Republican Tim Sheehy defeats 3-term incumbent to flip Montana US Senate seat

Source: Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Republican Tim Sheehy bolstered the GOP’s newly acquired Senate majority with a victory over three-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in a contest of national importance that featured a record-setting torrent of spending by the two sides.

Sheehy, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, closely aligned his campaign with Donald Trump and leading conservatives while painting Tester as a corrupt Washington insider. The Republican also promised to address the southern border crisis and curb government regulation.

His victory cements Republican dominance in Montana, where the party now controls every statewide political office. It also reflects a broader shift toward the GOP that has swept much of the American heartland over the past two decades.

Montana’s political profile has changed dramatically since Tester’s first election. It went from a “purple” state that traditionally sent a mix of Democrats and Republicans to higher offices, to one where partisan divisions rule and the GOP enjoys a supermajority in the state Legislature.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/senate-election-tester-sheehy-montana-f882b50bf4af6a87ec32e3a5f626eccb