By Lindsay Wise

Republican Tim Sheehy, a newcomer to politics, ousted incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in a pivotal Senate race, the Associated Press said, flipping the Montana seat from blue to red after 18 years and adding to elections the GOP pickups in the chamber.

Tester, 68, had been trailing in polls to Sheehy, a wealthy businessman and combat veteran who ran as a Trump-endorsed conservative. Tester's defeat marks a turning point for Democrats in Montana, where he was the last Democrat in a statewide elected office. With 85% of the vote counted, Sheehy had 52.8% to 45.4% for Tester.

To pull off a fourth term, Tester would have needed more Trump supporters to split their tickets, voting Democrat for Senate even as they voted Republican for president. His campaign ran ads featuring Trump voters who planned to support him, and he was the only Democratic senator who declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, saying he wanted his race "to be about Montana."

Tester also campaigned on abortion rights, framing the issue as a matter of personal freedom in line with Montana's libertarian ethos. An initiative that would codify the right to abortion up to viability in Montana's constitution was on the ballot, and Tester's allies had hoped enthusiasm for the measure would drive turnout for him.

But in the end, the Democratic farmer from the tiny town of Big Sandy couldn't hold on. Montana has been trending redder in recent elections, as rural, working-class and union voters shift toward the GOP, and newcomers, many of Republicans, flock to the state.

Tester's downfall is a triumphant moment for fellow Montana Sen. Steve Daines. He headed Senate Republicans' campaign arm this cycle, recruited Sheehy to run, and fought against a challenge from Rep. Matt Rosendale, a hard-right conservative who had lost to Tester in 2018. Rosendale dropped out of the race after Trump endorsed Sheehy, averting a divisive primary.

This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 06, 2024 07:02 ET (12:02 GMT)

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