Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana is distancing himself from newly formed candidate Harris-Waltz ahead of a tough reelection race that could determine control of the Senate.
Tester praised Vice President Harris when he was named President Biden’s running mate. Back to 2020But he has distanced himself from her running for president in 2024. Last week, he reportedly abstained Montana’s Democratic delegates took part in a virtual roll call to vote to confirm Harris as the party’s official nominee. Harris is expected to skip this month’s Democratic National Convention, despite growing party support for her and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).
At the same time, the embattled senator launched a group called “Republicans for Tester” this week to rally support from his opponents, highlighting the tough political climate he faces in Big Sky County, a state that former President Trump won by more than 16 points in 2020.
“In a state like Montana, where you’re aligning what are perceived to be San Francisco liberals with Minnesota liberals, exposing yourself to the social and cultural wars that this candidate is bringing is not an advantage,” said Democratic strategist Fred Hicks.
“You have the thinnest possible profit margins [in the Senate]”… There’s no room for error, so if you’re going to have power, you absolutely have to give people the opportunity to do what’s best for them,” Hicks added. “Even though no one questions that Tester is a Democrat, it makes perfect sense and is very wise not to give further fodder to his opponent.”
Democrats have maintained optimism about their efforts to maintain control of the Senate, which they currently hold with a two-seat majority, and Republicans see Tester’s seat as a golden opportunity to pick up seats, along with West Virginia (a near certainty) and Ohio, that the party cannot afford to lose.
Tester is the last Democrat elected in Montana and is polling in a close race with Republican businessman Tim Sheehy, a political newcomer who has the backing of the Republican establishment, including Trump.
Millions of dollars are poured into the race, and testers Funding AdvantagesBut the incumbent still faces political headwinds in a heavily Republican state. A new Emerson College/The Hill survey of Montana voters found Sheehy leading Tester by 2 points, a reversal from earlier this spring when the Democratic candidate had a slim lead.
Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) projects a tough outcome for Tester, with Sheehy having a 77% chance of winning the election. DDHQ maps Montana as “Republican-leaning,” but independent election handicappers say: Cook Political Report “I don’t know who will win,” he said.
“He really wants Montanans to focus on his record for the state,” Hicks said of Tester. “He doesn’t want this to be a national campaign, so the best way to avoid making it national is to avoid national events and national candidates and say, ‘This is about Montana.'”
Tester was the second Senate Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race, and when Montana’s delegates voted in a virtual roll call to allow Harris to secure the Democratic nomination. NBC Montana and Montana Public Radio The paper reported that Tester was the only one of the state’s delegates to withhold his support.
The abstention was an internal move that likely won’t attract much attention, but it was a defensive move, said Eric Iverson, a Montana resident and Republican strategist who was a former chairman of the Montana Republican Party and a pollster for Sheehy’s campaign. If Tester had voted for Harris, Republicans would have taken advantage, he said.
Senate Republicans have already blasted Tester for encouraging Harris to run for Senate in 2015. When he was chairman Sheehy of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee I also re-uploaded When Harris became Biden’s running mate in 2020, Tester voiced his support on social media, calling his rival “duplicitous.”
Jason Thielman, Executive Director of the Republican National Senatorial Committee In a recent column, he argued “I’ve done everything I can to avoid telling the people of Montanan where I stand in the upcoming presidential election,” Tester said.
Similarly, Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf argued that some vulnerable senators may choose to skip the Democratic National Convention, which begins in Chicago later this month, to avoid giving Republicans an impetus.
A campaign spokesman told The Associated Press that Tester “Agriculture and Conferences During the convention, he sent out a message that he would “face the people of Montana directly.” Senator Sherrod Brown (Ohio Democrat), who is running against a Trump-backed candidate in a state that has become increasingly Republican, said, He told CNN he Skip a meeting.
“The photo of them being there is more dangerous than their being there,” Sheinkopf said of their decision to skip the event.
While many Democrats seem excited about Harris’ rise to the top of the nomination list after the presidential race intensified last month, Sheinkopf said it’s still too early to tell, and “no one knows what impact a Harris nomination will have.”
According to the Associated Press, Tester has not attended the convention since former President Barack Obama attended in 2008.Just a few points missingFlip Montana.
Brian Darling, a Republican strategist and former Senate aide, argued that “boycotting the convention and not showing up with the candidate” isn’t enough for Democrats like Tester to sway voters.
“These candidates are doing everything they can to get away from Harris-Waltz, but there’s a limit to how far they can run,” Darling said.
Tester’s actions stand in stark contrast to Sheehy, who has emerged as a top contender.Promoting his positionWith Trump.
The former president was in Bozeman on Friday night to campaign with Republican candidates. The state is almost certain to vote for Trump in the presidential election, but Trump won by large margins in both 2016 and 2020 and is unlikely to vote again. His efforts in 2018 To get the testers out.
Tester, meanwhile, has been reaching out to Montana Republicans, pitching himself as someone who can represent both ends of the state’s political spectrum. His campaign says his “Republicans for Tester” group includes more than 100 Republicans, including former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot and former Secretary of State Bob Brown.
“I’m going to work with anyone, regardless of party, to do the right thing for Montana,” the senator said. Posted on social platform X Earlier this week.
“I know what Tester is trying to do, because he has to,” said Iverson, the Republican strategist. “He’s desperately trying to convince Montana voters that he’s a moderate.”
“But right now, the voters of the state are thinking, ‘If I want a Republican in the United States Senate, I’d better vote for a Republican.’
