Vulnerable Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) continues to defend his decision not to endorse in the 2024 presidential election ahead of a tough re-election bid, but his Democratic opponents say his “Achievement” suggests support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Tester recently announced that he would not endorse Harris for president in order to focus on her re-election bid, despite being a key figure in Harris's bid for the Senate seat.
Tester served as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) from 2015 to 2017, the campaign arm responsible for bringing Democrats to the floor when Harris first announced her desire to serve in the Senate. led the initiative. And after Harris ran for the California Senate, the Los Angeles Times reported in January 2015 that Tester was one of the players she encouraged to run, according to an adviser.
Asked again about withholding his support, Tester said he would work with and take responsibility for whichever presidential candidate wins.
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Sen. Jon Tester, Democrat of Montana, is seeking a fourth term. (William Campbell/Getty Images)
“Unfortunately, my opponent wants to talk about a national election that will be decided by the people of Montana. No matter who is elected President of the United States, I can guarantee you one thing: “Like every president before me, I'm going to work with them. They're doing good things for Montana, but when they're not, I'm going to hold them accountable.” Tester said in an interview with MTN News.
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Tester supported Harris when she was selected as President Biden's 2020 vice presidential nominee. “My friend @KamalaHarris is a proven fighter and a perfect fit for Vice President. As Vice President, I have every confidence that she will continue to fight for working families across this country. 11 “Looking forward to supporting her and @JoeBiden in May,” Tester wrote in an August 2020 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Vice President Kamala Harris poses during the “Unite for America” livestream rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on September 19, 2024. (Saul Loeb/Getty Images)
Tim Sheehy, a Navy SEAL and Republican candidate in Montana who supported former President Trump in the presidential election, suggested that Tester's voting record supports Harris.
“Jon Tester is voting for Kamala Harris 95% of the time. His voting record shows support for failed Harris policies, and he's committed to helping Montanans stop the madness in Washington.” Every time we needed him, he was the decisive vote to advance her progressive liberal agenda,” a spokesperson for Sheehy in Montana told FOX News Digital.
“The same agenda is driving up the cost of things like groceries and gasoline, leading to record inflation, and a wide-open southern border bringing crime and deadly drugs into our communities,” Tester also said. Illegal immigration, paid for by American taxpayers, is a hallmark of Harris' policies, but his voting record in Washington shows that he has changed, is and will continue to support radical America's last policies. We cannot afford to re-elect Jon Tester, as he has proven he will continue.”
Tester is running for re-election in the red state of Montana, an election likely to determine which party controls Congress, according to recent polls and predictions from political forecasters. suggests Mr. Sheehy is currently leading the race just weeks before Election Day.
Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Mike Seeger/Reuters)
Recent AARP research shows Sheehy has a 6 percentage point lead in head-to-head competition with testers. Tester's lead has widened to eight points amid multiple candidates, including candidates from the state's Green Party and Libertarian Party.
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The Cook Political Report, an independent, nonpartisan election handicapper, recently changed the race from “leaning” to “leaning Republican,” and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics called the race “leaning Republican.” It was changed to “Republican-leaning.”
Tester's camp had not responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment at the time of publication.
