Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) argued that election data shows he has an advantage over his Republican opponent in Montana, refuting the widespread perception that the state’s Senate race is particularly close.
“I’m going to beat him to it,” the Montana Democrat told Fox News Digital on Thursday about Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL.
When asked how much he beat Sheehy, Tester replied: “That’s not for you to know.”
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Senator Jon Tester has suggested that internal polls show him beating his Republican opponent by a significant margin. (Getty Images)
When asked about his decision to miss a key meeting with President Biden’s campaign advisers given his tight re-election race, Senator Tester countered, “My campaign is not in jeopardy.”
Senator Tester was one of the few senators who did not attend a Thursday meeting of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) with Biden’s senior advisers Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, and campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, amid growing concerns about his path to victory in November’s presidential election.
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Tester said he couldn’t attend the meeting because he had scheduled meetings with defense contractors. (Anna Moneymaker)
His office told Fox News Digital he was unable to attend due to a “scheduling conflict” but did not provide details.
Asked directly why he was unable to attend on Thursday, Tester said he was forced to miss the DSCC meeting because he needed to speak with aerospace defense company Northrop Grumman about “Project Sentinel,” an apparent reference to the company’s work on the U.S. Air Force’s LGM-35A Sentinel weapon system.
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Senate Candidate Tim Sheehy (Senator Tim Sheehy Campaign)
According to the company’s website, the weapon system is a “critical modernization of the U.S. nuclear triad, the foundation of America’s national security.”
Asked if he was concerned because of the competitive nature of the Senate election, the Montana senator said, “I’m worried about whether our country is going to be safe. That’s it. That’s what I’m worried about.”
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Senate Democrats seeking reelection may be hoping that split-party votes become more frequent as Biden’s approval rating declines. (Getty Images)
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In response to Tester’s claims, a spokesperson for Sheehy told Fox News Digital, “The only people being kicked out this week are Joe Biden and Jon Tester. They continue to support the president and believe he is ‘100% with us.'”
Nonpartisan Political Handicap Cook Political Report The Montana election is rated “close,” as are the Senate races in Nevada, Ohio and Michigan.
