Cook Political Report Delivers More Bad News For Vulnerable Dem Senator

Republican candidate Tim Sheehy is now poised to dethrone Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Tester for Montana’s Senate seat, according to a Cook Political Report rating from Thursday.

Cook Political Report, a leading nonpartisan election and campaign watcher, shifted its rating for the competitive senate seat from toss up to leaning Republican. Sheehy has consistently led Tester by a few points over the last few months, with the latest findings swinging even more in the Republican challenger’s favor.

“After almost 18 years in Washington, Montanans are fed up with Two-Faced Tester pretending to be a moderate in Montana while voting with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in DC,” NRSC Spokeswoman Maggie Abboud said in a statement.

Republicans account for nearly 40% of likely voters in Montana, while Democrats only account for about a quarter, according to an AARP poll from Sept. 5. This puts Tester at an electoral disadvantage, as he would need a boost from independents if the incumbent hopes to win his reelection, AARP found.

Sheehy is a Purple Heart recipient and previously served as a Navy SEAL in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Republican challenger also went into the race with an endorsement