Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester’s seat has been moved to the “Toss Up” category for 2024 by The Cook Political Report.
Tester had previously been in the “Lean D” column, along with other contentious races in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but now occupies a lane with other vulnerable seats in Arizona and Ohio. The Cook Political Report indicated it decided to switch the seat’s rating due to developments in the Republican primary, as well as President Joe Biden’s potential to be a drag on the ticket in the Trump-loving state.
“Three-term Sen. Jon Tester may well be Democrats’ strongest incumbent this cycle — he still enjoys an approval rating around 60 percent — but the 67-year-old has the toughest uphill climb of any incumbent Democrat, at least purely by the numbers,” Jessica Taylor, The Cook Political Report’s Senate and Governors editor, wrote.
Shelbi Dantic, Tester’s campaign manager, welcomed voters to join their efforts in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation following the rating change.
“Jon’s no stranger to tough fights, and this election will be no different,” Dantic said.
Former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy is the only Republican currently vying for the nomination, although GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale, who lost to Tester in 2018 by 3.5 points, is considering another run.
Sheehy has the backing from several of Montana’s top Republican leaders, including National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines, Gov. Greg Gianforte and Rep. Ryan Zinke, along with several other national GOP elected officials.
“Jon Tester is in for the race of his life because of his unethical behavior and lockstep support for Joe Biden’s disastrous agenda,” Maggie Abboud, spokeswoman for the NRSC, the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, said in a statement.
Trump overwhelmingly won Montana in 2020, beating Biden by over 16 points. Tester votes in favor of Biden’s positions 91% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.
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