The Stage Is Set For Montana’s High-Stakes Senate Race

Tim Sheehy, a pro-Donald Trump conservative and ex-Navy SEAL, cruised to victory in Montana’s Republican Senate primary on Tuesday, securing the nomination to take on three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in November.

A newcomer to politics, Sheehy went into Tuesday’s primary as the heavy favorite, with endorsements from Trump, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and several other high-profile Republicans. The GOP establishment rallied around the millionaire businessman because of his military background and his ability to self-finance his campaign. Sheehy has so far spent more than $2.1 million of his own money on his bid, according to campaign filings — a number that is likely to grow dramatically over the next five months.

The Associated Press called the race Tuesday around 10:30 p.m. ET, with 25% of ballots counted, and Sheehy having secured 75% of the vote. He defeated his two primary opponents, Brad Johnson and Charles Walkingchild, by wide margins.

Tester also handily defeated his primary opponent, Michael Hummert, on Tuesday.

Tester, a third-generation farmer who has held the Senate seat since 2007, is widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection. Recent polling shows the race between Sheehy and Tester is currently neck and neck.

Throughout his campaign, Sheehy has sidled up to Trump and largely kept close to Republican party talking points, while working to paint Tester as a “radical” and “two-faced” career politician. In a video posted last month to X, formerly Twitter, the GOP hopeful said his bid was about restoring “commonsense” policies in Washington.

“We want a secure border, safe streets, cheap gas, good schools, boys are boys, girls are girls, cops are good, criminals