Tuesday’s primary in Montana will lock in GOP challenger to 3-term US Sen. Jon Tester

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana voters in Tuesday’s primary election will select a Republican challenger to three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and candidates for an open U.S. House seat being vacated by far-right conservative Rep. Matt Rosendale.

Republicans have dominated recent Montana elections, leaving Tester increasingly vulnerable. They need to pick up just a couple seats in November to take control of the U.S. Senate.

For the primary, first-time candidate and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy is the choice of the Republican Party establishment, including former President Donald Trump and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte.

The Belgrade businessman has sunk more than $2 million of his money into the race and is backed by major GOP donors. He faces two lesser known opponents.

On the Democratic side, Tester’s sole primary opponent has not reported raising or spending any campaign money.

The Tester and Sheehy campaigns already have been pounding each other on the airwaves in an advertising blitz that’s expected to intensify as November approaches.

Tester — a former state Senate president who’s considered a moderate in Washington — has emphasized his work for veterans and his roots as a third-generation farmer in central Montana. He’s also played up concerns that wealthy outsiders such as Sheehy, who came to the state in 2014, are buying up property and driving housing prices and taxes higher.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> From his Montana ranch, a retired lawmaker