3-term Sen. John Tester and poll-ascending Tim Sheehy conflict at the border, abortion coverage, public lands control, well being care techniques, Ukraine make stronger.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) stated the Biden management has “now not performed a excellent activity” at the border, and Republican challenger Tim Sheehy declined to verify or deny make stronger for federal abortion restrictions, right through a Sept. 30 debate, the primary and final scheduled of their pivotal U.S. Senate race.
The hour-long alternate at the College of Montana campus in Missoula additionally featured discussions on federal public lands control, make stronger for Ukraine, and reasonably priced housing and well being care techniques, with Sheehy disputing claims he helps “natural privatization” of Medicare/Medicaid.
Tester, 68, the one statewide-elected Democrat in deep purple Montana, performed to his self-described “grime farmer from Large Sandy” roots as a folksy centrist who has gained 3 U.S. Senate elections via defeating Republican “multimillionaire out-of-staters.”
It’s an undercurrent theme in volleys together with his opponent, a first-time candidate who thanked the senator for his provider earlier than mentioning, “It’s time for a brand new technology of management.”
Sheehy, 38, a former U.S. Military SEAL and Iraq/Afghanistan warfare veteran, based aerial fire-fighting corporate Bridger Aerospace in 2014, which employs greater than 200 Montanans.
Sheehy is recommended via former President Donald Trump.
Unseating Tester is amongst Republicans’ most sensible 2024 priorities. Holding his seat is a must-win for the Democrats.
With no less than $130 million spent, the Tester–Sheehy race is the costliest marketing campaign in state historical past.
Not like 2022’s midterms, when the GOP was once protecting 20 of 34 seats within the cut up 50–50 chamber, in 2024, Democrats and the 4 independents who caucus with them are protecting 23 of 33 seats on Nov. 5 ballots.
Republicans want handiest turn two to notch chamber management. No less than 8 races for Democrat-held seats are aggressive whilst handiest two GOP-held seats are marginally so.
Tester is certainly one of two Democrat senators in search of reelection in 2024 in states Trump gained in 2020.
The opposite is Ohio’s Sen. Sherrod Brown, who’s going through a “toss-up” problem.
Tester is looking for a fourth time period in a state that Trump took via 16.5 proportion issues in 2020.
West Virginia former Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin is retiring however as an impartial.
Republicans are projected to turn no less than two seats, together with his.
In that very same ballot, respondents selected Trump via 21 proportion issues, 59 p.c to 38 p.c, over Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
Tester’s marketing campaign has dramatically out-raised and out-spent Sheehy’s operation.
GOP-supporting PACs have spent greater than $44 million, and Democrat-leaning PACs have spent $34.5 million, the nonprofit reviews.
U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) greets fellow veterans right through a marketing campaign rally in 3 Forks, Mont., on Nov. 9, 2023. Courtesy of Tim Sheehy For U.S. Senate
Again and Forth
On immigration coverage and the border, Tester agreed with Sheehy that “Biden has now not performed a excellent activity at the southern border” and famous he hostile the president repealing Trump’s “stay-in-Mexico coverage.”
“I believed it was once a nasty determination. There are different choices he made I believed had been dangerous for the border,” he stated. “However the key is this, Congress must do its activity, too.”
Tester stated at Trump’s bidding, Area Republicans “taking part in politics” shot down a bipartisan border safety invoice final spring.
“The birthday party bosses say, ‘Nope, can’t cross this. We wish to use this. This can be a political instrument on this election.’ And when you don’t consider it’s getting used as a political instrument, simply flip at the TV,” he stated. “We had an answer. It was once there.”
Sheehy referred to as it a nasty invoice that he would reject without reference to what “birthday party bosses” stated.
Whilst the Biden management “repealed all of Trump’s govt orders,” he stated, congressional Democrats proposed a invoice that will have legalized hundreds of thousands of unlawful immigrants.
“The invoice Sen. Tester was once speaking about would have enshrined a large degree of persisted unlawful immigration. They just would have legalized it. They referred to as it ‘criminal,’” he stated. “I stated, ‘No, completely now not.’ And I say, ‘No once more.’ Ultimate phrase.”
Sheehy denied supporting “natural privatization” of Medicaid/Medicare and reiterated opposition to a federal single-payer well being care device.
“One dimension suits all. That’s a pathway to a disastrous well being care device. In actual fact, the personal sector nonetheless is the most important supplier of well being care in our nation. Taking that and handing it to the federal government isn’t the precise solution,” he stated.
“We’ve were given to proceed to ensure Medicare and Medicaid are funded, however non-public well being care goes to be our solution to creating certain we proceed to offer the ones key products and services for rural American citizens.”
He by no means obviously responded if he’d make stronger a federal regulation restricting or banning abortion, noting he helps exceptions for rape, incest, and lifetime of the mummy.
“However sooner or later,” Sheehy stated, “when there’s a viable existence, some other viable existence, that existence additionally has the precise to coverage.”
Tester stated: “Neatly, the key is, it’s now not state govt’s determination, now not Tim Sheehy’s determination, now not John Tester’s determination. No. It’s the girl’s determination.
“The truth of the subject is, that is elementary to who we’re as Montanans, the precise to make choices about our well being care.”
Regarding the abortion measure on Montana’s Nov. 5 poll, he stated, “This initiative must cross, which might reinstate ‘Roe’ and, fairly frankly, reinstate the liberty that girls and households have had just about my complete existence.”
Tester claimed that Sheehy helps efforts to promote Montana’s 87 million acres of federal public lands, noting he served at the board of the Belongings and Atmosphere Analysis Heart (PERC), a assets rights nonprofit.
Sheehy referred to as Tester’s declare “blatantly improper,” pronouncing that PERC “advocated for higher non-public control of our public land products and services” operated via concessionaires and contractors, now not privatizing federal lands.
“Nobody, together with myself and that group, has ever advocated for promoting our public lands,” he stated.
“By no means have and not will, however I do, and completely will each day, suggest for extra native keep an eye on of the ones lands, as a result of I consider they belong to you, now not the federal government.”
Each expressed staunch make stronger for Israel in destroying Hamas and Hezbollah.
Tester stated the US and its allies should proceed to help Ukraine, whilst Sheehy stated Europeans wish to spearhead resistance to Russia as a result of the US faces rising international safety demanding situations, particularly in countering China’s rising risk.