Senator Jon Tester has won Montana’s Democratic primary for Senate, Decision Desk HQ projects, setting him up for a closely watched re-election race in the heavily Republican state.
Meanwhile, businessman Tim Sheehy won the Republican nomination race, and a fierce battle for the Senate seat is expected this fall.
Both the Senate Republican campaign organization and former President Trump have endorsed Sheehy, and the party sees Tester, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Montana, as in danger, as he is a Democrat who holds public office in a state that Biden lost in 2020.
Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Montana) announced his intention to run for Senate earlier this year but dropped out after Sheehy gained support, helping Republicans avoid a tough primary.
Polls so far have suggested that Sheehy and Tester will face off in a close race in November.
A new projection from Decision Desk HQ/The Hill based on six polls gives Sheehy a 72 percent chance of winning in a head-to-head matchup with Tester this fall.
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