Businessman and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Montana on Tuesday, setting him up for a runoff against incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in November, according to the Associated Press.
With 27% of the votes counted, Sheehy had 75.5% of the vote, far ahead of lesser known opponents, including former Montana Secretary of State Brad Johnson, who had 18%, and Charles Walkingchild, who had 6.5%.
The Republican primary had been virtually a given since February, when Rep. Matt Rosendale abruptly dropped out of the race less than a week into it, citing former President Donald J. Trump's support for Sheehy. Rosendale, a right-wing hawk, was seen as the only viable challenger to Sheehy amid efforts by the Republican establishment to flush him out. His victory would be a boost for Republicans seeking to retake control of the Senate, in a lucrative district where many Democratic candidates face tough reelection battles.
Sheehy will face off against a formidable opponent in Tester, a popular incumbent who has struggled in the past because of his background as a third-generation Montana farmer and his bipartisan reputation. Recent polls have predicted a close race, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rating Montana a “close race.” Tester formally won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday.
Tester has an advantage financially: According to his most recent financial report, he raised $4.1 million between April 1 and May 15, and his campaign has $11.7 million cash on hand, while Sheehy's campaign raised $2.1 million during the same period (including $600,000 loaned by the candidate himself) and had $2.2 million cash on hand.
But Republicans believe Tester, first elected in 2006, is especially vulnerable in this election. After more than 17 years in Washington, his rural, working-class image has faded with Montana voters, and they argue he has the votes to back laws signed by President Biden, who is unpopular with Montana voters. The party plans to blame Biden, and therefore Tester, for the border crisis and the rising cost of living in Montana.
Democrats are fighting back by attacking Mr. Sheehy's record: a wealthy businessman who grew up in Minnesota and moved to Montana a decade ago, they say, symbolizes a trend in which wealthy people have moved to the state, inflating home prices and infuriating longtime residents. (Mr. Sheehy, who runs an aerial firefighting company and owns stock in a ranch, made his fortune after moving to the state.)
They also point to holes in his history, particularly lingering questions about how he sustained the gunshot wounds he claims he sustained while in Afghanistan.