Democrats got some very welcome news Wednesday morning when Montana Sen. Jon Tester announced he would seek a fourth term in a state that Trump carried 57-41 in 2020. “Montanans need a fighter holding Washington accountable and I’m running to defend our Montana values,” said the incumbent, who is the only Democrat who holds statewide office in the Treasure State.
Tester will be one of the Senate GOP’s top targets next year, especially since fellow Montana Sen. Steve Daines is the chair of the NRSC. Tester, notes Politico, recruited then-Gov. Steve Bullock to take on Daines in 2020, a campaign that ended in a 55-45 victory for Daines and underscored just how tough it would be for anyone but Tester to win.
The Democratic senator, though, has long cultivated his own brand that’s helped him survive in a difficult state for his party. Tester, who famously lost three fingers in a childhood accident, has emphasized during all of his campaigns that he’s a third-generation farmer who still works his farm.
That background came in handy during his 2018 re-election fight against Republican Matt Rosendale, where Tester’s team leapt on a report about how that the self-described "rancher" didn't own any cattle or actually ranch his property. Tester won 50-47 in a year where other red state colleagues were losing, and he’s continued to emphasize what Politico called in 2021 a “folksy, profane authenticity.” Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has his own challenging re-election fight next year, said in that article, “He’s a real farmer and I’m, like, a politician … But the other thing is, his personality is bigger than life.”
A few Republicans have made noises about running against Tester, but it remains to be seen who will step up. Most of the talk has centered around the state’s two House members: Rosendale, who won a seat in the lower chamber two years after losing to Tester, and Ryan Zinke, who served a chaotic stint as Trump’s first secretary of the interior. The National Journal reported earlier this month that Attorney General Austin Knudsen is considering as well, while Gov. Greg Gianforte’s team didn’t rule out the idea back in November.
Tester, who has long gripped about his tough commute to D.C. (Politico last month said he needed to awake “before dawn on Mondays to get to the Capitol for 5:30 p.m. votes”), was one of the two red state senators that Democrats feared would retire, but we’re likely going to need to wait still longer to learn about the other’s plans. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin reiterated later in the day to radio host Hoppy Kercheval that he still was not sure if he’d seek re-election, though he once again made it clear he wouldn’t try and reclaim his old job as governor.
Manchin added, “I'm not running for president. I can assure you of that today,” though that last word keeps the door open to more speculation.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.
