Conservative and Sheehy-aligned groups declared Sheehy the winner, though whomever won the day, Tester has an uphill climb both in the polls and to overcome his party's hard leftward turn. Tester conspicuously sat out his party's convention in August.
.@SheehyforMT was the clear winner in tonight’s debate – Montanans are sick and tired of the failures of @JonTester and are ready to turn the page with new leadership in Washington, DC! #MTSenhttps://t.co/ZN96w5ZvYi pic.twitter.com/JHzIFBhJhX
— Americans for Prosperity Action (@AFPAction) October 1, 2024
Tester has a month to overcome his opponent's lead in the polls. Montanans who plan to vote for Donald Trump will have to look past Tester's record upholding the Biden-Harris agenda with his Senate vote 91% of the time.
Former President Trump carried Montana by 20 points in 2016 against Hillary Clinton and by 16 points in 2020. Tester will have to persuade a significant share of Trump-voting Montanans to cross the aisle in the down-ballot contest to eek out a victory.
Here's what's at stake for Democrats in the Senate. Watch last night's debate here.
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