Sen. Jon Tester, a third-generation farmer, isn’t happy about the damage his reputation has suffered from the revelation that he drives a red Prius in Washington, DC.
At-risk incumbent Senator Tester (D-Mont.) was outraged by a press release from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which quickly pounced on the findings, calling them “shocking.”
“What a bunch of motherfuckers,” Tester retorted during a brief scuffle with reporters, before listing off some of the gas-guzzling vehicles he owns back home.
“I have an ’86 Chevy. I have a 2018 GMC. I have a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. I have a Celica. I have a Peterbilt. I have a ’67 International truck. I have a ’96 International truck. I have a ’78 GMC truck. Can I continue?”
The official Senate Republican campaign organization, eager to win back Tester’s seat this November, featured footage of Tester getting into his Prius just outside the Capitol and a Washington Post article reporting that it is his preferred car for traveling around the nation’s capital.
NRSC officials appear eager to place him among DC’s elite.
In response to Tester’s rebuttal, Republican Committeeman Spock retorted, “There aren’t many farmers in Montana who drive Priuses. Jon Tester’s gone to Washington.”
Notably, the NRSC is chaired by Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who personally recommended former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy run for the Republican nomination against Tester.
As head of the NRSC, Daines has placed special emphasis on the quality and recruitment of candidates for the Nov. 5 election.
Tester’s communications director, Monica Robinson, also condemned the NRSC’s attack.
“The NRSC has their finger on the pulse of Montanans by attacking Jon Tester for restoring old cars, a hobby he shares with his son,” Robinson wrote on X.
Montana is one of the most Republican states in the country, where former President Donald Trump won by more than 16 percentage points over President Biden in the 2020 election.
This state also Cook Political Report He sees the 2024 Senate elections as a 50-50 split.
Tester, who has served in the Senate since 2007, was most recently re-elected in 2018, defeating retiring Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) by just over 3 percentage points in a Democratic-led election.
He has long portrayed himself as a stocky, seven-fingered, third-generation farmer and is one of the few Democrats to win a federal election representing a rural state.
Given that the Senate is split 51-49 and Democrats effectively have 23 seats to defend in this election while Republicans only have 11, the Montana race could help determine the balance of power in the Senate.
