Montana voters weigh in on tightly contested Senate race, want ‘anybody’ but Tester

BOZEMAN, Montana — Sen. Jon Tester and Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy are battling in one of the most hotly contested Senate races in the country, and some voters want “anybody” but the longtime Democratic incumbent. 

Outside former President Donald Trump’s first rally in the Treasure State this election cycle in support of Mr. Sheehy, conservative voters told The Washington Times on Friday that while they had some issues with the GOP candidate, Mr. Tester needed to go. 

“It just, it’s like anybody but Tester,” said Doug Gagner of Shelby, Montana. “He lost sight of Montana probably three elections ago.”

Mr. Tester is seeking a fourth term in the Senate and faces a serious challenge from Mr. Sheehy, who was hand-picked by the GOP to battle him in November. While he has proved difficult to beat, Republicans believe that changes in Montana’s political landscape, coupled with Mr. Trump being at the top of the ticket, will propel them to victory. 

Montana has morphed from a purple state to a stronghold for the GOP where Mr. Trump posted back-to-back dominant performances in 2016 and 2020, and Republicans believe that his popularity will rub off on Mr. Sheehy. 

Mr. Sheehy gained an edge on Mr. Tester in a poll from Emerson College and The Hill this week, leading 48% to 46%. However, the results fell within the poll’s margin for error, meaning that the men are virtually tied in their race. 

But conservative voters believed that Mr. Sheehy’s intangibles, like his military career as a U.S. Navy SEAL and his founding of Bridger Aerospace in Belgrade, Montana — a multimillion-dollar aerial firefighting company — made him a better fit to represent Montana than Mr. Tester. 

Mr. Sheehy has aligned himself with Mr. Trump’s agenda. He has been a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, and of taking an aggressive position against China — traits that Billings, Montana, resident Angela Freyenhagen said drew her to support the GOP candidate. 

“We’re not doing all of those things,” she said. “And I think Tester votes with Biden 95% of the time, and Biden does not have ’America First’ intentions.”

Indeed, Republicans have made Mr. Tester’s voting record — where he largely falls on the party line — a main tactic in their attacks against him, despite the lawmaker styling himself as a moderate. 

But despite widespread praise from many in the densely packed lines waiting to get inside of Montana State University’s Brick Breeden FieldHouse, some had questions about Mr. Sheehy’s credibility. 

Taunya Fagan, a real estate broker in Bozeman, said that while she appreciated Mr. Sheehy’s military service and promises of support for veterans, she was concerned about a recent lawsuit filed by two former employees of Bridger Aerospace who claimed that its former parent company breached a contract involving stock-option compensation.

Mr. Sheehy resigned as CEO of his company last month following the lawsuit. 

“I don’t know the details behind it, and I just want to know the details, that’s all,” she said. “And I think that’s fair to ask.”