Sen. Jon Tester couldn’t overcome the political reality that Montana is a very, very red state.
Tester is projected to lose to Republican Tim Sheehy, a young former Navy SEAL backed by former President Donald Trump. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday morning. Trump handily won the state for the third presidential election in a row.
Tester, the last Democrat to hold statewide or federal office in Montana, has held on to his seat through several cycles despite Republicans gaining a clear advantage. The Senate GOP considered Tester’s seat a must-win in their quest to win back the majority (as they had in 2012 and 2018 when Tester narrowly won), and he was one of the most vulnerable incumbents running on what was a tough map for Democrats.