Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) announced his reelection bid Wednesday for a fourth term in a critical seat that Democrats must defend to keep their Senate majority in 2024.
Tester, 66, who has long dropped hints that he would vie for another term, underscored the need to reduce the high cost of living afflicting Montanans and the national middle class in a statement announcing his 2024 plans.
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“Montanans need a fighter that will hold our government accountable and demand Washington stand up for veterans and lower costs for families. I will always fight to defend our Montana values. Let’s get to work,” Tester tweeted.
It’s official. I’m running for reelection.
Montanans need a fighter that will hold our government accountable and demand Washington stand up for veterans and lower costs for families. I will always fight to defend our Montana values. Let’s get to work.
— Jon Tester (@jontester) February 22, 2023
A centrist Democrat, Tester represents a state that former President Donald Trump won by more than 16 percentage points in 2020. Alongside Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tester’s race is widely considered to be one of the Democratic-held seats in the upper chamber most at risk of flipping to Republicans.
Over recent weeks, Tester has publicly broken with the Biden administration on COVID-19 vaccine requirements and pounced on Republican plans to replace the income tax with a national sales tax — something he contends would wreak havoc on the middle class.
With a history in farming, Tester has channeled a populist message and prevailed over his Republican foes narrowly in past elections.
“I know that people in Washington don’t understand what a hard day’s work looks like or the challenges working families are facing in Montana,” the Democrat said in a statement, per the Associated Press.
“Montanans need a fighter holding Washington accountable,” he said.
In the coming election cycle, Tester could face off against top Republicans, such as Reps. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Matt Rosendale (R-MT), in the Treasure State.
Tester previously bested Rosendale in 2018 by 3.5 percentage points. Oftentimes, Tester’s political messaging centers on healthcare, support for veterans, agriculture, and abortion.
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In the 2024 Senate election cycle, Democrats will be on the defense, as they need to defend 23 seats, three of which are held by Democratic-aligned independent senators. Republicans have to defend 11. Democrats have the majority in the Senate with 51 seats.
The official Republican Senate campaign arm ripped into Tester following his announcement.
“The Tester-Biden agenda has given Montanans rising crime, higher taxes, and an open southern border that is flooding communities with deadly fentanyl. Montanans are going to send Joe Biden’s favorite senator packing in 2024,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Maggie Abboud said in a statement.
The Washington Examiner contacted a Tester spokesperson for comment.
