JUST IN: Republicans Flip Another Crucial Senate Seat

For the second time in 24 hours, a vulnerable three-term Democratic senator in a red state has bit the dust.

Republican Tim Sheehy declared victory over Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) Wednesday morning following the AP’s call in the race. Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL closely aligned with President-elect Donald Trump, ran a scorched-earth campaign buttressed by million of dollars in outside spending that successfully tied the Biden-Harris administration’s baggage to his opponent. With 92% of votes reported, the first-time candidate locked in 53.3% of the vote to Tester’s 44.9%; Libertarian Party candidate Sib Daoud received 1.1% and Green Party candidate Robert Barb received 0.6%.

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“Since day one, we’ve been running a grassroots campaign, talking directly with Montanans about how we make Montana affordable again, make America strong again, and bring back Montana common sense, which means a secure border, safe streets, cheap gas, cops are good, criminals are bad, boys are boys, and girls are girls,” Sheehy said in a statement to the AP. He added on X, “We The People made our voices heard, we completed our mission, and now we will secure our children’s future and save America together!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸”

THANK YOU, MONTANA!!

We The People made our voices heard, we completed our mission, and now we will secure our children’s future and save America together!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tAhb05grPG

— Tim Sheehy (@SheehyforMT) November 6, 2024

Ironically, Sen. Tester fell victim to the same outsider-style campaign he utilized during his first run for Senate in 2006. Then, Republican former Sen. Conrad Burns became ensnared in a Washington lobbying scandal, providing the mountain state Democrat a narrow path to victory by less than 1%. This time around, however, it was Sheehy who tarred and feathered Tester as a duplicitous insider voting with Vice President Kamala Harris and failing to live up to Montana’s rugged lifestyle and rural values.

Tester conceded, telling supporters he called Sheehy to congratulate him while predicting he would go back to working on his farm, a humble retirement for a giant of the Senate’s moderate center. “Look, I’m very, very blessed,” he said. “I’ve had a great 18 years in the United States Senate. I’ve met some incredible people along the way and had the opportunity to do some great things to help move this state forward, move the country forward.”

Exit polls showed that about 4 in 10 Montana voters said Senate control was the most important factor in determining their vote. Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who announced in March that he would be stepping down from the caucus’s top job following the elections, tapped Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) to coordinate the GOP’s senatorial campaign arm. Daines, who happens to be the junior Montana senator, invested tens of millions of dollars in painting his colleague as a far-left Democrat.

Even before Sheehy’s win, Republicans had already ensured a Senate majority. Wins in West Virginia and Ohio flipped two seats — the latter spelling the end to the three-term career of Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) — and put the Senate at 51-49 in favor of Republicans. The party is continuing to expand on those wins while defending some members such as Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL), both of whom beat back less formidable challenges Tuesday night.

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